MLB Player News

The Mets optioned Brazoban to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.

After pitching 3.1 shutout innings Friday, Brazoban will be sent back to the minors in favor of a fresh arm in the form of Dom Hamel. The 35-year-old Brazoban owns a 3.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with the Mets this season, which helps his chances of returning to Queens before the end of the regular season.

Fermin will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday to take the roster spot vacated by Masyn Winn (knee), Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Fermin was just sent down Friday to accommodate the return of Brendan Donovan, but he'll rejoin the roster a day later after the Cardinals decided to shut Winn down for the season. While Fermin could see the occasional rep at shortstop while Winn is shelved, he'll likely operate mostly as a reserve infielder in the final weeks.

Saggese will take over as the Cardinals' primary shortstop with Masyn Winn (knee) being shut down for the season, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

With Brendan Donovan back from the injured list and at second base Friday, Saggese had appeared set for his playing time to dip. However, he's now needed at shortstop, which should keep him in the lineup on a regular basis down the stretch. Saggese has been unable to capitalize on regular reps since the start of August, slashing just .262/.305/.311 with no home runs and a 40:7 K:BB.

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.

Acuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 11-3 loss to the Astros.

The right fielder took Colton Gordon deep in the sixth inning to get Atlanta on the board, although they were already staring at an 11-0 deficit at that point. The homer was Acuna's 16th of the season in only 80 contests, but his first since Aug. 22, snapping a 17-game drought in which he's batted just .143 (8-for-56) with two doubles. Acuna's capable of heating up in a hurry, and with five hits in his last four starts, he could be gearing up for a big finish to the campaign.

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.

The Cubs optioned Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Alcantara appeared in just three games during his first stint in the majors, going 1-for-6 with a walk, a run scored and three strikeouts. The Cubs will send him down to Triple-A to allow the 23-year-old prospect to get more consistent at-bats, and Owen Caissie will come up from Iowa to replenish Chicago's outfield depth.

The Cubs recalled Caissie from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Caissie slashed .208/.240/.375 across 25 plate appearances during his first stint in the majors in August and has gone 6-for-24 with three RBI, five runs scored and two steals since being sent down to Triple-A. He'll now rejoin the big club to provide depth in the outfield, replacing Kevin Alcantara.

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Rangers.

The backstop got his team on the board by slicing a 98.2 mph fastball from Jacob deGrom over the wall in the right-field corner to lead off the third inning, but the Mets were already in a 6-0 hole at that point. It was Alvarez's eighth homer of the season, and his first in eight games since returning from his latest IL stint, but he's batting just .182 (4-for-22) during that span as he plays through both a fractured left index finger and a sprained right thumb, the latter of which will likely require offseason surgery. With Luis Torrens (forearm) on the shelf and New York desperately trying to hang onto a wild-card spot, however, Alvarez will get as much playing time as his pain tolerance allows.

Tong (1-2) took the loss Friday, surrendering six runs on four hits and three walks over two-thirds of an inning as the Mets fell 8-3 to the Rangers. He struck out one.

The 22-year-old rookie couldn't escape the first inning, walking two of the first three batters he faced, and Tong may have been feeling jitters in a high-profile matchup against former Mets ace Jacob deGrom. Tong was the victim of bad luck as much as his control problems, however, as he gave up three opposite-field singles on bloops and flares -- none hit harder than 89.1 mph -- before a well-placed double by Michael Helman into the left-field corner with an exit velocity of just 81.5 mph chased the right-hander from the game. Tong sports an unsightly 8.49 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 13:7 K:BB through his first three starts and 11.2 big-league innings, and with Kodai Senga looking sharp in his first Triple-A start Friday, the Mets may make a change in their rotation as they try to desperately cling to a wild-card spot. If he gets another turn, Tong is currently set to make his next start at home next weekend against the Nationals.