MLB Player News

Kikuchi (9-9) picked up the win Friday, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks over seven innings in a 5-3 victory over the Angels. He struck out six.

The lefty is now 5-0 over eight starts with the Astros with a 3.19 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 59:12 K:BB through 48 innings, and he's proven to be one of the most astute acquisitions any team made at this year's trade deadline. Kikuchi's quality start Friday was his 10th of the season, and he'll look to stay locked in when he gets a rematch with the Angels back in Houston next week.

Chargois (3-1) got the win against the Rangers on Friday, striking out the side in a perfect eighth inning.

Chargois retired Jonah Heim, Leody Taveras and Carson Kelly on 14 pitches with the Mariners down two runs in the eighth, and he then reaped the rewards for his dominance when Julio Rodriguez slugged a go-ahead three-run home run in the home half of the frame. Chargois now has three consecutive scoreless relief appearances of at least an inning each, and Friday's outing lowered his ERA back under 3.00 (2.87) for the first time since Aug. 24.

The Twins optioned Keirsey to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday.

With Carlos Correa (heel) returning from the injured list, Keirsey will be squeezed back to the minors in order to clear space on Minnesota's active roster. The 27-year-old outfielder went 1-for-10 during his time in the big leagues and only figures to return this season if the Twins' outfield depth is tested during the final few weeks.

Bleday went 2-for-4 with a double in a win over the White Sox on Friday.

Bleday extended a modest hitting streak to four games with the productive night, one that also featured his third double in that span. The slugging outfielder has been in an atypical power drought -- he hasn't left the yard in the last 13 games -- but his current modest surge in production and the fact he's starting to get good wood on the ball again could be the harbinger of another resurgence. Bleday has demonstrated impressive pop in his breakout campaign, knocking exactly half of his 130 hits for extra bases, including a career-high 20 home runs.

The Twins reinstated Correa (heel) from the 10-day injured list Saturday.

Plantar fasciitis in Correa's right foot has kept him out of action since the All-Star break, but he began making significant progress in his recovery after beginning a new treatment earlier this month and has now been cleared to return to the active roster. The 29-year-old infielder didn't appear in any rehab games before being reinstated, so there's a chance he shows a bit of rust during his first several games back, but he still figures to remain productive after slashing .308/.377/.520 through 316 plate appearances prior to his injury. DaShawn Keirsey was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move.

Gelof went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in a win over the White Sox on Friday.

Gelof provided one of only two extra-base knocks for the Athletics while generating his third multi-hit effort in the last five games. Gelof's bat has seemingly woken from its season-long slumber in September, as he kicked off the month with a three-hit tally and has posted a .304 average, .812 OPS, six extra-base hits, four RBI, four steals and six runs across 48 plate appearances. His contact issues persist -- even in that productive sample, he's still struck out at a 31.3 percent clip -- but he's been able to raise his season average to .212, a meager figure that's nevertheless at its highest point since July 9.

Buxton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-4 loss to the Reds.

Seeing his first action for the Twins since Aug. 12 after recovering from a hip injury, Buxton launched a Julian Aguiar changeup over the fence in left-center field in the fifth inning. Per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli acknowledged after the game that Buxton isn't quite 100 percent and probably won't be able to play every day to close out the regular season, but with the team fighting to hang onto the final wild-card spot in the AL, the Twins will take whatever contribution they can get from him. Through 91 games this season, the 30-year-old is slashing .275/.333/.534 with 17 homers, six steals, 50 RBI and 56 runs.

Ober (12-7) took the loss Friday as the Twins fell 8-4 to the Reds, coughing up five runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out six.

The righty pitched well through six innings as the two teams battled to a 1-1 stalemate, but the wheels came off for Ober in the seventh as the first four Cincinnati batters reached base, starting with a Spencer Steer leadoff triple. Ober has gone six straight starts without recording a win, stumbling to a 5.35 ERA over that stretch despite a 1.07 WHIP and 31:10 K:BB through 33.2 innings. He'll try to reverse his fortunes in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Cleveland.

The Royals recalled Zerpa from Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

With Chris Stratton (forearm) headed for the injured list, the Royals will call upon Zerpa to help get their bullpen through the final couple weeks of the regular season. The 24-year-old southpaw owns a 4.40 ERA and 1.57 WHIP through 47 big-league innings on the year and will most likely serve in middle relief while with Kansas City.

The Royals placed Stratton on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm flexor strain.

Stratton surrendered two earned runs over an inning out of the bullpen Friday, but he appears to have come away from his latest outing with an injury. He won't be eligible to return from the IL until the final game of the season Sept. 29, and it's possible the Royals elect to keep him on the shelf until the start of the postseason, assuming they hang onto their wild-card spot. Until then, Angel Zerpa will come up from the minors to fill the opening in Kansas City's bullpen.