MLB Player News

Lucchesi signed a contract with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball on Thursday.

Lucchesi posted a 13.50 ERA in five outings with the Angels earlier this season and logged a 3.24 ERA and 45:13 K:BB across 33.1 frames with Triple-A Salt Lake. The lefty is likely to get a chance in the Marines' rotation.

Woodford elected to become a free agent Wednesday.

Woodford passed through waivers after being booted off the Cubs' 40-man roster, but he'll look for a gig elsewhere rather than accepting an outright assignment. The righty holds a 7.46 ERA and 1.82 WHIP across 25.1 innings in the majors this season between the Cubs and Brewers.

The Cubs released Hendriks on Thursday.

Hendriks tossed four scoreless innings with a 5:1 K:BB at Triple-A Iowa, so he might have exercised an opt-out clause in his minor-league contract. The veteran reliever logged a 6.59 ERA and 12:7 K:BB over 13.2 frames last season with the Red Sox.

Bummer opted out of his minor-league contract with the Cubs on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

After being released by Atlanta in May following a 7.63 ERA in 19 appearances, Bummer allowed four runs with a 3:2 K:BB over four innings with Triple-A Iowa. He now has the ability to negotiate with other teams, though it's possible he already has a deal in place somewhere.

The Rays recalled Englert from Triple-A Durham on Friday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

Englert is up as the 27th man for Friday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox and is expected to pitch in the second game, either as a traditional starter or bulk reliever. The 26-year-old has made two starts and 11 relief appearances for Tampa Bay this season, logging a 3.82 ERA and 28:7 K:BB over 30.2 innings.

The Red Sox recalled Gamboa from Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Gamboa will serve as the 27th man during Friday's doubleheader against the Rays. The left-hander has made four appearances out of the Boston bullpen in 2026, allowing two runs with a 4:4 K:BB over five frames.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that Martinez (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session soon, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.

Martinez has been progressing with his bullpen sessions and is nearly ready to face hitters for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last July. If he continues at his current pace, Martinez could be ready to rejoin the Arizona bullpen sometime in August.

Williams secured the save Thursday against the Phillies, throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out one.

After blowing back-to-back saves, Williams got back on track Thursday and recorded career save No. 100 in the process. The 31-year-old right-hander, who has remained New York's closer despite shaky results in 2026, could see his hold on the ninth-inning role strengthen if the Mets choose to eventually move setup man Luke Weaver, who's a rumored trade candidate ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. Through 32.2 innings, Williams has a 4.68 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 45:19 K:BB with 14 saves in 17 chances.

The Phillies recalled Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

With Brad Keller surely out for the season after being diagnosed with a UCL tear, Johnson will come up from the minors to replenish the Phillies' bullpen depth. The 27-year-old owns an 8.20 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 26.1 innings in his MLB career and hasn't been much better in the big leagues this year, conceding nine earned runs in just 11.1 frames. He'll likely be limited to a low-leverage relief role.

The Phillies placed Keller on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a torn UCL in his right elbow.

Keller returned from the injured list July 8 after missing nearly a month due to forearm tendinitis, but he'll now likely miss the remainder of the season because of his latest injury. If he decides to undergo surgery to address the issue, he would likely miss most, if not all, of the 2027 campaign, as well. Seth Johnson will come up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill the vacancy in Philadelphia's bullpen.