MLB Player News

Lynch was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right hand contusion, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

The right-hander already wasn't expected to make another start this season and will finish with a 5.59 ERA in 69 innings. Angel Zerpa was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday to make his MLB debut versus Cleveland.

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The 21-year-old made his MLB debut Wednesday, tossing three scoreless innings against the Cubs while striking out four. He's one of the Pirates higher-ranked prospects, setting up a chance to be a part of the 2022 roster. Tanner Anderson had his contract selected Thursday and will take his spot on the roster.

Davies won't pitch during this weekend's series against the Cardinals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Davies' final turn through the rotation lined up for Friday's series opener, but he'll instead shut things down after discussing it with the team. The 28-year-old struggled during his first season with the Cubs, posting a 5.78 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 114:75 K:BB over 148 innings, and he's poised to hit free agency during the offseason.

The Marlins hope to start Lopez (shoulder) in Sunday's season finale against the Phillies, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Lopez has been on the injured list since mid-July due to a right rotator cuff strain, but he threw two innings in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Jacksonville on Sept. 23 and tossed three simulated innings in a bullpen session Tuesday. If he's ultimately cleared to start Sunday, he'll likely be limited to around four innings against Philadelphia.

Taillon (ankle) threw off flat ground Thursday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Taillon appeared to aggravate his right ankle injury in Tuesday's start against the Blue Jays, and he's slated to undergo further testing this weekend. It's not yet clear whether he'll be able to return in 2021, but it's encouraging that he was able to throw two days after he sustained his injury.

Castillo (personal) was activated from the family medical emergency list Thursday.

Castillo will start Friday's game against the Pirates, and he'll rejoin the active roster a day before the matchup. The right-hander has posted quality starts in each of his last two appearances and has recorded a 1.46 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 12.1 innings during that time.

Junk was optioned by the Angels on Thursday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Junk presumably wasn't going to pitch again this season after starting Wednesday's game against the Rangers, so the Angels may as well give his roster spot to someone who could actually use it. He'll end his rookie season having produced a 3.86 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in four major-league starts. Matt Thaiss was called up to take his place on the roster.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday's 10-5 win over Cleveland that Lynch is OK after exiting in the fourth inning when he was struck by a comebacker, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch's pitch count was at 81 at the time he was removed, and he had already surrendered four runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings, so the Royals opted to pull him as more of a precaution since he wasn't expected to work much longer into the start. He'll head into the offseason healthy and conclude his rookie campaign with a 4-6 record, 5.59 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 68 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw will likely have to compete for a rotation spot next spring.

Wainwright will start the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Wainwright made his final start of the regular season Tuesday, and he'll have additional rest ahead of his postseason start. The right-hander posted a 5.06 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 16 innings across his last three starts, but he'll attempt to bounce back against the team's NL West opponent in the pivotal wild-card matchup.

Walker didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Marlins, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks over 7.1 innings. He struck out five.

He took a shutout into the eighth inning, but after Lewin Diaz led off the frame with a double and Walker then issued a one-out walk to Eddy Alvarez, the right-hander got the hook after 90 pitches (57 strikes) and had to watch as Seth Lugo let both inherited runners score plus one more, costing Walker his eighth win. He struggled throughout the second half of the season but was able to deliver a strong performance in his final start. Walker wraps up the 2021 campaign with a 4.47 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 146:55 K:BB through 159 innings.