MLB Player News

The Mariners activated Ferrer from the paternity leave list Thursday.

Ferrer missed the first three games of the series against the Astros as he welcomed a new baby to the family, but he'll be available for Thursday's finale. The hard-throwing southpaw has been terrific in his first season as a setup man in Seattle, boasting a 1.80 ERA and 16:3 K:BB over 20 innings.

Bolton struck out four and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks over two innings of relief Sunday in the Astros' 5-0 loss to the Reds.

After being activated from the injured list April 30, Bolton made a one-inning relief appearance later that day before he was called upon to start three days later in the Astros' series finale in Boston. He covered just 2.1 innings in that start and then went unused for a week before the Astros turned to him this past Sunday to fill innings behind starter Kai-Wei Teng, who was chased from the game after covering the first three frames. The Astros are continuing to run a six-man rotation this week, but with Teng on track to get another start Saturday, Bolton looks like he'll stick in the bullpen. Through six appearances (three starts) on the season, Bolton has submitted a 5.27 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 18:12 K:BB over 13.2 innings.

The Rockies placed Herget on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right shoulder impingement, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Herget just returned from the bereavement list Tuesday and is now out for at least the next couple weeks. Tanner Gordon will absorb Herget's spot on the Rockies' active roster.

Mlodzinski is slated to pitch in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Mason Montgomery in Thursday's game against the Rockies in Pittsburgh, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Mlodzinski will work behind an opener for the second time this season, with the right-hander having previously followed Montgomery in an April 15 game against the Nationals. The arrangement didn't end up suppressing Mlodzinski's workload; in fact, the 27-year-old covered six innings in that game against Washington, matching his longest appearance of the season. Montgomery is likely to work just an inning or two before handing the ball over to Mlodzinski, who takes a 4.50 ERA and 1.45 WHIP into Thursday's contest.

The Marlins optioned Ekness to Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday.

Ekness held his own in his first stint in the big leagues, allowing one run with a 5:5 K:BB in 5.1 innings. The hard-throwing righty could eventually settle into a high-leverage relief role for Miami, but he'll head back to Jacksonville for now to accommodate the arrival of Braxton Garrett.

Santillan (1-2) took the loss Wednesday as the Reds fell 8-7 to the Nationals, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit in the 10th inning.

After Graham Ashcraft has worked a scoreless ninth to get the game to extras, Santillan got the call in the top of the 10th but served up a game-winning two-run homer to Daylen Lile. Santillan has fallen apart in May with the Reds' closer role there for the taking while Emilio Pagan (hamstring) is on the shelf -- he's served up long balls in four straight appearances and has been tagged for runs in all five of his outings this month, seeing his ERA inflate from 1.98 at the end of April to a ghastly 5.82.

Poulin gave up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in the 10th inning Wednesday to record his second save of the season in an 8-7 win over the Reds. He struck out one.

Gus Varland worked a scoreless ninth to get the game to an extra frame, and while Poulin did allow the phantom runner to score in the bottom of the 10th, his two-run cushion proved to be enough. The southpaw has found himself in the high-leverage mix for Washington somewhat by default, and through 20 innings this season Poulin sports a 3.15 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 15:12 K:BB with three wins and three holds over 21 appearances in addition to his two saves.

Crochet (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Crochet pitched off a mound for the first time since hitting the injured list last month with shoulder inflammation. Next up for the left-hander is an expected two-inning bullpen session this weekend in Atlanta. If Crochet feels good coming out of that longer session, then he could face hitters by the middle of next week, putting him on schedule for a potential return during the last week of May. The Red Sox could follow a similar path as the one laid out for Sonny Gray when he dealt with a hamstring injury earlier this season, which could enable Crochet to return to the rotation without going on a rehab assignment beforehand.

Backhus (elbow) played catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Wednesday was the first time Backhus played catch since going on the injured list April 30 due to left elbow inflammation. The southpaw will continue his throwing program, barring any setbacks, and he could be an option for the Phillies at some point in late May or early June. Through 9.2 innings before getting hurt, Backhus posted a 4.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 10:1 K:BB.

Sewald (0-4) was charged with the loss and a blown save Wednesday against the Rangers, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk in one-third of an inning. He struck out one.

The Diamondbacks rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth frame to create a save opportunity for Sewald, but the hurler couldn't get the job done Wednesday. The 35-year-old right-hander has been prone to the occasional meltdown as Arizona's closer, giving up multiple runs in three of his 18 outings this year. Overall, Sewald has a 4.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB over 15.1 innings while converting nine of his 10 save chances.