MLB Player News

Rogers got the final out in Friday's win over Detroit to record his first career save.

Matt Magill got the chance to save the game in the top of the ninth inning, but gave up run and three baserunners before Rogers came into the game. While Trevor Hildenberger has three saves since the trade of Fernando Rodney, it looks like the Twins may give other relievers some save chances as they look toward 2019. However, Rogers may not get many more chances since he best fits as a lefty set-up man.

Leclerc struck out the side in a clean ninth inning to earn the save Friday against the Angels.

Leclerc came into the ninth with a two-run lead and got all three batters to strike out swinging. Leclerc is now 4-for-4 in save chances since the Rangers dealt Keone Kela at the trade deadline, and he's solidifying his role as the primary closer with continued success. The young righty has surrendered only one hit and one walk while striking out 11 in his last six appearances. Leclerc has a stellar 1.97 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while holding opponents to a .144 batting average on the year.

Johnson (4-3) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over 5.2 innings to pick up the win in Friday's 7-3 victory over the Rays.

Johnson won his third straight start, but had to survive trouble in the first inning when he couldn't command his curveball consistently. He ceded five baserunners and all three runs in the opening frame before setting down 15 of the final 17 batters he faced, giving Boston's bats the space to come back. It was another workmanlike performance worthy of a back-end starter. The left-hander has posted a 3.67 ERA over his last eight starts, spanning 41.2 innings. With Eduardo Rodriguez (ankle) set to go out on rehab, Johnson's stay in the rotation could be ending soon. He'll get at least one more start Wednesday at home against the Indians.

Loaisiga (shoulder) is slated to start Friday for Double-A Trenton, Kyle Franko of The Trentonian reports.

Loaisiga had been dealing with a shoulder issue since early July, but he's returned to health following a rehab stint. Through six starts at for the Thunder in 2018, Loaisiga sports a 4.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 32 strikeouts over 25 innings.

Kontos was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

Kontos was designated for assignment Wednesday, and after clearing waivers, he'll report to the RailRiders. He's accrued a 4.39 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 15 strikeouts over 26.2 innings this season in the big leagues.

Leclerc worked around a leadoff double and struck out two over an inning to record his third save in Thursday's 8-6 win over the Angels.

Leclerc has recorded all three of the team's saves since Texas traded Keone Kela to the Pirates, signalling he's the primary closer going forward. What could eventually trip up the 24-year-old right-hander is a career-long battle with command. He posted a 7.9 BB/9 last season for Texas, but has cut that to 4.0 in 2018. Since becoming the closer, Leclerc has walked just one in five innings and, going back further, just two in his last 12.1.

Jurado allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out three over six innings Thursday, taking a no-decision in an 8-6 win over the Angels.

Jurado was lit up for six runs over the first 10 batters faced, then retired 13 of the final 16 batters with the help of an improbable triple play in the fourth inning. He's allowed six runs in each of his last two starts, inflating his ERA from 4.02 to 6.41, which may be an indication the league has caught up to the right-hander, not a surprising development given that he hadn't pitched above Double-A before joining the Rangers' rotation at the end of July. If the Rangers stick with their current six-man rotation, Jurado's next start will come Wednesday at Oakland.

Kolarek struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning to earn his first career save in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Yankees.

Kolarek was called on to hold a 3-1 lead in the ninth after Sergio Romo loaded the bases with no outs. The lefty reliever was up to the task, needing just nine pitches to close things out. Moving forward, Romo should still see most save opportunities with Kolarek and his 5.63 ERA pretty far down the list.

Robles was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a right shoulder impingement.

The move is retroactive to Wednesday, leaving Robles eligible to return Aug. 25 at the earliest. The 28-year-old compiled a solid 3.75 ERA across 24 innings of relief for the Angels before injuring himself. Ty Buttrey was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding transaction.

Bukauskas spun seven shutout innings for High-A Buies Creek in its 5-0 win over Winston-Salem on Wednesday. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out five.

The right-hander had his development interrupted earlier this season when he was shut down for nearly two months due to injury, but he has been nothing short of spectacular since moving to the Carolina League earlier in August. Through three starts, the North Carolina product has given up just two runs over 18 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .136 average. With a hot finish to the campaign, the 21-year-old could have a shot at opening the 2019 season at Double-A Corpus Christi.