MLB Player News

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney earned his 13th save of the season in Monday night's 4-1 win over the Rays. 

Rodney pitched the ninth inning and allowed one hit. It was the first time he got through the ninth without an earned run since an appearance against Oakland on May 8. Rodney now has a 5.89 ERA this season. 

The Mariners are set to activate outfielder Austin Jackson from the disabled list on Tuesday and option pitcher Danny Farquhar to Triple-A Tacoma, the team announced.

Jackson is on the 15-day DL with an ankle injury and has been out since the beginning of the month. Farquhar will clear space for Jackson after posting a 6.46 ERA and an 0-3 mark in 23 2/3 innings of work this season.

Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly didn't make it out of the second inning on Monday, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits and one walk in 1 2/3 innings in his team's 7-2 loss to the Twins.

"The attitude, the feel, the energy level in the clubhouse this morning was built upon the last two days, and to go out and to have a game like today is very disappointing," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, per MLB.com.

Kelly (1-4) surrendered a run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning before the game turned ugly in the second, when he opened the frame by allowing four straight hits before recording a pair of outs, though a run scored on his second out. He then walked the next batter, served up a three-run home run and allowed a single before being pulled.

"It's not ideal, but I've just got to keep pitching," Kelly said.

Kelly owns a 6.24 ERA and 43:20 K:BB ratio in 49 innings. He's in line to face the Rangers on the road on Saturday.

Reliever Josh Fields, who suffered a bruised right leg last week when he was struck by a line drive, returned to the Astros pen Sunday and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. 

Fields, who missed Friday's and Saturday's games, struck out two batters and allowed a hit to pick up his second hold of the season. 

Mariners relief pitcher Carson Smith doesn't have a defined role out of the bullpen, but it is becoming more and more clear by the game, according to The News Tribune.

Smith was called upon Friday and Saturday in the eighth inning to setup for closer Fernando Rodney. He did not allow a run in either inning, lowering his ERA to 0.90 in 20 innings of work.

"He's done a tremendous job for us," manager Lloyd McClendon said, "but we've got to be careful. We've got to be sure we don't overuse him, but he's got a bright future. That sinker is special.

"He's got a nice slider. More than anything, he's got great makeup. I think he's built for it."

Angels pitcher Hector Santiago took the loss on Sunday, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings while striking out six in his team's 6-1 defeat against the Red Sox.

Santiago (3-3) threw a whopping 124 pitches in the outing. He gave up a two-run home run in the second inning but limited the Red Sox to just an RBI sacrifice fly before his exit to earn a quality start.

"I think they lost the leash," Santiago said to the Orange County Register. "That's good. Shows a lot of confidence in me, going out there and trying to prove myself."

Santiago owns a 2.47 ERA and 50:22 K:BB ratio in 54 2/3 innings. He's scheduled to face the Tigers on Friday.

Three injured Athletics pitchers are all doing rehab work on Monday. 

Eric O'Flaherty, on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury, will throw a bullpen, as will A.J. Griffin, on the DL with an elbow injury. 

O'Flaherty could begin a minor league rehab assignment soon, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Drew Pomeranz, on the 15-day DL with a shoulder injury, will play catch on Monday.

Twins starter Trevor May snapped a two-decision losing streak and won for the first time in four starts. 

May went seven innings, allowing three runs in Saturday's win over the White Sox. He allowed six hits and didn't walk a batter, striking out nine. 

"[May] had a great changeup going today," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura to MLB.com. "Some of it's going to be the shadows, but he was able to get guys out in front. Normally, he's just a fastball guy sinking it and running it away but his offspeed stuff was very good today. We had to be better at staying with it, staying in the middle."

May next pitches Friday, against Toronto.

Astros pitcher Josh Fields was able to throw off the mound on Saturday and may be available out of the bullpen on Sunday, manager A.J. Hich said per the Houston Chronicle.

Fields was forced to leave his last appearance on Thursday when he took a line drive off his knee. Fields is 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA in 9 1/3 innings of work this season.

Surprising Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez remained on a roll Saturday. It's easy to get a win when your team scores 15 runs, but he continued to mow down the host Yankees.

Martinez pitched shutout ball until Carlos Beltran homered in the sixth. He allowed another solo blast to Didi Gregorius in the seventh, but he finished having yielded two runs on five hits in seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts. He raised his record to 4-0 with the effort, but his ERA actually slid up a bit to 1.96.

He did overcome two walks in the first inning before settling down.

"The first inning, I don't know how to explain it," he told MLB.com. "I just didn't have it. But after that, I locked in and went on the attack."

The performance marked the first time since his second start that he pitched through the seventh inning.

He will try to stay hot when he pitches against Boston next Thursday.