MLB Player News

Barlow earned the save after allowing one hit and one walk across a scoreless ninth inning during Thursday's 3-1 win over the Royals. He struck out one.

Barlow came on in the top of the ninth with a two-run lead, but gave up a leadoff single to Ryan O'Hearn. After retiring the next two batters, the closer walked MJ Melendez, bringing the winning run to the plate. However, Whit Merrifield bounced one to second to end the game, securing Barlow's sixth save of the season. The second-year reliever has converted all six of his save attempts this year and currently holds a 14:3 K:BB.

Hearn (2-2) earned the win after allowing one hit and three walks across five scoreless innings during Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Royals. He struck out three.

His last start was skipped due to the return of Jon Gray (knee), but Hearn returned to the rotation with his best outing of the season. The lefty has finished five innings in each of his last three starts and sports a 1.13 WHIP and a 15:7 K:BB across those contests. Hearn's next start is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday's matchup with the Angels.

Kelly (0-1) allowed five earned runs on one hit and four walks while striking out one across 0.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Yankees.

Kelly entered the game in the eighth inning with the score tied at 7-7. He retired the first two batters he faced but proceeded to walk the next three hitters, leading to his disastrous outing. Kelly has made two appearances since returning from a biceps injury, and he figures to maintain a high-leverage role in the White Sox bullpen despite this poor outing.

Akin (1-0) earned the win Thursday versus the Cardinals. He allowed one hit, walked two and struck out four in 2.2 scoreless innings.

Akin followed Bryan Baker in what resembled a tandem to cover the first five innings of the Orioles' bullpen game. In all nine of his appearances this season, Akin's covered at least two innings, though he's yet to pitch more than three. He's been excellent in that role, posting a 1.71 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB across 21 innings. He won't have much appeal in fantasy, as he's neither starting nor seeing high-leverage chances in relief.

Bautista allowed a hit in 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals.

Bautista's starting to earn more high-leverage work -- this was his second straight appearance with a save. He extended his scoreless streak to six innings across his last six appearances. The right-hander has a 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB across 14 innings this season, with two saves, a hold and a 0-1 record. Jorge Lopez (bereavement) is likely to be back soon, so Bautista may have to settle for a setup role, though he could still pitch his way into more save chances.

Jimenez struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Thursday against the Tigers.

Jimenez set down the side on 14 pitches to record his sixth save of the season. He now has each of the Athletics' last five saves, and he appears to be the most trusted option in the ninth inning over Lou Trivino. Jimenez has proven reliable early on in the campaign, turning in 13 scoreless innings while posting a 15:5 K:BB.

Winder (2-1) picked up the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out two in 3.1 innings of a 5-0 defeat Thursday against Houston.

Winder threw only 45 of his 77 pitches for strikes as he struggled with command. The big blow against him was a two-run blast by Yordan Alvarez in the third inning. After allowing only six baserunners in his first two starts combined, the rookie allowed nine batters to reach safely Thursday. Despite his poor outing, he still has a solid 2.45 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in his first 25.2 big-league innings.

Brieske allowed three runs (two earned) across six innings and did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Athletics. He walked three and struck out two.

Brieske pitched reasonably well for the fourth straight time to begin his rookie campaign, though he has two losses and two no-decisions to show for it. The righty went exactly five innings in each of his previous three starts, so this was a new high-water mark for innings. Brieske has also allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his four outings, which has propelled him to a solid 3.86 ERA for the season. The 24-year-old remains in search of his first MLB win in his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Rays.

Fulmer (1-2) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk across an inning of work to take the loss Thursday against the Athletics. He struck out one.

Fulmer allowed his first home run of the season in the eighth inning, a two-run blast by Seth Brown, which broke open a 3-3 tie. The righty still has a solid 2.70 ERA, but with the 9-23 Tigers struggling to score many runs, the margin for error is thin for all of the team's pitchers. Despite the hiccup, Fulmer should remain an important reliever in Detroit, typically working in front of closer Gregory Soto.

Loup (0-2) took the loss against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits over one inning. He struck out two.

The Angels battled back to tie the game in the eighth inning, and they turned to Loup when the contest went into extra frames. The southpaw immediately served up a double to Vidal Brujan that brought home the designated runner, and Brujan came around to score two batters later on a single by Harold Ramirez. This was a rare poor performance by Loup, who has posted a 1.93 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB while notching six holds over 14 innings on the season.