MLB Player News

Montero struck out one and did not allow a baserunner in a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold Thursday against the Tigers.

Montero shifted back to an eighth-inning role due to the return of Ryan Pressly (knee). Montero needed only 12 pitches to retire the side and maintain a 2-0 lead for Houston. While he should be projected for a setup role, it will be worth monitoring the effectiveness of Pressly, who blew the save chance Thursday in his first appearance since being activated from the injured list.

Fleming will pitch behind opener Matt Wisler against the Mariners on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Fleming has a 6.32 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB through five outings this season, and he'll follow an opener Friday for the fourth time. The 25-year-old has a 3.12 ERA in his three previous appearances as a primary pitcher, so his outlook is significantly improved compared to when he works as a traditional starter.

Raley earned the save against the Mariners on Thursday, completing a perfect inning during which he struck out one batter.

Andrew Kittredge has emerged as the Rays' most frequent closer this season, but he had pitched each of the the previous three days and was given the night off Thursday. Raley stepped in to fill the ninth-inning role and did well, retiring the side on 12 pitches to preserve a one-run lead. The save was the southpaw's second of the season, and he could get additional chances here and there, though probably not enough to make him a viable fantasy asset in leagues that don't count holds.

Pressly (1-1) picked up the win despite blowing a save after allowing two runs on two hits in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory Thursday over Detroit.

In his first game since April 13, Pressly (knee) entered the game with the Astros leading 2-0 and retired the first two batters he faced. After giving up a single to Miguel Cabrera, Jeimer Candelario sent a 1-2 pitch to the seats beyond the right-field wall to tie the game. The righty is now 3-for-5 in save opportunities and has just two strikeouts in 4.1 innings. That said, since joining the Astros in 2018, the two-time All-Star has a 2.32 ERA in 167 innings with 216 strikeouts and will likely be given the majority of the opportunities to close moving forward.

Lopez (3-1) earned the win, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout in 1.1 scoreless innings during Thursday's 5-3 victory over Minnesota.

Lopez entered a tied game with no one on and two outs in the top of the eighth inning. After allowing a single, he retired Trevor Larnach to end the frame. The Orioles scored two in the bottom of the inning and Lopez stayed in the game and retired the side in order, punching out Byron Buxton to end the game. The journeyman reliever has solidified his role as the top reliever for Baltimore, allowing no runs and three hits over his last 11.1 innings and picking up three wins and three saves in that span.

Clase didn't allow a baserunner and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Clase entered the game with a one-run lead but made quick work of George Springer, Raimel Tapia and Bo Bichette to record his fifth save of the season. After allowing four earned runs across his first 4.2 innings of the campaign, Clase has now delivered five consecutive scoreless appearances while striking out six and walking none across 4.2 frames.

Soto (1-2) allowed a run on two hits and a walk without recording an out to take the loss Thursday against the Astros.

Coming into the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied 2-2, Soto promptly allowed a hit to Yordan Alvarez. He then walked Yuli Gurriel before serving up a walkoff single to Kyle Tucker. Those are three tough hitters, but it's still a disappointing showing for Soto, who saw his ERA climb from 1.13 to 2.25 in the process. The lefty should remain the closer in Detroit, though fantasy managers may have to endure some ups and downs.

Quijada (oblique) recently progressed to throwing, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Quijada is coming up on a month since his placement on the injured list, but he only recently began throwing again. The left-hander has been rehabbing at Angel Stadium and will likely need to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the big club. Quijada has pitched in only one game for the Angels this season, retiring the only batter he faced April 7 against Houston.

Brash will pitch out of the bullpen to begin his time at Triple-A Tacoma, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The right-hander served mainly as a starter in the minors last year, and his first five big-league appearances this season came in a starting role. Although manager Scott Servais said Brash's move to the bullpen isn't necessarily permanent, the team will see whether the transition helps him perform better. He had a 7.65 ERA over 20 innings for Seattle, and a timetable for the 23-year-old's return to the majors will likely depend on how he fares in Tacoma.

Borucki (finger) will throw a bullpen session in Cleveland on Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Borucki threw 23 pitches during a live BP session recently and is now traveling with the team. The southpaw is eligible to be activated as early as Saturday, but it's possible he'll require a rehab assignment before returning to major-league game action.