MLB Player News

The Astros designated Dubin for assignment Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dubin has had an injury-plagued campaign, as he's dealt with separate shoulder, ankle and forearm issues at points this season. The right-hander has struggled during his time with Houston, posting a 5.61 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB over 25.2 innings. AJ Blubaugh was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move, but perhaps the more important aspect of Dubin being DFA'd is that it opens up a spot on the Astros' 40-man roster. That spot will likely go to Yordan Alvarez (hand), who is close to being activated from the 60-day IL.

Houston recalled Blubaugh from Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Blubaugh has made two big-league appearances (one of which was a start) totaling nine innings so far in his debut MLB campaign, giving up four runs on eight hits with an 11:2 K:BB. His numbers haven't been great at Sugar Land, as he's registered a 5.27 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 101: 58 K:BB across 99 frames, but the Astros will look to the right-hander for some pitching depth while he's up with the team. The Astros don't have an immediate opening in their rotation, and Luis Garcia (elbow) is nearing a return from the injured list, so Blubaugh figures to work as a long reliever with the big-league club.

Semien (foot) is slated to meet with a foot doctor Sunday and will not play Saturday, Matthew Postins of SI.com reports.

Semien hasn't played since being removed from Thursday's contest against Kansas City a few innings after fouling a ball off his foot. The veteran infielder has so far had an X-Ray, CAT scan and MRI, with results of the latter coming back inconclusive. Semien's medical evaluation should provide more clarity about the specifics of his injury and a return timeline. It's unlikely that he'll play in any capacity this weekend.

Tauchman is not in the starting lineup against Minnesota on Saturday.

Tauchman had started seven straight games, either in right field or at DH, going 7-for-29 with three RBI and three runs over that stretch. The White Sox are starting Michael Taylor in right and Andrew Benintendi at designated hitter Saturday.

Perez isn't in the starting lineup Saturday against Kansas City, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Perez will have at least a partial off day after starting in seven straight games and going 8-for-26 with a home run, two RBI, four runs and a stolen base over that span. The Tigers' outfield from left to right will consist of Riley Greene, Javier Baez and Kerry Carpenter on Saturday.

Lauer is expected to start Wednesday's game against Minnesota in Toronto, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

With Shane Bieber returning from the 60-day injured list to make his Toronto debut Friday, manager John Schneider indicated Lauer would be moving to a relief role. While Schneider told Mae that Lauer will still be available for a brief appearance out of the bullpen in Saturday's game in Miami, the Blue Jays still plan to have the lefty start at least one more time Wednesday in order to give Bieber extra rest between outings. It's not yet clear if Lauer will handle a full workload in his start next week, nor is it known whether Toronto will opt for a six-man rotation for any additional amount of time as Bieber gets back into a groove as he settles back in following his April 2024 Tommy John surgery.

Bieber is scheduled to make his next start next Friday against the Brewers, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Bieber was excellent in his Toronto debut Friday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts over six innings. Though his next turn would ordinarily come up Wednesday against Minnesota, he'll instead take the mound against Milwaukee after a team off day Thursday, as manager John Schneider wants to give the hurler extra rest, per Mae. Eric Lauer will start Wednesday in what could be his final turn in the rotation.

Messick is slated to make his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Rays at Progressive Field.

Messick will unsurprisingly receive a second straight turn through the Cleveland rotation after he excelled in a no-decision in his MLB debut this past Wednesday, when he limited the Diamondbacks to one run on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings while striking out six batters. The 25-year-old lefty may eventually cede his spot in the rotation to the rehabbing John Means (elbow), but Messick could make it tough for the Guardians to justify moving him to the bullpen or back to Triple-A Columbus if he comes through with another strong start Tuesday.

Finnegan (3-4) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Friday's 7-5 victory over the Royals. He walked one and struck out one.

Finnegan worked the seventh and eighth innings to earn the win out of the bullpen, with Will Vest covering the ninth. The former has two wins since joining Detroit at the trade deadline to go along with four saves and a hold. He's also sporting an impressive 0.00 ERA and 0.38 WHIP with 12 strikeouts across 10.2 innings with his new team. Both Finnegan and Vest are seeing ninth-inning work for the Tigers, giving both pitchers fantasy appeal but also capping their respective ceilings.

Torres went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 7-5 win over the Royals.

Occupying his familiar No. 2 spot in the lineup, Torres continued to provide a spark for the Tigers. The veteran infielder has three multi-hit performances across his last six games, and he's slashing .261/.360/.399 overall in 115 contests. The .360 on-base percentage would be a new career best for Torres, driven in part by a 13.2 percent walk rate, which is up from 10 percent in 2024 with the Yankees.