MLB Player News

The Jays would surely like to stay away from using him if they can, but he’s an option should a need arise. The club has no shortage of alternatives for a save chance, headlined by Erik Swanson, Anthony Bass, Adam Cimber, and Yimi García.

Martin will likely stick around with Toronto as organizational depth after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old was added to the club’s 40-man roster last month, but never wound up being called up.

Shugart gets the nod to replace an injured Caleb Kilian (oblique) in Philadelphia’s bullpen prior to Monday’s series opener against the Cardinals. The 29-year-old has compiled an underwhelming 4.93 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 45/16 K/BB ratio across 38 1/3 innings of low-leverage work this season.

There’s a chance that Kilian’s season is over after suffering the injury over the weekend. The 29-year-old was hit hard in four relief outings for the Phillies after coming over from the Giants at the trade deadline last week.

Pintaro rejoins New York’s relief mix with closer Devin Williams hitting the injured list with a shoulder strain. The 28-year-old has allowed seven runs with a 15/5 K/BB ratio across 14 1/3 innings at the highest level this season.

Williams heads to the shelf after registering a disappointing 4.66 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 51/21 K/BB ratio across 38 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old has converted just 16 of his 19 save chances this season. A quick glance under the hood reveals a more palatable 3.29 xERA and a bloated .388 BABIP, but his Mets debut has been an unmitigated disaster. His absence thrusts New York into a closer by committee situation with Kodai Senga and Daniel Duarte as the most likely candidates to inherit save opportunities, with rookie lefty Nate Lavender representing a dark horse for the role.

Baltimore will use an extra reliever until Chris Bassitt comes off the injured list later this week. Sanders has a 4.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 7/3 K/BB ratio in 6 1/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk since joining the Orioles’ organization.

Povich was great in his start last week, but the Orioles have Chris Bassitt returning from the injured list this week, so he will take Povich’s spot. If the Orioles officially fall out of playoff contention, it might make sense for them to give Povich a few more starts to see if he can be an option for them in 2027.

Whitcomb went just 3-for-23 in 24 plate appearances for the Astros this season with two home runs and an 11/5 K/BB ratio. He was hitting .274/.338/.420 with nine home runs, 52 RBI, and 23 steals in 73 games at Triple-A, so somebody may take a gamble on the 27-year-old.

The Astros need a right-handed power bat, and Velázquez is that. The 27-year-old hit just .216/.289/.432 with four homers and 12 RBI in 83 plate appearances over 34 games for the Cardinals this season. However, he could add some thump off the bench if the Astros choose to use him in that role.

González, who came to the White Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet deal, was surprisingly designated for assignment over the weekend. The 24-year-old was a starter in the Red Sox organization before the White Sox converted him to a reliever. He had a 2.66 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 25/12 K/BB ratio in 20 1/3 innings for the White Sox last year. However, he struggled in Triple-A this year, posting a 6.57 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Of course, that also came with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate. The Marlins will look to regain some of González former value.