RHP Joe Blanton returned from bereavement leave. Blanton was 4-2 with a 2.64 ERA in a team-leading 54 games this season entering Friday's game.

RHP Joe Blanton was placed on the bereavement list Monday. Blanton is 4-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 54 relief appearances this season.

RHP Joe Blanton (3-2) collected his first win since April 24 at Colorado as he pitched a season-high-tying two innings and allowed no runs and no hits while striking out three.

RHP Joe Blanton signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday.Blanton pitched as a reliever for the Pirates and the Royals last year after spending the majority of his career as a starter.The 35-year-old veteran posted a 2.84 ERA with 16 walks and 79 strikeouts in 76 combined innings last season. He began the year with the Royals, posting a 2-2 record with two saves, and went to Pittsburgh in late July. In 21 games for the Pirates, he had a 5-0 record with a 1.57 ERA.

Blanton struck out three in two scoreless relief innings Wednesday against the Marlins.

The 34-year-old has surpassed whatever expectations Pittsburgh had for him, throwing 17 innings of one-run ball in a Pirates uniform since the beginning of August. Blanton has allowed only 11 hits while compiling a 23:5 K:BB ratio. It's unlikely the righthander maintains his current pace but he's already scarfed up three wins in relief and has given an overtaxed bullpen much-needed rest.

Blanton was traded to the Pirates for cash considerations, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Blanton is 2-2 this season with a 3.89 ERA in 15 games (4 starts) for the Royals. He has pitched 41.2 innings and allowed 43 hits while striking out 40 batters. Blanton will join the team Thursday in Cincinnati. His role for Thursday, and upcoming games as well, will have to be determined.

Blanton was designated for assignment Tuesday.

Blanton had been serviceable out of the Royals' bullpen this season with a 2.74 ERA across 23 innings of work, but the club needed to clear space on the active roster to activate the recently acquired Johnny Cueto. He was less effective as a spot starter for the Royals this season (2-2, 5.30 ERA), but his performance as a reliever will likely draw the interest of several teams looking to add a proven arm to their bullpen.

Blanton earned his second save with a three inning relief job Monday against Cleveland.

The Royals blew open Monday's game with seven runs in the first five innings, and Blanton ate up three innings of long relief with two strikeouts, one earned run and three hits allowed. Expect Blanton to pitch in a similar role now for the foreseeable future with Johnny Cueto now in tow, and expect these odd saves to be few and far between.

Blanton struck out a pair during a clean ninth inning to earn his first save of the season Sunday against the White Sox.

A 13-inning game on Saturday taxed the Kansas City bullpen, and it was Blanton who was called upon to close out the game once starter Danny Duffy was pulled in the ninth. The veteran will not typically be in consideration to finish games and carries little fantasy value despite Sunday's save.

Blanton will start against the Blue Jays on Saturday, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports.

With Yordano Ventura (arm) ready to return from the disabled list, Blanton will still be booted from the rotation. He's just getting an extra start because the Royals were rained out Monday night.

Blanton fell to 2-1 after allowing five runs on five hits and four walks over just 2.2 innings Monday against Kansas City.

Blanton's control abandoned him, as he threw just four more strikes (39) than balls (35). Blanton had been stellar in a pair of starts but is also still stretching out his arm to accommodate the starting role, and it's unclear if he still has the stuff to regularly retire MLB hitters. Blanton had a 6.04 ERA in 132.2 innings in his last MLB stint in 2013, so he'll have to prove his first two starts weren't the flukes.

Blanton may receive another start early next week, manager Ned Yost told Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

After two straight impressive outings, Blanton may have earned himself another turn in the rotation. That said, Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura's statuses early next week could ultimately dictate whether Blanton will make another start in the near future.

Blanton moved to 2-0 with another gem Monday against Seattle, as he allowed just one run on two hits and no walks over six innings with seven strikeouts.

Blanton threw only 80 pitches Monday as he is still stretching out after opening the season in the bullpen. Early returns in the rotation have been great for the new-look Blanton, as he has 11 strikeouts in as many innings without a walk and just two runs allowed. Blanton was solid across the board Monday night too -- 10 swinging strikes and five ground balls to go with the shiny line score.

Blanton (1-0) held the Brewers to one run on five hits while striking out four in Wednesday's 10-2 victory.

This successful debut in the rotation for Blanton carries forth what's been a solid (if small-sample) run out of the Royals' bullpen. With Jason Vargas injured, Blanton will get a chance to show this wasn't a fluke Monday against the Mariners.

Blanton will start Wednesday's game against Milwaukee, Jeff Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

A rain-out Sunday forced the Royals to make some adjustments, and Blanton will now throw Wednesday, rather than Tuesday, as originally planned. Chris Young will get the start Tuesday, followed by Blanton on Wednesday, Jeremy Guthrie on Thursday and Yordano Ventura on Friday.

Blanton will have his scheduled start Tuesday in Milwaukee skipped, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports.

Blanton was a last-minute addition to the rotation following a sudden rush of injuries, but since Sunday's game was rained out, Chris Young will take his spot in the rotation Tuesday, while Edinson Volquez will remain Monday's starter. With Jason Vargas (hip) on the DL and Yordano Ventura's (hand) next start up in the air, Blanton may still need to be used as a starter later in the week. His role will likely depend on how these injuries play out, in addition to the projected return of left-hander Danny Duffy (shoulder).

Blanton will start for the Royals Sunday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The Royals' rotation has been hit hard with recent injuries to Jason Vargas and possibly Yordano Ventura, which will be Joe Blanton's cue to enter the rotation. Blanton did well in his 15 innings of relief for the Royals, registering a 1.80 ERA and 2.83 FIP. He's not an impact add, but at least a needed one for the Royals.

Blanton worked four innings in relief of Danny Duffy on Saturday, giving up one run on five hits and striking out two.

It was a solid effort, and with Duffy suddenly struggling badly, if Blanton keeps performing at a reasonable level in long relief he could get a crack at the Royals' rotation at some point.

Blanton was called up by the Royals on Saturday.

He will offer the Royals some depth in the bullpen, as a guy who can eat innings, but once Jason Vargas returns from the DL there's a good chance Blanton could be sent back down to Triple-A.

Blanton accepted his assignment to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports.

Blanton came out of retirement to join the Royals' camp in February but was never considered a likely candidate to crack the big league roster by Opening Day. The 34-year-old didn't have a bad spring, posting a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings of work, but he'll likely stay with the Triple-A club unless the parent team's pitching staff gets hit with the injury bug.