MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned Assad to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Assad lost his spot in the rotation in the aftermath of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and shifted to the bullpen, and he'll now end up losing his spot on the roster entirely after the Cubs reinstated Edward Cabrera (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Sunday. Assad is expected to get stretched back out at Triple-A to offer insurance in case injuries test the big club's starting depth down the stretch.

The Pirates optioned Dotel to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

The Pirates recalled Hunter Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace Dotel on the active roster and in the bullpen. Dotel owns a 4.71 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB across 28.2 innings at the big-league level this season.

The Pirates recalled Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Barco will be up with the Pirates for the fourth time this season and owns a 7.36 ERA and 2.11 WHIP in 14.2 innings over six appearances with the big club. The left-hander most recently tossed a six-inning shutout for Indianapolis last weekend and could be called upon to cover multiple innings of relief during Sunday's game against the Red Sox. Lake Bachar will be making a spot start Sunday, but he's expected to be in line for a restricted workload after making his first four appearances with Pittsburgh as a reliever.

Toronto reinstated Little from the paternity list Sunday.

Little missed the maximum of three days while welcoming the birth of his new child. The 29-year-old will provide a fresh arm to an exhausted Blue Jays staff that utilized seven different pitchers during Saturday's bullpen game. The left-hander will replace Ricky Tiedemann on the active roster.

The Red Sox placed Slaten (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Sunday.

Slaten's placement on the IL is retroactive to Thursday, so he'll be eligible to return as soon as Aug. 28 if he's fully recovered from right elbow inflammation by then. The Red Sox recalled left-hander Raymond Burgos from Triple-A Worcester to take Slaten's spot in the bullpen.

Boston recalled Burgos from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.

Burgos will join the big-league club for the second time this season, replacing the injured Justin Slaten (elbow) on the active roster. During his brief stint with Boston earlier this month, Burgos made a pair of relief appearances and gave up two earned runs while striking out four over six innings.

Arizona selected Santana's contract from Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Just 10 days after signing a minor-league deal with Arizona, Santana will be moved up to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster. Before joining the Diamondbacks, Santana had spent the season in Pittsburgh's big-league bullpen, posting a 6.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 37:21 K:BB over 41.2 innings. Arizona designated Philip Abner for assignment in order to clear room on the roster for Santana.

The Red Sox are expected to place Slaten on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right elbow inflammation, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Slaten last pitched Wednesday against the Blue Jays, so his move to the IL will be retroactive to Thursday. Per Sean McAdam of MassLive.com, Slaten had been pitching through discomfort in his forearm/elbow for a period of time, and the Red Sox have decided that the righty reliever needed a chance to rest up and recover. The 28-year-old will make his second trip to the IL this season after missing a little over a month at the start of the campaign due to a right oblique strain.

Holderman was removed from Saturday's 6-1 win over the Padres due to right wrist inflammation, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. He was credited with a hold while hitting a batter and retiring the other two hitters he faced.

Holderman was removed with two outs in the seventh inning after throwing a wild pitch. He was allowed a few warmup pitches before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt decided to lift him from the game. Vogt classified Holderman's injury as a day-to-day concern following Saturday's contest, but the right-hander will likely be evaluated further before he Guardians decide if he'll require a stint on the injured list. Holderman, who was shut down for six weeks last season due to a similar injury, has been a bright spot in the bullpen in 2026. He holds a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 46:17 K:BB over 49 innings and has collected six wins, one save and 10 holds across 49 appearances.

Atlanta selected Kerr's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.

In a corresponding move, Danny Young was designated for assignment. Kerr last appeared in the majors with Atlanta in 2024, submitting a 5.64 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 22.1 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery that June.