MLB Player News

The Cardinals claimed Alcala off waivers from the Red Sox on Thursday.

Alcala has split time between the Twins and Red Sox this season, posting a 6.64 ERA and 46:23 K:BB over 40.2 frames. The 30-year-old reliever cannot be optioned to the minors, so he will go onto to the Cardinals' active roster. St. Louis will have to make a corresponding transaction once Alcala officially reports to the club.

The White Sox designated Varland (undisclosed) for assignment Thursday.

Varland had been on the White Sox's 40-man roster all season, but he had pitched exclusively in the minors before landing on Triple-A Charlotte's injured list in July. Over 5.1 innings with Charlotte, Varland posted a 5.01 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. He made his last appearance for the affiliate June 28 and was later shifted to the 60-day IL, so the White Sox apparently weren't counting on him pitching again until at least late August or early September. He's likely to go unclaimed off waivers and could go back on Charlotte's IL if he opts to stay in the organization and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.

The Orioles optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 26-man active roster for right-hander Rico Garcia, who was claimed off waivers from the Mets. Rodriguez was a waiver claim himself last month and gave up two runs over one inning in his lone appearance with the Orioles this season.

Hill earned a hold against the Rangers on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter without giving up any runs over two-thirds of an inning.

Hill handled the seventh inning and saw two runners get on base against him -- one on a single and another on catcher's interference. He departed after notching two outs, and Yerry De Los Santos was able to finish the frame without allowing either of the inherited runners to score. Hill had a rough start to the second half, but he's back on the right track with five consecutive scoreless appearances. Overall, he has a 2.63 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, 13 holds and a 27:13 K:BB over 51.1 frames spanning 54 outings this season.

The Brewers sent Zastryzny (ribs) to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment.

Zastryzny was pulled off his initial rehab assignment in late July following a setback with his rib stress reaction, but he's been cleared for game action again. The lefty reliever should be ready to rejoin the Brewers bullpen around mid-August if he can avoid another setback.

The Brewers optioned McGee to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.

McGee's most recent stint in the big-league bullpen wasn't fruitful, as he yielded seven runs over four frames covering two appearances. The Brewers will announce a corresponding move prior to Friday's game against the Mets, and it could be Shelby Miller (forearm) returning from the 15-day injured list.

Ferrer (3-3) picked up the win Wednesday over the A's, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

The southpaw got the call to protect a 1-1 tie in the ninth and dispatched the bottom of the A's order on 12 pitches (10 strikes). Ferrer was then rewarded for his efforts when CJ Abrams walked it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. The Nationals haven't had a save situation since Kyle Finnegan was traded to the Tigers, but Ferrer's usage Wednesday suggests he'll be first in line to handle closing duties when needed. Since the beginning of July, Ferrer's posted a 3.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB over 10.1 innings.

Walker (4-4) threw a scoreless inning and picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates, allowing two hits while striking out three.

Walker entered the game in the eighth and struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a pair of singles. However, he escaped the inning with his season-high-tying third strikeout, marking his first three-strikeout performance in a single inning. The right-hander now owns a 4.05 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 46:14 K:BB across 46.2 innings in 50 outings.

Butto threw a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Pirates.

Butto entered the game in the seventh inning, retiring the side in order and throwing seven of his 12 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old has yet to give up a run in three appearances since being acquired as part of the package from the Mets in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Butto has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over 3.1 innings with San Francisco. Overall, he now owns a 3.40 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 44:23 K:BB across 50.1 innings in 37 games between the Giants and Mets.

Romano threw two-thirds of an inning in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Orioles, allowing no baserunners in the seventh frame.

That's now seven scoreless outings in the last eight appearances for Romano, who has tumbled down Philadelphia's bullpen pecking order after opening the season as its closer. The 32-year-old right-hander has managed to produce a strong 0.72 WHIP since the start of July, and although his 4.66 ERA during that span (9.2 innings) certainly has room for improvement, a portion of that figure is attributable to a pair of mistake pitches that culminated in home runs. While his recent form is encouraging overall, it's also worth noting Romano's average fastball velocity is down under 96 mph for the first time since 2019, which bears noting considering he's coming off a 2024 campaign that was ruined by right elbow troubles.