MLB Player News

Pivetta (5-5) took the loss against the Angels on Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out 11 over five innings.

Pivetta's season-high 11 strikeouts were impressive, and he started out the contest with four scoreless innings. However, Shohei Ohtani broke through against him with a two-run shot in the fifth, and Pivetta was pulled after issuing two straight free passes to begin the sixth. Those walks came back to haunt him as both baserunners were cashed in after he departed. Pivetta gave up more than three earned runs in each of his first three starts this season, but this was the first time he surrendered that many runs in nine starts since. He's posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 59:14 K:BB across 55 frames while recording a 5-2 record over the nine-game stretch.

Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth inning against the Red Sox on Thursday, striking out two to earn a save.

Iglesias was tasked with closing out the contest as the Angels sought to snap a franchise record 14-game losing streak, and he succeeded by retiring all three batters he faced. The veteran closer had only one save opportunity during the stretch of team losses, so his job security was never in question. Iglesias has racked up 12 saves on the campaign while posting a 4.43 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 28:4 K:BB across 20.1 innings.

Barlow earned the save against the Orioles on Thursday, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings and allowing two hits and one walk while striking out one.

Barlow threw only 12 of 23 pitches for strikes in the outing, and he allowed a run-scoring double to the first batter he faced after entering with two outs in the eighth inning. However, the right-hander was able to settle down to notch his first save since May 26. The gap was a product of team play -- no other Kansas City pitcher earned a save in the two-week stretch, and Barlow didn't have any save opportunities during the time. He appears to have a good hold on the closer role, but that won't necessarily lead to many saves given the Royals' awful 19-37 season record.

Krehbiel (shoulder) started throwing Thursday, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Krehbiel said he felt good after throwing for the first time since he landed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation last Friday. The reliever doesn't have a specific timeline to return yet, and he's expected to take it slow initially in his recovery.

Holmes earned the save against the Twins on Thursday, pitching a perfect ninth inning during which he struck out one batter.

It appeared unlikely that Holmes would make an appearance in the game when Minnesota jumped out to a 7-3 lead after three innings, but New York's offense stormed back to produce a three-run lead after eight frames. Holmes was brought in to close things out in the ninth, and he retired the side in order on 12 pitches. This was the right-hander's ninth save in nine opportunities this season, and he has also racked up seven holds. Holmes has been one of the top relievers in MLB this season, complementing his saves and holds totals with a minuscule 0.33 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 29:3 K:BB across 27.2 innings.

Adam allowed one walk and struck out one across a scoreless inning to earn the save Thursday against the Cardinals.

Adam was the only Rays reliever to enter the game, and he collected his second save of the season with little trouble. Now that Andrew Kittredge (elbow) is back on the injured list, the closer role in Tampa Bay is wide open. Adam has certainly proven to be reliable to this point in the season, as he's maintained a 0.72 ERA with a 30:8 K:BB across 25 innings. However, Colin Poche and Brooks Raley have also been used in save situations.

Robles (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Robles was originally scheduled to make two rehab appearances with Triple-A Worcester, but the first game was rained out. Instead, he flew west to join the team and is being activated after a minimum stay on the injured list. Robles could factor into the closer picture, as he had picked up two saves while maintaining a 2.65 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and an 11:6 K:BB across 17 frames prior to being sidelined.

Chapman (Achilles) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran left-hander is pain-free and has been playing catch since landing on the injured list with Achilles tendinitis May 24, but Saturday's bullpen will be his first time back on the mound. Chapman will likely require a few bullpen sessions before being considered for activation, but he could be back within the next couple weeks if all goes well.

Oller was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Oller worked exclusively in the rotation in the minors over the last three seasons, and his first four major-league appearances came as a starter earlier this year. He posted a 12.27 ERA and 2.18 WHIP in 14.2 innings over his four starts with the Athletics in 2022, and it seems likely that he'll serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen now that he's back with the major-league club. Even if the right-hander pitches out of the bullpen for now, he should be one of the top options to fill in as a starter if needed.

Munoz recorded his fourth hold in a win over the Astros on Wednesday, firing a scoreless seventh inning during which he allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout.

The hard-throwing right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.66 with his fifth scoreless effort in the last six appearances. Munoz's only real stumble of the season came in a May 22 appearance against the Red Sox during which he gave up five runs (four earned) over two-thirds of an inning, but he's otherwise been a reliable setup option while cranking out an impressive 11.6 K/9 with the help of a fastball that's averaging 99.7 mph.