MLB Player News

Rea is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Trevor Megill in Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Rea will work out of the bullpen for just the second time all season after making 21 of his prior 22 appearances with the Brewers as a starter. Since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 2, Rea has struck out 12 over nine innings in two starts while pitching to an 0.89 WHIP, but he's given up four earned runs between those outings and hasn't come away with a win. He'll have a better chance at factoring into the decision Wednesday since he won't be starting and thus won't be required to cover five innings to qualify for a win.

Shuster was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Shuster looks to be in line for long relief for the time being, but it's possible he could net a spot start if Atlanta wants to give its rotation members some extra rest. The rookie left-hander holds a 5.26 ERA over 10 starts with the big club this season.

Smith-Shawver was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Smith-Shawver's latest stint in the majors lasted just a couple days and he did not make an appearance. Atlanta has swapped him out in favor of Jared Shuster.

Bieber (elbow) struck out four and was charged with two runs (one earned) over 3.2 frames on no hits and one walk in his first rehab start with Double-A Akron on Tuesday.

Bieber was responsible for three runners reaching base, as he walked one and hit another two batters with pitches. Despite not reaching four innings, Bieber still managed to get his pitch count up to 50 on Tuesday. Bieber -- who has been sidelined since mid-July with right elbow inflammation -- appears to be in line for one more rehab start before returning from the 60-day injured list.

McKenzie (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron on Wednesday.

McKenzie will be making his first appearance at any level since he was diagnosed with a sprained right UCL in mid-June. The right-hander also dealt with a teres major muscle strain this season, as he's been limited to just two starts for the Guardians and three rehab starts. Cleveland is still hoping to get McKenzie back before the end of the season, though if that happens, he could be subject to a more regulated workload than the Guardians' other starting pitchers.

Marsh will serve as the Royals' bulk reliever behind opener Steven Cruz in Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Marsh remains part of Kansas City's rotation, but he's started in just two of his last six outings. The Royals seem content to continue deploying him as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen, given that he's been far more effective in that capacity than as a traditional starter. In 20.2 innings coming out of the bullpen, Marsh owns a 3.05 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 15.1 K-BB%.

Falter (2-8) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over six innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four.

Falter retired the first 11 Nationals in order before surrendering his lone earned run on an RBI single in the fourth inning. He earned his third quality start and second win of the campaign. The versatile southpaw has allowed just six hits and two earned runs while accumulating a 9:2 K:BB across his last 13.1 innings, spanning two bulk relief appearances and Tuesday's traditional start. It remains to be seen how Falter will be deployed in his next appearance, but he currently lines up to pitch in Pittsburgh's next series against the Yankees this weekend.

Butto (1-2) picked up the win in Tuesday's 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out seven.

It was a night of firsts for the Mets' younger players, as Ronny Mauricio's first career homer helped get Butto his first career win. The 25-year-old right-hander has looked good in his return to the rotation in September, giving up three runs in 11.1 innings over two starts with a 13:4 K:BB, but whether he's still in the mix for a starting spot in 2024 will likely depend on how aggressive the front office is in free agency this winter. Butto's next outing is likely to come early next week in Miami.

Kluber (shoulder) allowed two hits and struck out two over 2.2 scoreless innings for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.

Kluber threw 23 strikes among his 35 pitches. This was his second rehab outing, and the right-hander has not allowed a run or walk. He's expected to pitch out of the bullpen after being activated off the injured list.

Nelson (7-8) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up six runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings as the Diamondbacks were downed 7-4 by the Mets. He struck out three.

Four of the seven hits off the right-hander went for extra bases, including Ronny Mauricio's first career home run and Pete Alonso's 44th blast of the season. Nelson has been tagged for six runs in three of his four big-league starts since the beginning of August, staggering to a 10.69 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through 16 innings over that stretch, and with Arizona fighting to hang onto a wild-card spot, manager Torey Lovullo may have to consider other options for the fifth spot in his rotation.