MLB Player News

The Twins will place Thielbar (groin) on the 10-day injured list prior to Thursday's game against the Royals, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Minnesota will call up Shaun Anderson to fill the opening on the 26-man active roster and in the bullpen after Thielbar suffered a strained left groin during his relief appearance Wednesday in Baltimore. Thielbar has been a key part of the bridge to closers Hansel Robles and Taylor Rogers this season, accruing a 4.29 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 31 strikeouts and five holds over 20 appearances.

Ward underwent Tommy John surgery Thursday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Ward is one of the Red Sox's more interesting prospects, as he cruised to a 2.14 ERA and a 29.9 percent strikeout rate in 25 starts at the Low-A and High-A levels in 2019 before losing all of last season due to the canceled minor-league schedule. He made just two starts this year before being shut down with what was originally called a forearm strain. A typical recovery timeline would sideline him until late in the 2022 campaign at the earliest, and there's a chance he doesn't throw his next competitive pitch until 2023.

McHugh, who fired two scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and a walk while recording five strikeouts in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, has an 0.69 ERA and 15.9 K/9 across the 13 innings covering his last nine appearances.

A conventional starter for most of his career, McHugh has mostly shifted to an opener/long-relief role with considerable success during his first season in Tampa Bay. The veteran right-hander has coaxed his ERA from an unsightly 10.13 to 3.44 during his aforementioned stretch of dominance and has displayed considerable versatility in terms of the different roles he's been able to take on effectively.

Vesia was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Vesia has thrown 10.2 innings of relief for the Dodgers this season but hasn't had much success. His 33.3 percent strikeout rate is strong but hasn't been nearly enough to offset his 22.9 percent walk rate and a shockingly low 10.0 percent groundball rate. The left-hander's 5.91 ERA could be much higher if not for a .059 BABIP.

Uceta was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Uceta's latest stint in the big-league bullpen lasted nearly three weeks. He allowed six runs (three earned) in 8.1 innings over that stretch, striking out 10 batters while walking just two.

Nelson (forearm) was activated off the injured list Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Nelson has battled more than his fair share of injuries in recent seasons, but his latest wasn't a particularly worrisome one, as he'll wind up missing just two weeks due to right forearm inflammation. He was pitching quite well prior to the injury, posting a 2.41 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while striking out 39.0 percent of opposing batters in his 18.2 innings of work. He should handle a fairly high-leverage role upon his return but is unlikely to be in the mix for a ninth-inning role.

Stanek fired a perfect eighth inning to earn a hold in Wednesday's win over the Rockies.

Stanek retired the heart of the Red Sox's lineup in order to keep the three-run lead intact. The 29-year-old has a 3.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 25 innings. Besides a single outing in which he allowed four runs, he has a 1.82 ERA and 33:14 K:BB with five holds and one save this season.

Hernandez (biceps) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Thursday's game against the Pirates, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Manager Don Mattingly hasn't been willing to definitively say that Hernandez will start Thursday's game, but it will be a foregone conclusion if the right-hander is activated ahead of the 7:05 p.m. ET opening pitch, as anticipated. Hernandez recently wrapped up a three-start rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville, which culminated in him throwing 4.2 innings (79 pitches) on May 28. The Marlins aren't likely to have Hernandez throw more than 100 pitches if he returns Thursday, but he shouldn't be subject to significant restrictions with his workload in any case. The 26-year-old was sharp in his six starts with Miami in 2020, posting a 3.16 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 34:5 K:BB in 25.2 innings.

Minter (1-2) took the loss Wednesday as Atlanta fell 5-3 to the Nationals, giving up one run on one hit over one inning.

The left-hander made only one real mistake while working the eighth inning in a 3-3 tie, but Yan Gomes put it over the fence. Minter has been struggling lately, coughing up eight runs (five earned) over his last seven appearances and 4.2 innings, and on the season he sports a 4.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB with 11 holds through 20.2 frames.

Hudson (4-1) picked up the win after blowing the save Wednesday, giving up one hit and striking out three over 1.1 scoreless innings.

While the right-hander didn't get charged with any runs himself, Hudson allowed two runners inherited from Tanner Rainey to score in the seventh inning, tying the game at 3-3. Hudson's window to get a shot at closing duties may have slammed shut with Brad Hand having converted six straight saves, but the right-hander has still been the most reliable arm in the Nats' bullpen this season, posting a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 21.2 innings with 11 holds in 21 appearances.