MLB Player News

Albers is expected to move to the bullpen this week with Felix Hernandez (shoulder) and James Paxton (pectoral) set to be activated from the 10-day disabled list to make starts Thursday against the Rangers and Friday against the Astros, respectively, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Manager Scott Servais is tentatively planning to have Albers piggyback Hernandez in the Thursday outing, as the latter will be limited to around 50 or 60 pitches in his first start coming off the DL due to his lack of a minor-league rehab assignment beforehand. That should leave multiple innings available for Albers, but with his usage likely to become more unpredictable after Thursday, those in AL-only or deeper mixed leagues mining for wins may want to look elsewhere. Albers has generally impressed in his five starts for the big club this season, going 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 27 innings.

Montgomery didn't factor into the decision after surrendering three runs on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 3.1 innings Sunday in Texas.

Montgomery was handed a 9-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but control problems forced manager Joe Girardi to remove the lefty before he became eligible for a victory. The rookie has understandably hit a wall of late, so his days of making spot starts in place of Jaime Garcia are coming to an end. New York could opt to use Montgomery in a bullpen role down the stretch or shut him down altogether as he's already up to 138 major-league innings this season.

Keuchel (12-4) took the loss Sunday in Oakland after surrendering four runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Keuchel came in with a phenomenal 2.26 home ERA and a human 3.47 mark on the road, and that disparity grew larger after this subpar outing away from Minute Maid Park. He held the Athletics off the board through four innings before allowing a solo homer in the fifth and completely losing control in the sixth. Oakland's three sixth-inning runs came on a pair of bases-loaded walks and a bases-loaded hit by pitch as Keuchel fired surrendered a season-worst four free passes overall. He'll look to bounce back at home against Seattle on Saturday.

Bridwell allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two over six innings in a no-decision against the Mariners on Sunday.

A mishap in the second inning led to a ball dropping in the outfield and two runs scoring on what should have been the final out. Justin Upton told the Orange County Register that he heard "someone" call for the ball to be caught, but it was not Mike Trout. Regardless, Bridwell was solid, bouncing back from six- and seven-run hiccups. The amount of contact he allows makes Bridwell a high-risk option, but the team context is certainly favorable and that keeps him in the mix as a starting option in AL-only.

Cobb (11-9) delivered five one-run innings while earning a win Sunday against the Red Sox, allowing four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Cobb labored in the second inning when he gave up the opening run, but he was able to escape the jam before finishing with three scoreless frames. He came back out for the sixth but was removed after allowing the first two men to reach. Nevertheless, the bullpen closed out Cobb's second win in as many starts, giving him 11 for the season to level him with his career high. He has allowed one run or fewer in four of his last five starts and will take a sharp 3.59 ERA into Saturday's start against the Red Sox.

Lewicki will be skipped in the rotation during the Tigers' upcoming series with the Indians and could be shut down for the season due to workload concerns, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Prior to being recalled from Triple-A Toledo when rosters expanded in September, Lewicki had already amassed 141 innings between two minor-league affiliates on the season, so he was never expected to stick around in the rotation for long. Lewicki ended up making a lone start Sept. 4 in what was also his MLB debut, tossing five innings and giving up five runs on 11 hits and a walk to take a loss against the Royals. Assuming Lewicki is indeed shut down for the season, he'll turn his attention toward auditioning for a starting role with the big club next spring.

Jaye will move into the rotation and start Monday against the Indians, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports.

As anticipated, Jaye will enter the rotation in place of Artie Lewicki, who will likely be shut down for the season due to workload concerns after amassing 146 innings across three stops on the campaign. The 25-year-old Jaye has fared well in his two long-relief appearances with the Tigers this season, but his middling numbers in the minors (3.96 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 131.2 innings) won't make him an enticing streaming option against a red-hot Indians squad.

Gonzales has been named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gonzales was bumped from the rotation following his disastrous start against the Orioles on Aug. 28 in which he allowed five runs over 3.1 innings of work. He was able to throw four scoreless innings of relief on Sept. 2 and will be granted a spot start in the place of Andrew Moore on Tuesday against the Rangers. He'll likely head back to a long-relief role following his start.

Manager Mike Scioscia reported Sunday that the Angels have not ruled out the possibility of Heaney (shoulder) making his upcoming Friday start against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Heaney exited his Sept. 9 start early due to left shoulder tightness, putting himself at risk of missing his upcoming scheduled start. The Angels still have not made a definitive decision with regards to his Friday start, but the team has tossed around the idea of giving Heaney an extra day of rest and moving his start to Saturday. The lefty's status remains a bit unclear at the moment, but an official decision will likely be made following his MRI on Monday.

Paxton (pectoral) will be activated from the disabled list and start Friday's game against the Astros, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Paxton has been sidelined since Aug. 10 with a pectoral strain but is set to rejoin the Mariners' rotation after five weeks on the mend. Fantasy owners should be cautious with regards to immediately inserting Paxton back into their lineups, as he draws a tough road matchup with the Astros in his first start back and will be subject to a 50-pitch limit, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.