MLB Player News

Diaz fired a scoreless ninth inning in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to the Rangers, allowing one hit.

Manager Scott Servais opted to give Diaz some work after he'd last taken the mound Sept. 13. The 23-year-old right-hander has only had one hiccup this month, a Sept. 6 outing versus the Astros in which he surrendered two earned runs over an inning while taking his sixth loss of the season. Diaz has largely fulfilled expectations overall in his first full-time campaign as closer, converting 32 of 36 save opportunities while racking up 84 strikeouts over 62.1 innings.

Stanek allowed an earned run on two hits and a walk over an inning in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Cubs. He also recorded two strikeouts.

Stanek has had a rough go of it since being recalled from Triple-A Durham upon rosters expanding in September. He's now allowed an earned run in four of his five appearances, leading to an 8.31 ERA across 4.1 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander does bring plenty of strikeout upside, already having racked up nine whiffs over that span. However, he's allowed 12 earned runs over 11 frames in his last nine major-league appearances overall, a stretch that's seen his ERA rise from 1.29 to 6.88.

Ramirez's incredible 47.2-innings scoreless streak ended Wednesday when he allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in a loss to Kansas City.

The right-hander's eye-popping streak lasted through stints in Double-A New Hampshire, Triple-A Buffalo and now Toronto. According to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, the 26-year-old converted outfielder is one of three pitchers in MLB history to not allow a hit in six of his first seven big-league games. "It has been an incredible year for the kid," manager John Gibbons said. "It was going to happen." Ramirez will likely begin 2018 back in Buffalo, but he'll certainly get a long look in spring training to see if he's ready to contribute at the big-league level.

Scott made his MLB debut Wednesday against Boston, allowing a pair of runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one in an eventful eighth inning.

In his first big-league game, the left-hander unveiled a 100 mph fastball, and a devastating slider that got Deven Marrero swinging and missing on three straight pitches. A broken bat single and a slow reaction by Scott to cover first base led to some avoidable damage. Manager Buck Showalter was pleased with the prospect's overall outing, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports. "As advertised," Showalter said. "About like I thought it would be. The slider has come a long way for him. ... His presentation was good. He didn't always show it. He's always been that type of guy. That's what's intriguing about him."

Jimenez pitched a scoreless inning in Wednesday's loss to the Athletics, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Jimenez has now gone two straight appearances without allowing a run. While that doesn't sound like much, it's a step in the right direction for a guy with an 11.94 ERA and 2.19 WHIP. Jimenez has electric stuff, and the Tigers organization is hoping he learns to harness it effectively. The 22-year-old should get a few more appearances before the season is over as the team looks toward 2018.

Shaw worked two perfect innings Wednesday while striking out three to record his third save of the season in a 6-5 win over the Angels.

Cody Allen and Andrew Miller had both pitched the night before, so manager Terry Francona elected to let Shaw finish the job after he squelched a potential Angels rally in the eighth inning, leaving the tying run stranded at first base. The righty's now thrown 50 pitches over the last two games, so expect him to get a few days off before he's summoned from the bullpen again.

Junis (8-2) allowed just three hits and two walks over 6.1 innings en route to the victory in a 15-5 thumping over Toronto on Wednesday, though he was tagged for four runs (two earned). He struck out three.

He actually shut the Jays out through six, but the seventh didn't go quite so well, and the two unearned runs actually came off an error by Junis himself. Nonetheless, Junis has been an excellent addition to the Royals' rotation, having given up three or fewer earned runs in six straight starts and eight of his last nine; in the latter span, he's posted a 5-0 record to go with a 3.02 ERA and 41:6 K:BB. Those numbers should ensure that fantasy owners remember his name heading into next season.

Manager Scott Servais said Zych (elbow) didn't feel 100 percent during his bullpen session Wednesday and may not return before the end of the season, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Zych was pushing to return from an elbow injury before the end of the season, but his chances are looking slim after reporting some soreness during Wednesday's bullpen. He compiled a healthy 2.66 ERA in 40.2 innings out of the Mariners' bullpen this season. Nick Vincent, Emilio Pagan and James Pazos will continue to serve as Seattle's primary setup men in his absence.

Hendriks recorded the final two outs of Wednesday's win over the Tigers for his first career save. He struck out one batter.

Ryan Dull started the ninth with regular closer Blake Treinen unavailable after pitching each of the previous three days. Dull made a mess of things, allowing Detroit to cut the lead to one run, but Hendriks cleaned up and now has a 2.88 ERA in 29 second-half appearances. He probably won't see many more save chances this season, if any, but Hendriks is establishing himself as a top setup man with his performance since the All-Star break.

Mengden (2-1) earned the win over the Tigers on Wednesday, allowing seven hits while striking out four over seven scoreless innings. He did not issue a walk.

On the heels of a complete-game two-hitter against Philadelphia, Mengden blanked the Tigers over seven for his third straight quality start. The peripherals suggest he's overachieved to a significant extent during his time with Oakland, but for those owners simply chasing wins and strikeouts, Mengden will make for an appealing play during the final week of the season with two starts on tap (vs SEA, at TEX).