MLB Player News

Rodriguez (back) is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez has been on the injured list since Sept. 3 due to a lower-back strain. If all goes well on his assignment, the right-hander should return to Tampa Bay before the end of the season. He's unlikely to be a factor in fantasy leagues at this point but should bolster the playoff-bound Rays' bullpen during the postseason.

Tucker went 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, five RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Marlins.

Tucker got the Dodgers on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third inning before launching a grand slam in the seventh. The 29-year-old has delivered back-to-back three-hit efforts for the first time in an otherwise disappointing campaign, going deep in both contests with four extra-base hits overall. On the year, he's slashing .230/.326/.375 with 14 homers, 65 RBI, 78 runs scored and 10 steals across 567 plate appearances.

Greene went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run scored and two RBI in Friday's 6-2 win over the Rockies.

Greene needed just his 20th home run of the season to record his first career cycle in the majors. Now that he's healthy following a few weeks on the injured list with a strained hamstring, the star outfielder is heating up at the plate. In nine games since returning, Greene is batting .361 with three home runs and 13 RBI, and he once again looks like Detroit's best offensive player.

The Nationals optioned Beeter to Triple-A Rochester after Friday's game against the Angels.

Beeter pitched a perfect eighth inning Friday, lowering his ERA to 4.50 and his WHIP to 1.40 through 48 frames, but the Nationals will send him down to Triple-A nonetheless. Unless the 27-year-old is recalled to replace an injured player, he will spend the rest of the season in the minors, leaving Erik Tolman and Brad Lord as top candidates to pick up saves for the Nats down the stretch.

Gasper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during the Red Sox's 3-2 loss to the Royals on Friday.

Seth Lugo kept the Red Sox off the board through the first four innings of Friday's game, but Gasper changed things with a solo homer to right-center field in the fifth inning. It was the ninth homer of the season for Gasper, six of which have come at Fenway Park. Since being promoted from the minors in mid-August, he has gone 18-for-59 (.305) with 16 RBI and 13 extra-base hits.

Clark went 1-for-2 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Rockies. He also stole a base.

Clark showed off his combination of power and speed by launching his third home run of the season and recording his fourth stolen base. It was the first time in his MLB career that the rookie has gone deep and swiped a base in the same game. Clark did plenty of both in the minors, so he should have many more performances like Friday as he settles in at the top level.

Helsley (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday, Matt Betts of MLB.com reports.

Helsley has been on the 15-day injured list since late June with right elbow discomfort, and the right-hander threw 24 pitches in live batting practice Tuesday. The rehab outing will be his first game action in over two months, so he'll likely need to get a few appearances under his belt before becoming an option to rejoin the Orioles. A return before the end of the season remains in the cards, though.

Pecko did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Rays, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Pecko entered with one out in the third inning and delivered his best performance in five outings with the Astros. The 24-year-old threw only 44 of 75 pitches for strikes, but he's now yielded one earned run in consecutive outings. He owns a 4.30 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 15:12 K:BB across 23 major-league innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Royals next week.

Dingler went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 6-2 win over the Rockies.

Dingler recorded his 27th home run of the season in the sixth inning, which snapped a 28-game streak without a long ball. During that power drought, the Detroit catcher slashed just .123/.174/.151 with seven RBI and 29 strikeouts. Even with that slump, Dingler still leads the Tigers in homers and is second in the majors in long balls among backstops, which is a testament to just how well he was playing earlier in the year.

Gray (17-5) was tagged with the loss in Friday's game against the Royals, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five across six innings.

All three of the runs Gray allowed came over the first three innings of Friday's start. The veteran right-hander was able to get through six innings on 90 pitches (60 strikes) for his 18th quality start of the season, tied for sixth-most in the majors, but he didn't receive enough run support from his Red Sox teammates to avoid the loss. It was Gray's second loss in three starts, but it has still been a strong season for the 37-year-old, whose 17 wins are tied with Cristopher Sanchez for most in the majors. Gray will take a 2.76 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 156.2 innings into his next start, tentatively slated for next week on the road against the Rangers.