MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects Kelly (COVID-19 injured list) to be activated ahead of Tuesday's series opener in San Diego, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Roberts said he felt Kelly looked "rusty" during his first rehab outing at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, when he recorded one out and issued two walks. As a result, the Dodgers will have him make one more tune-up appearance Sunday for the affiliate before rejoining the big club ahead of the big three-game series with the Padres. Once reinstated, Kelly should be a key part of the late-inning bridge to closer Kenley Jansen.

The Giants recalled Jackson from Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday.

Jackson was eligible to return to the Giants less than a week after being demoted since Evan Longoria (hand) was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list in a corresponding move. Over his 15 appearances out of the big-league bullpen this season, Jackson has posted a 3.68 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB in 14.2 innings.

The Giants recalled Long from Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday.

Long will be available out of the bullpen for Sunday's series finale in Oakland, but if he goes unused, he could step into the rotation Tuesday against the Mets as a replacement for Anthony DeSclafani (ankle), who was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Over eight appearances (four starts) with the big club this season, Long has gone 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 31:10 K:BB in 28.1 innings.

Melancon (3-2) picked up the win against the Phillies on Saturday with two scoreless and hitless innings during which he walked two and struck out one.

Melancon hadn't pitched in three days, to the Padres handed him the ball with the team trailing by two runs in the top of the ninth. The right-hander faced the minimum three batters thanks to a double play, then watched as San Diego tied the score in the bottom of the frame. He came back out for the 10th and kept Philadelphia off the scoreboard, nabbing the win when the Padres scored in their half of the inning. It was only the fourth time Melancon has hurled more than one inning this season, and he has now held opponents scoreless over his past five appearances covering 6.1 frames.

Bednar notched his first career save in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals, striking out one and working around a base hit in a scoreless ninth inning.

Save opportunities haven't been plentiful this season for the 44-79 Pirates, and the team's closer situation became murky when Richard Rodriguez was dealt to Atlanta ahead of the July 30 deadline. After converting his first save in relatively stress-free fashion Saturday, Bednar now looks like the clear top pitcher to roster out of the Pittsburgh bullpen. Even before Rodriguez was dealt, Bednar had been one of the team's top setup arms, logging a 2.49 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 62:16 K:BB in 50.2 innings while collecting 10 holds. Bednar still likely can't be counted on to receive more than a handful of save chances the rest of the season, but that might be enough to make the 26-year-old worthy of rostering for fantasy managers desperate to make up ground in the category.

Cabrera (2-4) was charged with the loss and his second blown save of the season in a defeat at the hands of the Pirates on Saturday, allowing three earned runs on four hits and an intentional walk over one inning. He struck out one.

The left-hander was charged with preserving a 3-2 lead when he entered in the seventh, and after retiring two of the first three batters he faced, three singles and an intentional walk led to him surrendering three quick runs. The stumble marked the end of a long stretch of success for Cabrera, who hadn't allowed a run in his 15 previous appearances.

The Tigers recalled Lange from Triple-A Toledo ahead of Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Lange will be back with the Tigers for the first time in just over a month after he was summoned from Triple-A as a replacement on the pitching staff for Wily Peralta (finger), who was placed on the 10-day injured list. According to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, Lange will likely be available out of the Tigers' bullpen just for Sunday; he's a prime candidate for a demotion ahead of Tuesday's two-game set in St. Louis, during which outfielder Akil Baddoo (concussion) will make his return from the IL.

Chafin recorded his 19th hold in a loss to the Giants on Saturday, allowing two earned runs on two solo home runs over one inning.

Chafin walked away with the hold, but he helped set the stage for an eventual Athletics loss by giving up the solo bombs to Brandon Belt and Darin Ruf in a seventh inning the Giants entered trailing by a 5-2 margin. The veteran left-hander's issues with the long ball are an outlier, considering he'd allowed just one home run over 49.2 innings coming into Saturday.

Andriese signed a one-year contract with the Mariners on Sunday and was added to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster ahead of Seattle's series finale in Houston.

Seattle wasn't willing to take on the money remaining on Andriese's one-year, $1.85 million contract after Boston designated him for assignment a few days earlier, but the Mariners brought the veteran reliever aboard on what's presumably a more team-friendly deal once he cleared waivers and became a free agent. He'll be a multi-inning option out of the bullpen for Seattle, but expect manager Scott Servais to limit Andriese's usage to lower-leverage spots initially. Andriese submitted a 6.03 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 26 relief appearances for Boston this season, but the Mariners are likely hoping that his solid 15.3 K-BB% is a better indicator of his performance moving forward.

The Nationals activated Voth (illness) from the COVID-19 injured list Sunday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The righty was struggling considerably before testing positive for the coronavirus in late July, as he allowed eight earned runs in his last 2.2 innings. On the season, Voth sports a 4.81 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 43 innings. Javy Guerra was designated for assignment in a corresponding move Sunday.