MLB Player News

Kirk went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI double and a solo home run during the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Yankees on Friday.

Kirk put the Blue Jays ahead with an RBI double in the sixth inning before adding an insurance run with a long ball off Bradley Hanner in the eighth. Kirk has recorded two hits in three of his last four outings and has gone 15-for-39 (.385) with two home runs and nine RBI across 12 games in August.

Bieber (4-2) earned the win against the Yankees on Friday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five across six innings.

Bieber gave up five runs in his last start Sunday against the Phillies, but he was much better in Friday's game against an AL East rival. He opened up his start by striking out two of the first three batters he faced and kept the Yankees off the board through five innings, with his lone blemish coming on a leadoff home run by Trent Grisham in the sixth. It was Bieber's third quality start of the season, and he'll take a 4.99 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 48.2 innings into his next start, which is lined up for next week on the road against the Rays.

Guerrero was removed from Friday's game against the Yankees with an apparent head injury, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Guerrero was seemingly hit in the head by George Lombard's knee while sliding into third base in the sixth inning. Guerrero managed to quickly get up and score on a throwing error, but he was wincing in pain as he jogged off the field and didn't come out on defense in the seventh. The Blue Jays will presumably evaluate him for a concussion and provide an update on his health in the near future.

The Rangers designated Curvelo for assignment Friday.

Curvelo was sent down to Triple-A at the start of the month and will now lose his 40-man spot as well to make room for Marco Gonzales, who was selected to the active roster Friday. Curvelo has given up 11 runs in 10.1 innings with the Rangers this year while also accumulating an 8.42 ERA and 1.83 WHIP over 25.2 frames at Round Rock.

The Rangers selected Gonzales' contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

Gonzales elected free agency after being outrighted to Triple-A on Aug. 2 but returned to the Rangers on a minor-league deal shortly afterward and will now reclaim a spot in the big-league bullpen, replacing Ben Peoples. Gonzales has given up just one run in six MLB innings this season, but his 7.57 ERA and 1.87 WHIP at Triple-A suggest that he's best suited for low-leverage situations with the Rangers.

The Rangers optioned Peoples to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

Peoples will lose his spot in the Rangers' bullpen after giving up one earned run in two innings across his two appearances since coming up from Triple-A on Monday. The 25-year-old has been effective in the majors, logging a 2.51 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 14.1 innings, so there's a strong chance he'll return to the big club at some point whenever the team needs a fresh arm. Until then, his roster spot will be occupied by Marco Gonzales.

The Rangers optioned Cauley to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

Cauley will head back to the minors after slashing just .189/.268/.351 across 42 plate appearances since the start of the second half. Cody Freeman will come up from Triple-A in a corresponding move to give the Rangers another bench player capable of playing in the infield and outfield.

The Rangers recalled Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

Freeman was optioned to Triple-A after returning from the injured list Aug. 4 and has since gone 8-for-29 (.276) with a home run, four RBI and seven runs scored in 33 plate appearances. He'll now rejoin the parent club to provide utility depth, replacing Cam Cauley.

Perez (elbow) isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.

Perez departed Wednesday's game due to an elbow injury and will now officially miss a start as he takes more time off to recover. Carter Jensen will start behind the plate while Perez sits, and Josh Rojas will serve as the Royals' designated hitter.

Manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Fraley (hernia) is scheduled to play a few games at the team's complex in Florida before beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Fraley landed on the injured list in May due to a hernia that required surgery, though setbacks have extended his time on the shelf. It's unclear how far away he is from rejoining the active roster, but he's likely to spend a good amount of time in the minors after missing nearly three months.