MLB Player News

Jimenez pitched a clean ninth inning Saturday against the Blue Jays, picking up his first save of the season.

Jimenez was called upon to close things out with Shane Greene unavailable after working three straight days, and the right-hander needed just 13 pitches -- eight of which went for strikes -- to end things and secure the win for the Tigers. He doesn't figure to see more than the occasional save chance with Greene performing well in the closer's role ahead of him, but Jimenez now owns a solid 2.54 ERA and 28:7 K:BB across 28.1 innings this season.

Graterol was placed on the minor-league disabled list Saturday with a right wrist injury, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Specifics regarding the injury remain unclear, but it will force Graterol to miss at least one start. The move is retroactive to May 30, so he'll be eligible to return June 6 should he prove ready. He compiled a 1.78 ERA and 12.9 K/9 with Low-A Cedar Rapids prior to landing on the shelf.

Pruitt, who recorded three strikeouts and allowed three earned runs on seven hits over five innings in an extra-innings loss to the Mariners on Friday, has now pitched at least five innings in three consecutive relief appearances.

Included in that sample is an extremely rare five-inning-plus save May 27 against the Orioles. Three straight long-relief outings of five innings or more qualify as highly unusual as well, but given how creative manager Kevin Cash has been with the use of his pitching staff this season, it's a slightly more plausible scenario in Tampa than it would be virtually anywhere else. Pruitt's ability to essentially work a starter's workload -- irrespective of the order in which he enters the game -- figures to continue affording him plenty of opportunities while he remains at the big-league level.

Barria was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following Friday's win over the Rangers.

Barria tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win Friday but will once again head back to the Bees. The 21-year-old has pitched quite well for the Angels this season, posting a 2.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 36.1 innings. Barria should see more opportunities in the majors if he sustains his current level of play, though he will likely continue to bounce back and forth to Salt Lake, regardless.

Colome was credited with his second hold in Friday's extra-innings win over the Rays, firing a scoreless eighth inning in which he recorded a strikeout.

Colome encountered his former Rays teammates for the first time and breezed through his one frame on 10 pitches, eight of which he threw for strikes. The Mariners looked well on their way to felling Tampa with a lethal late-inning 1-2 punch of Colome and Edwin Diaz before the latter blew a 3-2 lead in the ninth, but Colome's outing was certainly encouraging. He's now generated three consecutive scoreless efforts since arriving in Seattle, recording a save and a pair of holds during that stretch.

Andriese (1-3) allowed one earned run on two hits over one inning in an extra-innings loss to the Mariners on Friday.

Andriese entered the game in the bottom of the 12th and promptly set Jean Segura down on a swinging strikeout. He then induced an inning-ending double play from Denard Span after yielding a single to Kyle Seager, but he promptly gave up a leadoff, game-winning home run to Mitch Haniger in the bottom of the 13th. Andriese has struggled with consistency of late, as Friday's outing marked his fifth over the last nine in which he's given up at least one run. However, his season ERA (3.32) and WHIP (1.02) remain solid. Moreover, the unorthodox manner in which manager Kevin Cash often deploys his pitching staff -- as well as Andriese's ability to work long relief -- could result in the right-hander being in line for a decision more often than a reliever typically would be.

Chavez allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four over five scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Angels.

Chavez had a bullpen-saving outing Friday when starter Bartolo Colon was chased after three innings. A long-relief role was what the Rangers envisioned for Chavez, who has thrown multiple innings 13 times in 18 outings. After a rough introduction to the season, Chavez has a 2.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts over his last 21.2 innings, spanning 12 outings. If the Rangers decide to make a change in the starting rotation -- Texas starters rank 28th in MLB with a 5.46 ERA -- Chavez, who started 21 games for the Angels in 2017, is an internal option.

Diaz blew the save against the Rays on Friday, giving up one earned run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning, though he did strike out two.

Diaz entered with a 3-2 lead to protect, but he yielded the game-tying run after serving up an RBI single to Tampa Bay's Matt Duffy for his third blown save of the season in 22 opportunities, though he was eventually bailed out by a walkoff blast from Mitch Haniger. After looking unhittable to start the year, Diaz has shown some cracks lately as this outing brought his ERA up to 3.03. He's still having a fantastic season, however, as he has 19 saves, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 50:12 K:BB over 29.2 innings.

Barria (5-1) picked up the win against the Rangers on Friday, scattering four hits over six shutout innings, striking out six and walking one as the Angels prevailed 6-0.

Barria has been going back and forth between the Angels and Triple-A Salt Lake a lot this season, but he continues to pitch well in his opportunities for the big club. The 21-year-old right-hander has now won five of six decisions this year -- including four straight -- and his numbers are backing up the strong record, as he's now boasting a strong 2.48 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 30:9 K:BB over 36.1 innings. If he continues to put up stats like that, he should keep getting opportunities in the Angels rotation. However, his youth and lack of track record make it difficult to predict at this point whether this is a run that will be sustainable as the season progresses and teams get a more extended look at him.

Rodney tossed a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 12th save of the season in a 7-4 win over Cleveland.

The veteran closer has now converted 10 straight save chances, and Rodney's 0.73 ERA and 0.81 WHIP through 12.1 innings over that stretch look very impressive. His 10:5 K:BB isn't exactly dominant, however, and another stretch like the one he went through in April -- when he got tagged for six runs and three blown saves in four appearances -- could always be just around the corner for the 41-year-old.