MLB Player News
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Jason Alexander SP | HOU
Astros' Jason Alexander: Remaining in rotation
Alexander is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Yankees in Houston, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
When he was initially called up from Triple-A Sugar Land on July 24, Alexander looked to be a temporary placeholder in the rotation until the Astros returned multiple rehabbing starting pitchers from the injured list. Much to the delight of the Astros, Alexander has pitched well enough to maintain his spot in the rotation, even though Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia have since made their way back from the shelf. Houston has opted to move the struggling Lance McCullers to the bullpen to keep Alexander in the fold as a starter, and the journeyman right-hander should continue making regular turns through the six-man rotation throughout September so long as his performance warrants the opportunity. Since his call-up from Sugar Land, Alexander has produced a 3.18 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 35:10 K:BB in 39.2 innings across seven starts.
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Jonah Tong P | NYM
Mets' Jonah Tong: Now trending toward Saturday start
Tong appears in line to make his next start Saturday against the Reds in Cincinnati, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
The Mets had initially confirmed that Tong would take the hill for the series opener Friday, but David Peterson will instead start that contest while the rookie right-hander gets pushed back a day. Tong will be starting on seven days' rest coming off a promising MLB debut versus the Marlins this past Friday, when he struck out six and allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks over five innings en route to picking up a win.
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Jose Urquidy SP | PIT
Tigers' Jose Urquidy: Works three innings in rehab outing
Urquidy (elbow) struck out three and gave up two hits and no walks over three scoreless innings Tuesday in his rehab appearance with Triple-A Toledo.
Urquidy first began his rehab assignment Aug. 3 with Single-A Lakeland, but because he's working his way back from June 2024 Tommy John surgery, the right-hander has been granted a 10-day extension beyond the standard 30-day rehab window. Though the 30-year-old is expected to get the chance to compete for a rotation spot with Detroit next spring if his $4 million team option for 2026 is picked up, Urquidy will be joining the Tigers as a reliever if he gets activated at any point in September. Through his eight rehab appearances between Lakeland and Toledo, Urquidy has posted a 4.30 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB in 14.2 innings.
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Sean Manaea RP | NYM
Mets' Sean Manaea: Next start coming Monday
Manaea is slated to make his next start Monday in Philadelphia, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
Though the Mets are considering assigning the struggling Kodai Senga to the minors rather than having him take his normal turn through the rotation this Sunday in Cincinnati, Manaea won't be in the mix to fill in for Senga in the series finale versus the Reds. Manaea most recently took the hill for Monday's 10-8 win over the Tigers, lasting just 3.2 innings while allowing five earned runs on eight hits and one walk. After returning from the 60-day injured list in mid-July, Manaea looked strong through his first four starts of the season with the Mets, but the southpaw's performance has taken a dramatic turn for the worse ever since. Over his subsequent six starts, Manaea has submitted a 7.81 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 27.2 innings. Manaea will get another chance to right the ship Monday, but a poor showing versus the Phillies could prompt manager Carlos Mendoza to consider moving him to the bullpen.
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Trey Yesavage SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage: Used in relief with Buffalo
Yesavage struck out six while giving up two hits and a walk over three scoreless relief innings for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.
The usage was particularly interesting when it comes to Yesavage's chances of making his big-league debut in September, as he entered the game as a bulk reliever after Paxton Schultz worked the first inning as an opener. Yesavage wound up tossing 54 pitches (35 strikes) before exiting, and he had little trouble dealing with a Syracuse lineup that featured a mix of rehabbing major leaguers like Francisco Alvarez (thumb/finger) and top Mets hitting prospects like Jett Williams and Carson Benge. Yesavage isn't on the 40-man roster and wasn't added to the 26-man roster before Sept. 1, so he'd need an exemption from the league to be eligible for postseason play, but the Blue Jays appear to be seriously considering having him bolster a faltering big-league bullpen down the stretch. Over four Triple-A appearances, the 22-year-old right-hander sports a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 22:9 K:BB in 14 innings.
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Chris Paddack RP | MIA
Tigers' Chris Paddack: Goes on bereavement list
The Tigers placed Paddack (personal) on the bereavement list Wednesday.
Paddack will be away from the team anywhere from 3-to-7 days following a death in his family. After Paddack had posted a 2-2 record, 5.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB in 30 innings over six starts since being acquired in a trade with the Twins on July 28, the Tigers moved him to the bullpen earlier this week. Paddack struggled mightily in his first relief appearance in Tuesday's 12-5 loss to the Mets, covering 1.1 innings while allowing six earned runs on eight hits.
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Keider Montero SP | DET
Tigers' Keider Montero: Back up with big club
The Tigers recalled Montero from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.
He'll join the 28-man active roster as a replacement for Chris Paddack, who was placed on the bereavement list. Montero will give the Tigers bullpen some much-needed length after their relievers had to cover five innings in Tuesday's 12-5 loss to the Mets.
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Tylor Megill SP | NYM
Mets' Tylor Megill: Strikes out five in rehab outing
Megill (elbow) struck out five batters and allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks over four innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse.
After tossing five innings in the third start of his rehab assignment Aug. 22, Megill has now covered four frames his last two times out at Triple-A, but he was able to get stretched out to 79 pitches Tuesday and looks ready to return from the 60-day injured list. The Mets haven't confirmed that Megill will be deployed as a starter upon his activation, though he looks like a decent bet to get a look in that role while Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea have struggled since the beginning of August to put their standing in the rotation on shaky ground. If Megill is inserted into the rotation, he could be reinstated for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, though the Mets may prefer to wait until early next week to make a roster move in order to give him an extra day or two to recover from Tuesday's outing with Syracuse.
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Slade Cecconi SP | CLE
Guardians' Slade Cecconi: Hit hard for seven runs
Cecconi allowed seven runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out eight in 5.1 innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision.
Cecconi allowed a season-worst 11 hits and has now given up at least five runs in three of his last five starts. The Red Sox piled on four runs with six hits in the second and would add another three runs via the long ball. He's given up at least one home run in nine consecutive starts and has allowed 15 total in 11 outings since the start of July. A positive is he didn't issue a walk for a third straight start, and his eight strikeouts was one below his season high. Cecconi will look to rebound in a softer matchup versus Kansas City next week.
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Alex Cobb SP | DET
Tigers' Alex Cobb: Resumes rehab assignment
Cobb (hips) resumed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, pitching around three walks and a hit in a scoreless inning.
The Tigers elected to pull Cobb off his rehab assignment last week so that they could restart his 30-day rehab clock. The veteran right-hander is working his way back from injuries to both of his hips and could fill a relief role for the Tigers late in the season.