MLB Player News

Sands was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul on Friday.

The 25-year-old was demoted to St. Paul in mid-June but will return to the big-league club Friday. Sands received his first taste of MLB action this year and has an 8.82 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings.

Duffey was designated for assignment by the Twins on Friday.

The 31-year-old was a major bullpen piece for the Twins over the past few years with 47 holds entering this year, but he struggled in 2022 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 39:15 K:BB across 44 innings. Duffey could remain in the organization if he passes through waivers unclaimed, though he could also opt to become a free agent.

Morris (shoulder) made his fifth rehab appearance and his first at Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday. He covered 2.2 innings while striking out six and gave up two earned runs on two hits and one walk.

Columbus likely marks the final stop on Morris' rehab assignment, and there's a good chance he sticks with the Guardians' affiliate for the remainder of the season. Since he was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason before being shut down in spring training with a strained right shoulder, Morris has resided on the Guardians' 60-day injured list all season. Once reinstated, he will be optioned to Columbus to make regular turns out of the club's rotation, although a big-league debut isn't out of the question either if he pitches well and Cleveland has a need.

Jimenez, just activated from the injured list Tuesday, fired a perfect eighth inning during which he struck out the side in a win over the Angels on Thursday, earning his third hold.

The right-hander couldn't have asked for a better return to action, firing 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes in his first appearance since June 18. Jimenez extended his scoreless streak to four appearances with Thursday's blanking, which pushed his ERA and WHIP down to 4.21 and 1.21, respectively.

VerHagen (hip) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.

It was announced Thursday that VerHagen will require season-ending surgery on his hip, so the move to the 60-day IL was no surprise. The 31-year-old inked a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Cardinals after spending the previous two seasons in Japan, and he struggled in his return to the majors with a 6.65 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 18:14 K:BB across 21.2 innings.

Naile was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Naile was called up as the 27th man for Thursday's doubleheader, so it's no surprise he's headed back to the minors. The 29-year-old didn't allow a baserunner over two-thirds of an inning Thursday and has given up only two hits with a 4:0 K:BB across six major-league frames overall this year.

Ridings (shoulder) announced Thursday via his personal Twitter account that he completed a bullpen session.

Ridings has been on the injured list all season while recovering from a right shoulder impingement that surfaced early in spring training. Due to his lengthy layoff, Ridings will likely require at least a few weeks to build up and complete a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 60-day IL.

Lamet was claimed off waivers by the Rockies on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Lamet was acquired by the Brewers in the trade that sent Josh Hader to San Diego on Monday, but he was designated for assignment just two days later after the Brewers added more relief depth. Lamet has had a poor 2022 campaign, struggling to a 9.49 ERA and a 14.5 percent walk rate in 13 relief appearances at the big-league level, but the Rockies have little reason not to take a flier on a pitcher who has flashed plenty of potential both as a starter and as a reliever.

Clarke (3-1) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in one inning Thursday, earning the win over the Red Sox.

Clarke took a blown save by allowing the tying run to score in the seventh inning. He ended up with the win after the Royals rallied for four runs in their half of the frame. Since the start of July, Clarke has allowed two runs with a 12:4 K:BB across 13 innings in 12 appearances. The right-hander has a 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 41:8 K:BB, two saves, 10 holds and five blown saves through 45.1 innings this year. As long as he doesn't completely go off the rails, he should see regular setup work over the last two months of the season.

Hicks (3-5) earned the win in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Cubs. He allowed a run on a hit and two walks in one inning.

The Cubs tied the game at 2-2 against Hicks in the seventh inning, but Tyler O'Neill's three-run home run in the bottom of the frame put the Cardinals ahead again. In his last 5.1 innings, Hicks has surrendered seven runs on five hits, four walks and two hit batters. He had some promising results in early July after moving back to the bullpen, but his recent form is likely to keep him in a middle-relief role. For the season, the right-hander owns a 4.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 38:28 K:BB across 42 innings through 20 appearances (eight starts).