MLB Player News

Fried (17-5) picked up the win Saturday, giving up two runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out six.

In the process, the southpaw moved ahead of teammate Carlos Rodon, as well as Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta, for the major-league lead in wins. Fried has gotten the win in four straight starts and hasn't lost since Aug. 10, going 5-0 over his last six outings with a 3.38 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 34:12 K:BB in 37.1 innings over that stretch. He likely doesn't have enough time left in the schedule to get to 20 wins, but Fried will look to continue his undefeated streak on the road next week in Baltimore.

Montero will start for the Tigers during Sunday's game in Miami, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

For at least one turn, Montero will take the rotation spot of Sawyer Gipson-Long, who landed on the injured list Friday due to neck stiffness. Montero is no stranger to a starting role, as he's made nine starts (out of 17 appearances) this season and has completed as many as eight innings in a contest (May 8 against Colorado). Montero was dispatched to the minors in late July, and since returning to the big-league club Sept. 3, he's made two appearances in relief, allowing two earned runs with a 5:2 K:BB over five innings. Because he'll be pitching on just two days' rest after tossing 1.2 innings in Thursday's loss to the Yankees, Montero will likely be in line for an abbreviated workload during Sunday's start. Stavenhagen suggests that Jose Urquidy could be called upon to work multiple innings in relief behind Montero.

The Padres optioned Sears to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

The Padres turned to Sears to make a spot start Friday against Colorado, during which he surrendered four earned runs on five hits and a walk while fanning eight batters in 4.1 innings. Now that they no longer need a sixth rotation arm, the Friars will send the 26-year-old back to the minors and bring up reliever Bradgley Rodriguez to round out the pitching staff.

The Rockies placed Dollander on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a patella tendon strain in his left knee.

Dollander will be eligible to return from the injured list to start one of the Rockies' final games of the season, but the more likely outcome is that Colorado keeps him on the shelf for the rest of the year. If that ends up being the case, he would finish his rookie campaign with a 6.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 82:49 K:BB through 98 innings across 21 starts. Bradley Blalock was recalled from Triple-A to round out Colorado's rotation.

The Rockies recalled Blalock from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.

The 24-year-old righty will fill the open spot in Colorado's rotation created by Chase Dollander's (knee) move to the IL. Blalock has accumulated an 8.62 ERA and 1.79 WHIP through 47 MLB innings this season and will face a Padres offense that put up 12 runs against him on May 10, so fantasy managers searching for streaming options are likely better off looking elsewhere.

Wheeler (shoulder) is slated to have thoracic outlet decompression surgery Sept. 23, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

Wheeler underwent a procedure in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his shoulder, and he's set for a second (and more significant) procedure after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The veteran hurler is expected to need six to eight months to recover from the upcoming surgery, which means that he may not be ready for Opening Day next season. However, if all goes well moving forward, Wheeler should be able to return to the mound sometime during the first half of the 2026 campaign.

Imaging on Skubal's left side came back negative Saturday after he was removed in the fourth inning of Friday's 8-2 loss to the Marlins, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch said the team will continue to keep an eye on Skubal's side over the next several days, but the expectation is that he will be able to make his next start, which is expected to fall Thursday versus the Guardians. Before exiting Friday's outing with side tightness, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner endured one of his worst starts of the campaign, giving up four earned runs on four hits -- including two home runs -- while matching a season low with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Lowder (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Lowder has sat out the entire season while working his way back from injuries to his forearm and, more recently, his oblique. The Reds haven't ruled out a late-season return for the 23-year-old righty, though he would need a relatively quick rehab assignment to have time to make an appearance for the Reds before the end of the season.

Senga struck out eight batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over six innings in a start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed off on being optioned to the minors last week to try and get right after stumbling to a 6.56 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 35:22 over his last eight starts and 35.2 innings for the Mets. Senga's first turn in the Syracuse rotation provided a great deal of hope that he might still be able to boost New York's fading playoff hopes, as he fired 52 of 74 pitches for strikes in an efficient performance. Per Jared Greenspan of MLB.com, the Mets' original plan was to have Senga make two starts at Triple-A to get used to some mechanical tweaks before a return to the majors was considered, but with Jonah Tong having been pummeled by the Rangers on Friday and the Mets' lead over the Giants for the final wild-card spot in the National League having slipped to half a game, the organization may not be able to afford that kind of patience. Absent the Mets moving a player to the injured list to create a spot on the 28-man active roster for him, however, Senga isn't eligible to return to the Mets until Sept. 20.

Waldrep (4-1) took the loss Friday as Atlanta got routed 11-3 by the Astros, coughing up eight runs on eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

The 23-year-old right-hander finally got saddled with his first loss of the season in his eighth appearances (seventh start), and Waldrep gave up more runs Friday than he had in the prior seven trips to the mound combined as his ERA soared from 1.33 to 2.78 as a result of the disastrous performance. After throwing 103.1 innings across all levels in 2024 and 137 frames between Triple-A and majors this season, Waldrep may be running out of gas -- he hasn't been able to complete six innings in any of his last four starts. He's scheduled to make his next outing on the road next week against the Nationals.