MLB Player News

Barlow had his contract selected by the Rangers on Wednesday.

The right-hander has been at Triple-A Round Rock this season and has pitched well with a 2.57 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 29:8 K:BB across 21 innings. Barlow also went 7-for-7 in save chances, though he should fill a low-leverage role in his first taste of big-league action.

Palumbo (back) was reinstated from Triple-A Round Rock's 7-day injured list and made a relief appearance in Monday's 4-3 win over Oklahoma City. He retired one of the four batters he faced, giving up a hit, a walk and a hit by pitch.

The appearance was Palumbo's first since May 24 while he recovered from a back strain. The 26-year-old lefty was once regarded as one of Texas' most promising pitching prospects, but his long-term outlook has dimmed with the Rangers moving him to a relief role at Triple-A this season.

McHugh fired three perfect innings during which he recorded three strikeouts in a loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday.

McHugh got his nine outs on an efficient 37 pitches, notching an impressive eight swinging strikes along the way. The veteran right-hander now owns a seven-appearance scoreless streak, a stretch during which he's posted an elite 21:2 K:BB across 14.2 innings.

Kay is scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Orioles, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

He'll be making a spot start in place of Steven Matz (illness), who remains on the COVID-19 injured list. While in quarantine, Matz has reportedly been able to stay conditioned by participating in extended throwing sessions, so he should be ready to rejoin the rotation once he's eligible to be reinstated in the coming days. With that in mind, Kay could be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo immediately after Thursday's start, regardless of how he performs.

The Royals optioned Kowar to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

The writing was on the wall for Kowar's demotion after the Royals shifted him to the bullpen after a disastrous first two starts following his June 7 promotion from Triple-A Omaha. After giving up eight earned runs while recording only six outs between the two starts, Kowar fared only marginally better in long relief Saturday against the Red Sox, surrendering two runs on three hits over two innings. He'll slot back into the rotation at Omaha and will look to recapture some success before the Royals entertain the idea of calling him up again.

Hernandez (quadriceps) was cleared to resume light tossing and range-of-motion work earlier this week, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez was placed on the 60-day injured list shortly after exiting a June 3 start against the Pirates with a severe right quadriceps strain, so he won't be eligible to return to the active roster until early August at the soonest. He'll have multiple hurdles to clear in the recovery process, but the fact that Hernandez is already doing some activity is a positive sign for his recovery.

Guzman (elbow) is scheduled to pitch around five innings in his start Thursday in a simulated game at the Marlins' extended spring training site, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The start could be Guzman's last at extended spring before he reports to an affiliate for the start of a rehab assignment. The 25-year-old right-hander currently occupies a spot on the Marlins' 60-day injured list, but he's unlikely to be a candidate to slot into the big-league rotation once reinstated. Instead, Guzman will likely be making regular starts for Triple-A Jacksonville whenever the Marlins deem him fully healthy.

Loaisiga (7-3) took the loss and was tagged with a blown save in Tuesday's loss to Kansas City. He allowed four runs on five hits while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning.

Loaisiga has been mostly outstanding out of the bullpen for the Yankees this season -- he entered Tuesday's contest with a 1.63 ERA and 0.96 WHIP through 30 appearances and was working on a streak of 11 outings without allowing a run. He clearly didn't have his best stuff Tuesday, however, as he couldn't protect a one-run New York lead. The right-hander surrendered four singles and a double as the Royals pushed four runs across the plate. Loaisiga's ERA jumped up to 2.52 as a result, but he should continue to be used in high-leverage situations despite the disappointing appearance.

Yarbrough covered two innings as a primary pitcher and didn't factor into the decision Tuesday in the Rays' 9-5 loss to the Red Sox in 11 innings. He gave up five runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two.

Yarbrough looked in line to take his first loss since April 30 after exiting with a 5-2 lead, but the Rays offense rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth before Boston broke the tie in extras. The southpaw has now been blitzed for 10 runs between his last two outings, raising his season ERA from 3.88 to 4.59. Yarbrough isn't in danger of losing his spot in the rotation, but the Rays could continue to deploy him behind an opener when his next turn comes up in an attempt to coax better results out of the 29-year-old.

Thompson was credited with a hold in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers. He faced two batters, walking one and retiring the other on a fielder's choice.

The 23-year-old was summoned in a high-leverage situation in his first MLB outing, coming into the game in the eighth inning with a runner on first base and San Diego holding a two-run lead. He threw a wild pitch and then walked Max Muncy but got out of the inning by retiring AJ Pollock on a fielder's choice grounder. Thompson's 5.89 ERA and 1.33 WHIP this season at the Triple-A level aren't particularly impressive, so it would be a surprise if he's given consistent high-leverage opportunities with the big club despite Tuesday's successful debut.