MLB Player News

Wolf's contract was selected as expected Saturday ahead of his major-league debut against the Tigers.

Wolf, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 Draft, doesn't come with a ton of prospect pedigree, but he does come with strong numbers at the Double-A level this season. In 17 starts, he owns a 3.39 ERA, striking out 31.3 percent of opposing batters while walking just 6.0 percent. The 6-foot-7 sidearmer will skip Triple-A altogether, though it remains to be seen if his funk and deception will continue to outweigh the fact that his fastball sits below 90 mph.

Ryu (elbow) will join the Blue Jays in Los Angeles on Monday and could be activated from the 60-day injured list to make a start at some point during the team's series with the Dodgers, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Nearing the finish line in his recovery from June 2022 Tommy John surgery, Ryu looked good while building up to six innings in his fourth rehab start Friday with Triple-A Buffalo, and his next-day recovery has gone well. The date for Ryu's return to Toronto's rotation hasn't been officially set, as the team wants to get an in-person look at him first. The left-hander's season debut for the Blue Jays is expected at some point next week, if it doesn't come in Los Angeles. He would be available on regular four days' rest Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Winans' contract was selected by Atlanta on Saturday ahead of his scheduled start against Milwaukee.

The 27-year-old righty will be making his big-league debut after recording a 2.81 ERA in 18 appearances (13 starts) for Triple-A Gwinnett this season. Since becoming a starter ahead of last season, he's produced above-average groundball rates and avoided walks, but his 22.8 percent strikeout rate is nothing special. He may only be up for one start before returning to the minors once Max Fried (forearm) is ready to rejoin the rotation.

Pfaadt was recalled by the Diamondbacks on Saturday to start against the Reds.

Pfaadt has failed to turn his prospect pedigree into big-league success thus far, struggling to a 9.82 ERA in six starts. He's only managed to strike out 17.2 percent of opposing batters, well below the 27.1 percent strikeout rate he owns for Triple-A Reno this season. Him figuring out how to put big-league hitters away could be crucial to the Diamondbacks' playoff hopes, as the team now finds itself in the thick of the wild-card race after falling back to the pack following a hot start. Justin Martinez was optioned to clear space on the roster.

Smyly will be available out of the bullpen for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, with Michael Fulmer set to open, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs haven't officially indicated that Smyly will handle the bulk innings, but considering that he's on turn to start and that Fulmer isn't likely to thrown more than an inning or two after appearing in relief Friday, it seems likely. Smyly has had his moments this season, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Dodgers back in April, but he's stumbled to a 9.87 ERA over his last four starts, so it's no surprise he's lost his manager's confidence.

Lively didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out six.

The journeyman right-hander came up one out short of collecting his fifth win of the season, getting the hook after 76 pitches (49 strikes) following a two-out RBI triple by Ketel Marte that shrunk Cincinnati's lead to one run. Lively hasn't thrown more than 80 pitches in any of his last four starts as manager David Bell has him on a short leash -- while he has a solid 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB through 18.1 innings over that stretch, he's completed five innings only once and has zero wins, putting a firm cap on his fantasy utility. Lively is next set to take the mound on the road next week in Milwaukee.

Henry (5-3) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks over 4.1 innings as the Diamondbacks fell 9-6 to the Reds. He struck out two and also hit two batters with pitches.

Some shaky defense by Geraldo Perdomo did him no favors, but Henry created plenty of problems for himself, as he tossed only 47 of 88 pitches for strikes before getting the hook. The southpaw has issued four free passes in two of his last three outings, and since the beginning of June he's posted a 4.29 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 33:18 K:BB through 42 innings. Henry will look for a better result in his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Cardinals.

Bradish (6-5) took the loss Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings in a 3-0 loss against the Rays. He struck out five.

Bradish notched his fifth straight quality start, but he still took the loss as Baltimore's offense couldn't muster any run support against Zach Eflin and Tampa Bay's pitching staff. Over his last seven starts, Bradish has posted a 1.62 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 41:9 K:BB across 44.1 innings, but he holds just a 4-3 record in that span. The 26-year-old is arguably in the best stretch of his MLB career thus far, but the peripherals suggest he should be stacking up more wins than he has. Either way, Bradish will look to stay sharp during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for a matchup in Philadelphia.

Eflin (11-5) earned the win Friday, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the Orioles. He struck out eight.

Eflin tossed seven scoreless frames for just the second time this year en route to his 11th win, tying his career-best mark from 2018. It was a major bounce-back performance for the right-hander, who was roughed up for five runs over three innings against the Royals in his last start. Eflin has been as advertised in his first season with Tampa Bay, posting a 3.36 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 113:16 K:BB across 19 appearances (112.1 innings). His next start is lined up for a home matchup versus the Marlins.

Williams didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-5 win over the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out three.

The rookie right-hander got handed an early lead but couldn't pitch efficiently enough to qualify for the win, getting the hook after 81 pitches (42 strikes). Williams has issued eight free passes in nine innings over two starts since the All-Star break, a disturbing trend after he walked seven in 24.2 innings over his first four big-league outings, but his spot in the Guardians' injury-depleted rotation should be secure for now. He'll look for a better result in his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Royals.