MLB Player News

Pasquantino went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 7-1 win over the Reds.

Pasquantino had gone just 1-for-22 over his previous five games before breaking that brief slump Friday. His blast provided insurance for the Royals in the ninth inning. The first baseman is up to 18 homers, 88 RBI, 55 runs scored, 26 doubles, one stolen base and a .260/.314/.450 slash line through 118 contests.

Lee (shoulder) has started swinging a bat from the right side, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The 23-year-old and could begin throwing this weekend, and then swinging from the left side Monday. Lee went on the injured list Aug. 9 with right biceps tendinitis, for which he received a cortisone shot. It's not clear when he might be ready to begin a rehab assignment.

A second opinion on Ryan's shoulder showed a Grade 2 teres major strain, Stephen Hawkins of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The examination by prominent sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed an initial diagnosis that Ryan would likely be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. The Twins haven't ruled out his return, but manager Rocco Baldelli previously said that Ryan's recovery will take "weeks to months", giving him a very narrow window to get back on the mound.

Correa (heel) ran at full speed for the first time in a week Thursday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We need to get him to where he's comfortable running on a daily basis, not having soreness the next day," said Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta.

Correa was placed on the 10-day injured list July 20 due to right plantar fasciitis. It initially didn't appear he would be out long, but he was still experiencing pain in his heel in early August while jogging. It sounds like he's ramped up his activity in recent days, but there's still no timeline for when he might begin a rehab assignment.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Entering Friday, O'Hoppe was 0-for-28 with three walks and 13 strikeouts over his last seven games. He put the slump to rest with a game-tying blast in the fourth inning, which was his 17th homer of the season. The catcher has added a .256/.314/.434 slash line with 48 RBI, 51 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple and two stolen bases over 104 contests. O'Hoppe still has some work to do to get back on track -- he was hitting .281 at the end of July -- but he can loosen his grip a bit now that he's ended his dry spell.

Joyce struck out one and allowed one hit over 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the save in Friday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Joyce has collected two saves over his last five appearances, though he's also allowed three runs across five innings in that span. The flamethrower threw all five of his fastballs between 102-104 mph Friday and needed just 14 total pitches (10 strikes) to get his five outs. Joyce still needs to work on his control -- he has a 2.54 ERA, but his 1.27 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB through 28.1 innings shows he hasn't yet fully harnessed his velocity. Veterans Hunter Strickland and Matt Moore, who worked in the seventh and eighth innings ahead of Joyce, remain in the high-leverage mix and could see save chances if Joyce falters, but the Angels will give the 23-year-old every chance to establish himself as the team's bullpen ace.

Soriano allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings in a no-decision versus Atlanta on Friday.

Soriano had quality starts in his first two outings of August after a tumultuous July, but he stumbled against Atlanta. He needed 76 pitches (45 strikes) to record 10 outs in an inefficient appearance that also saw him walk multiple batters for the fifth time in six outings. Soriano is now at a 3.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 97:45 K:BB through 113 innings over 22 outings (20 starts) this season. There was no injury reported, so Soriano is tentatively lined up to make his next start at Kansas City.

Williams (2-5) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over four innings Friday, striking out five and taking a loss against Milwaukee.

Williams stumbled out of the gate and coughed up a three-run homer to Willy Adames in the first inning. The Brewers then scored runs in the third and fourth frames. Williams has given up at least five runs in three of his nine starts this season, resulting in a 5.02 ERA across 43 innings. He's allowed 12 runs over his last four starts but 11 of those have come in two outings. Williams is lined up for a tough road matchup against the Yankees next week.

The Rays will recall Alexander from Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Alexander had been scheduled to start for Durham on Friday, but he was scratched and is now headed back to the big leagues, where he'll presumably work as a long reliever. A corresponding move will be announced once the 30-year-old's promotion is official.

Duran allowed a hit and struck out two during a perfect inning to earn a save against the Rangers on Friday.

Duran worked around a two-out single to close out the 4-3 victory. He needed just 13 pitches to convert the save and is now 18-for-19 in save opportunities this season. Since his lone blown save chance in Oakland on June 21, Duran has a 3-2 record with seven saves and a 2.60 ERA through 19 appearances. For the year, he owns a 3.35 ERA and a 43:12 K:BB across 40.1 innings.