MLB Player News

The Twins optioned Gray to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

Gray had started just one of the last four games and four of the past 11 contests. He'll head to St. Paul, while Ryan Kreidler assumes the bulk of the starts at shortstop for the Twins. Gray's demotion frees up a spot on the active roster for the return of Byron Buxton (hip) from the injured list.

Raya (shoulder) struck out two and allowed two earned runs on one hit and one walk across one inning in a rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A St. Paul.

Raya appears to be tracking toward an abbreviated stay on the injured list after the Twins deactivated him July 8 due to a right shoulder impingement. He averaged 94.4 mph with his four-seam fastball Saturday, with that velocity being right on par with his season-long average. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Raya is slated to cover two innings and throw around 35 pitches in his next outing with St. Paul on Tuesday in what could be his final rehab appearance before he gets reinstated.

The Twins activated Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Buxton had been shelved for nearly two weeks after aggravating a right hip injury, but he's ready to go for the start of the Twins' four-game series in Cleveland that begins Monday. He skipped a rehab assignment, as the Twins were satisfied with the work Buxton put in in recent days between his hitting and defensive drills. Tristan Gray was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move.

Barco (elbow) struck out two and allowed two hits and two walks over three scoreless innings Saturday in an appearance for Triple-A Indianapolis after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list.

Barco had been on the shelf since June 20 due to left elbow inflammation but was cleared to rejoin Indianapolis after completing a 1.2-inning rehab start in the rookie-level Florida Complex League over the All-Star break. The southpaw owns a 4.54 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 48:20 K:BB in 41.2 innings across 12 appearances (six starts) for Indianapolis on the season.

Blubaugh struck out three and gave up one hit and one walk in a two-inning relief appearance in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles in 11 innings.

With no saves and just four holds this season, Blubaugh hasn't handled a high-leverage role for Houston but has found success as a multi-inning reliever. He's been especially effective over his last 15 appearances, recorded multiple strikeouts in all but one of those outings while pitching to a 2.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 25.4 K-BB% across 28.1 innings during that stretch.

Holmes (fibula) is tentatively scheduled to make his first minor-league rehab start Thursday, MLB.com reports.

Holmes had been slated to begin his rehab assignment this past Saturday with High-A Brooklyn, but as a result of rainy conditions, he instead opted for a 45-pitch bullpen session. The right-hander will look to build on that pitch count Thursday, and if all goes well, he could make his return from the 60-day injured list as soon as July 28. Holmes likely won't be stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload immediately upon his activation, but the Mets may be eager to showcase him to potential suitors ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Rodriguez (undisclosed) struck out a batter over a perfect inning Friday after being reinstated from High-A Brooklyn's 7-day injured list.

The one-inning start marked Rodriguez's debut outing for Brooklyn, after he had been stashed on the affiliate's injured list throughout the season. The 23-year-old lefty has struggled mightily to stay healthy for extended periods throughout his professional career. Since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2022, Rodriguez has logged just 16.2 total innings in affiliated ball.

High-A Brooklyn reinstated Ziegler (elbow) from its 7-day injured list Friday.

Ziegler didn't make any appearances over the weekend, but he's considered healthy again despite posting a 10.80 ERA, 3.60 WHIP and 5:6 K:BB in 3.1 innings over five rehab appearances between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie over the past month. The right-hander missed most of the 2024 season and all of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Jobe (elbow) struck out three and allowed one unearned run on three hits and no walks across three innings Sunday in his rehab start with Double-A Erie.

Jobe now has three rehab starts under his belt as he works his way back from May 2025 Tommy John surgery. Across those outings, Jobe has compiled an excellent 8:0 K:BB while giving up just two runs (one earned) in 7.1 innings. The right-hander built up to 44 pitches Sunday, so he'll probably need at least two more starts in the minors to increase his workload to a level that would put him in consideration for a spot in the Detroit rotation. The Tigers could also look to bring Jobe back from the 60-day injured list as a tandem starter or bulk reliever if they don't clear a spot for him at the trade deadline.

Fuentes worked 1.1 perfect innings of relief Sunday to record his 10th hold of the season in a win over the Rangers. He didn't strike out a batter.

The rookie right-hander continues to thrive in a high-leverage relief role, although Atlanta still believes his long-term future will be in the rotation. Since the beginning of June. Fuentes has produced a 2.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB over 17 innings while picking up one save and seven holds in 18 appearances.