MLB Player News

The Pirates recalled Ortiz from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Pittsburgh returned Ortiz to Triple-A on Wednesday after he served as the 29th man for a doubleheader with the Reds the day prior, but he'll be able to rejoin the big club less than a week after being optioned due to JT Brubaker (arm) landing on the injured list Sunday in a corresponding move. Ortiz will presumably be the top candidate to step into the rotation Tuesday against the Yankees in place of Brubaker after an impressive showing in his MLB debut last week. The hard-throwing right-hander topped 100 miles per hour on six occasions in his start versus the Reds, tossing 5.2 scoreless frames while striking out six.

The Pirates placed Brubaker on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right arm inflammation, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Brubaker's early exit in his most recent start Thursday against the Mets was attributed to lat discomfort, but the Pirates characterized his injury differently upon placing him on the IL. Whatever the case, Brubaker won't be eligible to return from IL until Oct. 1, and with the season coming to an end less than a week after that date, it's possible the Pirates opt to keep him on the shelf for good. Luis Ortiz was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis and will presumably step into the rotation as a replacement for Brubaker, who has posted a 4.58 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 145:53 K:BB across 141.1 innings on the campaign.

Syndergaard will work as Zack Wheeler's piggyback partner for the next two turns in the rotation, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Syndergaard, who has a 6.14 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over his last four starts, lost the battle for the last rotation spot to Bailey Falter and will come in to relieve Wheeler in his first two starts back from the injured list. The arrangement could lead to Syndergaard qualifying for a win or two if he pitches well in this new role. His first opportunity will come Wednesday against Toronto, and he's then expected to follow Wheeler again Sept. 27 in Chicago. The Phillies expect to add Syndergaard back to their rotation for their Oct. 1 doubleheader in Washington.

Falter will remain in the Phillies' rotation once Zack Wheeler (forearm) is activated next week, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

To create room for Wheeler in the rotation, the Phillies will move Noah Syndergaard to a relief role, at least in the short term. Falter has a 2.52 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 30:3 K:BB in 35.2 innings over his last six starts. He'll pick up another start Sunday in Atlanta and tentatively lines up to face Atlanta again next weekend in Philadelphia.

Urena did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks over six innings against the Cubs. He struck out four.

Urena allowed an RBI single from P.J. Higgins with two outs in the fifth inning for the first run of the game. The righty has been awful overall in his last 10 starts with a 7.03 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over 48.2 innings; however, the 31-year-old has allowed only one run in back-to-back outings and has gone five straight without surrendering a home run.

Woodruff (11-4) gave up one earned run on five hits and one walk while striking out 10 over eight innings to earn the win in a 4-1 victory over the Yankees on Saturday.

Woodruff had success elevating his fastball and attacking the upper part of the zone against Yankees hitters. He garnered 16 swinging strikes and now boasts an excellent 162 strikeouts in 135.2 innings pitched this season. Woodruff has been in a groove lately, notching 21 strikeouts over his last 14 innings pitched. The 29-year-old right-hander is tentatively expected to make his next start at Cincinnati.

Urias (17-7) earned the win during Saturday's 7-2 victory over San Francisco, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in six innings.

Urias fell behind early when a run scored as a result of an error in the first inning, but Los Angeles quickly responded to pull ahead 6-2 at the conclusion of the third. The 26-year-old has won 14 of his last 15 decisions -- surrendering just one run in his lone loss -- while posting a 1.91 ERA in 94.1 innings during the 16-start stretch. Urias' 2.27 ERA and 0.95 WHIP both rank fourth in MLB while his 17 wins rank second.

Odorizzi took a no-decision versus the Phillies on Saturday. He allowed a run on two hits and one walk while striking out five over 4.2 innings.

While the surface stats look good, the Phillies were able to work some long at-bats against the right-hander. Odorizzi exited the game one out short of a win after throwing 61 of 93 pitches for strikes. He's now failed to complete six innings in six of his seven starts for Atlanta since coming over in a trade from Houston at the deadline. Through 93.2 innings this year, he has a 4.04 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 73:28 K:BB. Odorizzi is tentatively projected for a rematch on the road against the Phillies next week.

Nola (9-12) allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight over seven innings, taking the loss Saturday versus Atlanta.

Nola didn't receive enough run support, and he was troubled by Ronald Acuna, who tagged him for a two-run home run and a two-run double in the third and fourth innings. Nola's inconsistency continued -- he's given up four or more runs in three of his last six outings, and one or fewer in the other three starts in that span. The 29-year-old right-hander now has a 3.38 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 210:26 K:BB through 186.1 innings through 29 starts. He'll look to get on track again in a rematch with Atlanta at home next weekend.

Bassitt (14-8) earned the win Saturday over the Pirates, allowing three hits, two walks and a hit batter while striking out eight over six scoreless innings.

Bassitt gave the Pirates very little to work with, allowing just three of the six baserunners he allowed to get into scoring position. Over his previous five outings, Bassitt had yielded 14 runs in 30 innings in a fairly average stretch of pitching. He now has a 3.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 163:45 K:BB through 171 innings across a career-high 28 starts after Saturday's strong outing. The 33-year-old is projected for a road start against his former team in Oakland next week.