MLB Player News

Pressly struck out one over a scoreless ninth inning in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Cleveland.

Houston manager Dusty Baker brought Pressly in for a non-save situation, as the closer hasn't thrown much lately. He saved Monday's game, which was the closer's first action since July 10. With the team not playing Thursday, Pressly should be available when the Astros open a home series against the Rangers on Friday.

Barlow struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his fifth save of the season in a 6-3 win over the Brewers.

He needed only 11 pitches (seven strikes) to carve through the bottom of Milwaukee's order. Barlow has three of his saves in July, and while he's also been charged with two blown saves this month, both came in set-up situations and not in the ninth inning. The Royals will likely continue to mix and match in the closer spot, but at the moment Barlow seems to be the top option as only Greg Holland has also picked up a save this month.

Karinchak fired a perfect ninth inning en route to earn the save in the win over the Astros on Wednesday.

Karinchak retired the side in the ninth inning, getting all three batters to pop up in the infield. The 25-year-old recorded his 11th save, tying teammate Emmanuel Clase for most on the team. Cleveland's closing situation has been somewhat inconsistent and the save opportunities usually go to Clase or Karinchak depending on the matchup. Karinchak hasn't struck anyone out over his last three appearances, which is uncharacteristic considering his 14.5 K/9. The 25-year-old has 2.55 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP across 42.1 innings.

Morgan allowed three earned runs on three hits while striking out five across five innings in the win over the Astros on Wednesday. He did not factor into the decision.

Morgan was perfect through three innings and had allowed only a pair of hits through five frames. Unfortunately, both of those hits were home runs. In addition, he surrendered a leadoff double in the sixth inning before being pulled and the runner came around to score. He tossed five innings for the fifth time in a row, and he has now allowed three runs in three straight starts. However, this was the 25-year-old's best start of his career with just three batters reaching base off him. He still has a bad ERA of 7.47 in 31.1 innings but a decent K/BB of 6.6.

Shaw (3-3) allowed one earned run on two hits while striking out one across one inning, getting the win over the Astros on Wednesday.

Shaw entered the sixth inning with a two-run lead and a runner on second. He allowed a double to Jose Altuve and surrendered another single in the inning to tie the game. Cleveland took the lead back in the seventh to give Shaw the win. The 33-year-old allowed a run for just the third time over his last 13 appearances. During that stretch, he has a 1.91 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 14.1 innings. This season, he has a 2.98 ERA and a 11.3 K/9 in 42.1 innings.

Barnes pitched a perfect inning against Toronto on Wednesday, striking out one batter to earn the save.

The right-hander entered in the ninth inning with the task of preserving a three-run lead and did so with ease, needing only 11 pitches to set down the side in order. The save was his first since July 4 in only his second appearance since that date. Barnes has allowed only one earned run over his past 10 appearances and has a solid 2.54 ERA on the campaign.

Pruitt (0-1) allowed one earned run on one hit across two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss to Cleveland on Wednesday.

Pruitt made his second appearance of the season Wednesday after missing the first half with an elbow injury. He surrendered a solo home run to Cesar Hernandez in the seventh inning, which ended up being the winning run. The 31-year-old has allowed a run in each of his appearances this year. He hadn't pitched since 2019, when he had a 4.40 ERA in 47 innings.

Soto worked around a hit to pitch a clean ninth inning and record the save in Wednesday's win over the Rangers.

Soto has had a few hiccups this month, as he came into Wednesday's appearance having allowed four runs in five July innings, and he was a bit rocky in this one, as he hit a batter and committed a balk in addition to allowing a hit. However, he was able to escape trouble to record his team-leading 10th save of the season. The lefty has managed a solid 2.77 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39 innings this year. Soto should remain a top option for saves in Detroit, though Michael Fulmer (neck) is set to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday and figures to get some ninth inning chances when he's able to return to the MLB roster.

Scott (3-4) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk, striking out two in two-thirds of an inning and taking the loss in Wednesday's 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Rays.

With a one-run lead, Scott loaded the bases before striking out Vidal Brujan and getting Austin Meadows in an 0-2 hole. Meadows lined a two-run, game-winning single to center field, though, pinning Scott with both a blown save and a loss. Entering Wednesday, the hard-throwing lefty had held opponents scoreless in 17 of his last 20 appearances and hadn't allowed multiple runs in a game since May 24. Despite his poor performance Wednesday, Scott still boasts a 3.08 ERA and 13.0 K/9 in 38 innings and has been a bright spot in a tough season for Baltimore's bullpen.

McHugh (3-1) allowed one hit and a walk in two scoreless innings, striking out three and earning the victory in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.

The veteran righty has now held opponents scoreless in 13 consecutive appearances, striking out 38 and issuing only three free passes in that 27-inning span. After missing the 2020 season, McHugh has settled in with the Rays and become an incredibly valuable and versatile weapon capable of short starts and high-leverage relief appearances alike. His 1.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, three wins and five holds make him an intriguing fantasy option for the remainder of the season.