MLB Player News

General manager Ross Atkins said Sunday that Borucki (forearm) is pain-free and close to starting a throwing progression, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Borucki has been on the injured list since May 14 with the forearm strain and has taken longer than initially expected to return. He'll resume throwing in the coming days, which will likely be followed by a rehab assignment if all goes well. With that said, a mid-to-late-June return to the Blue Jays' bullpen appears to be the best-case scenario for the southpaw.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Fulmer, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, will undergo further tests on his strained right shoulder later in the day when the Tigers return to Detroit, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers don't believe Fulmer is dealing with structural damage to the shoulder, but the medical tests should provide more information about the extent of his injury and a potential timeline for his recovery. With Fulmer on the shelf for at least the next week and a half, Gregory Soto and Jose Cisnero look like the best options for saves out of the Detroit bullpen.

Balazovic (back) struck out five batters with two walks over 3.1 scoreless innings Saturday for Double-A Wichita in his 2021 debut.

Balazovic suffered a back injury during spring training that forced him to begin the minor-league season on the injured list. He likely had a limited workload in his first start as a result. The Twins' top pitching prospect also didn't get much work last summer as he was a late addition to the team's alternate training camp, so the Twins may keep him at one level for the full summer.

Staumont (knee) was activated from the injured list Sunday, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports.

Staumont was placed on the 10-day injured list with a knee sprain May 28, with the move being backdated to May 26. He'll now rejoin the Royals after missing just the minimum 10 days, though it's not clear if he'll carry on as the preferred closer option immediately.

Lowther was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday.

Lowther was recalled by the Orioles on Wednesday and then sent back to Norfolk on Thursday without making an appearance with the big club. He'll rejoin Baltimore ahead of their game against Cleveland on Saturday and figures to be able to pitch in long relief if needed. John Means (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding roster move. Lowther could be a candidate to take Means' spot in the rotation while the left-hander recovers.

The Phillies reinstated Neris from the paternity list ahead of Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Reliever David Hale was moved to the COVID-19 injured list to reopen a spot on the active roster for Neris, who was only on the paternity list for one day. He should immediately step back in as the Phillies' closer ahead of their series finale against the Nationals. Through 24 outings this season, Neris has been one of baseball's most reliable end gamers, converting nine of 11 save chances while posting a 1.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 27:8 K:BB across 23 frames.

Manager Dave Martinez said Voth will start Sunday's game against the Phillies, which the Nationals will treat as a bullpen day, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

After the Nationals elected to send Erick Fedde (COVID-19 injured list) out for a minor-league rehab start Saturday, Voth became the logical choice to pick up a spot start in place of Stephen Strasburg (neck), who was moved back to the IL a few days ago. After Strasburg recorded just four outs in his start June 1 before exiting with the neck strain, Voth stepped in to cover a season-high three innings of long relief. The Nationals apparently don't plan to stretch Voth out much further than that for Sunday's start, as Martinez said the right-hander will likely cover 2-to-3 innings before giving way to the bullpen, according to Maria Torres of The Athletic.

Soto pitched a scoreless eighth inning and recorded a hold in Saturday's 4-3 win over the White Sox. He struck out two.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch decided to use Soto in the eighth inning and then Jose Cisnero for his first MLB save in the ninth. Soto leads the team with five saves and has a solid 3.09 ERA, so this was likely more of a situational decision than a full-on switch at closer for the Tigers. Still, with Soto being Detroit's best left-handed reliever, Hinch will likely continue using him in important late-game spots, and those might not always come in the ninth inning.

Cisnero pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the White Sox. He struck out one.

The Tigers decided to use Gregory Soto for the eighth inning, then Cisnero in the ninth, and the move worked out. Soto leads the team with five saves and has a solid 3.09 ERA, so it remains to be seen if Cisnero has overtaken him in the closer role or if this was simply a situational decision. The save is the first for Cisnero at the MLB level versus eight career blown saves. Whether he displaces Soto or not, he should remain a high-leverage reliever for Detroit, giving him some degree of fantasy appeal.

Abbott pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Saturday's loss to the Giants. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one.

Abbott was called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day and was effective in his MLB debut. The 25-year-old had a 6.39 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in five starts for Iowa before getting the call, so expectations should be tempered, though he at least made a good first impression. Abbott will serve out of the Cubs' bullpen for the time being but could be an option for some spot starts.