MLB Player News

Akin (0-1) took the loss in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Yankees, surrendering four runs on three hits and a walk over only two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

Both games in the twin bill started badly for the O's -- Alex Cobb gave up two homers before recording an out in the matinee, and then Akin couldn't get out of the first inning at all. The rookie southpaw had looked good in his first two big-league starts, but Friday's quick outing sent his ERA soaring to 4.61.

Castano is starting Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the Phillies.

Castano will take the mound to begin Friday's nightcap after being recalled by the Marlins on Thursday. The southpaw carries a 4.11 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 15.1 innings this season.

Strahm was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation Friday.

Strahm tossed one scoreless inning Thursday, but he apparently didn't escape unscathed as he'll be sidelined with a knee injury. The severity of the issue is unclear, and whether he misses more than the 10-day minimum remains to be seen. The southpaw has pitched quite effectively this season with a 2.84 ERA and 0.84 WHIP over 19 innings.

De Leon was recalled by the Reds on Friday.

De Leon was sent down by Cincinnati on Thursday, but he'll return to the majors just one day later after Tyler Thornburg (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday. De Leon has largely struggled out of the bullpen as he's allowed 12 runs on five hits and eight walks while striking out eight over four innings.

Alcala (leg) is available out of the Twins' bullpen Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Alcala suffered a bruised right leg when he was hit by a line drive Tuesday, but manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday that he's "doing fine." The right-hander carries a 2.84 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 19 innings this season.

Tapia's contract was selected by the Red Sox on Friday.

Tapia was part of the Red Sox's 60-man roster during camp, and he'll now be in line to make his major-league debut after Josh Taylor (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list. Tapia played at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons, recording a 4.33 ERA, 97:58 K:BB and 1.46 WHIP over 129 innings. His strikeout numbers don't jump off the page, and he's unlikely to play a very prominent role in Boston's bullpen.

Taylor was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder tendinitis, retroactive to Sept. 8, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Taylor struggled in his last appearance as he allowed three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out zero over one inning Saturday against the Blue Jays. He'll be forced to miss time with a shoulder issue, and it's unclear whether he'll be able to return to action prior to the end of the regular season. The southpaw has a 9.82 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over 7.1 innings this year.

Ginkel was optioned to Arizona's alternate training site Thursday.

Ginkel had seemingly taken over as the Diamondbacks' closer after Archie Bradley was traded to Cincinnati at the deadline, but he's now no longer even a low-leverage option. His 6.75 ERA and 2.12 WHIP on the season certainly aren't closer material. Travis Bergen picked up a save Thursday and is the only remaining pitcher on Arizona's roster with a save this season.

Puk will undergo shoulder surgery next week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Shoulder issues first popped up for Puk in early March, and his health has become something of a saga since then. He appeared to be on the mend before being shut down in late July, but he'd been making more encouraging progress since then. He was shut down a second time earlier this week, however, and will end up losing the remainder of the season. Depending on the exact nature of the surgery, it's possible he misses a meaningful portion of the 2021 campaign as well. It's been a brutal stretch for the young lefty, who missed all of 2018 and much of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery. He'll enter 2021 having thrown just 36.2 total innings over the last three seasons.

Bummber (biceps) could be activated off the injured list during the White Sox's final road trip of the season, which begins Sept. 18 in Cincinnati, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander has been on the shelf since early August due to the left biceps strain and subsequent nerve issue, but he appears to be closing in on a return. Bummer allowed only one run with a 12:4 K:BB over 7.1 innings to begin the season and had a 2.13 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 27 holds in 2019, so he could provide a significant boost to the bullpen for the closing stretch.