MLB Player News

Fairbanks struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fourth save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays.

The right-hander needed only six pitches (five strikes) to dispatch the heart of Toronto's order, setting down Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero and Justin Turner. Fairbanks still isn't quite flashing his usual velocity -- he topped out at 97.3 mph with his fastball Friday after averaging 98.9 mph in 2023 -- but he hasn't seemed to miss the extra gear since coming off the IL, firing four straight hitless, scoreless appearances with a 6:0 K:BB.

Holmes walked one and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 13th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the White Sox.

The right-hander is back in a four-way tie for the league lead in saves with Emmanuel Clase, Kyle Finnegan and Ryan Helsley, but Holmes is the only one of the quartet who still sports a 0.00 ERA. The closer's luck on that front will run out eventually, but his 0.98 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB through 19.1 innings highlight how dominant he's been to this point.

Hader struck out one batter in a perfect inning and earned the save over the Brewers on Friday.

Hader made quick work of the Brewers, needing just 12 pitches to snag his sixth save of the year. After a disastrous start to his Astros career -- a 9.39 ERA with one save through nine appearances -- Hader has seemingly settled in with his new team. He's allowed just two earned runs over his last 12.1 innings, lowering his season ERA to 4.50. He's riding a 5.1-inning scoreless streak with three saves and a win during that span.

Herrin (2-0) allowed a hit and a walk without giving up a run in one-third of an inning to earn the win Friday over the Twins.

Herrin allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth inning, which tied the game at 2-2, but the Guardians retook the lead in their half of the frame on a Jose Ramirez solo home run. It'll go down as Herrin's first blown save of the campaign. The southpaw has been quite effective so far with a 0.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB over 19.1 innings while adding four holds through 20 appearances. He doesn't seen a ton of high-leverage work and is not in contention for save chances, as Emmanuel Clase has been nearly untouchable for the Guardians this season.

Spence did not factor into the decision Friday against Kansas City, allowing one run on four hits and no walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

Spence fared well in his first major-league start after tossing his first 25.1 MLB innings out of the bullpen. The rookie right-hander generated nine whiffs over 77 pitches, the second time in four May appearances he's worked more than 70 pitches. Should Spence draw another turn in the Oakland rotation, he would be slated to face the Rockies at home.

Manager Joe Espada said Pressly was unavailable for Friday's game against the Brewers due to a sore finger on his right (throwing) hand, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Pressly's finger issue doesn't appear to be anything too serious, though it may prevent him from pitching for another day or two. The 35-year-old right-hander currently holds a 5.51 ERA and 1.78 WHIP through 16.1 innings and has not appeared in a game since Tuesday.

Clase picked up the save Friday against Minnesota. He pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Clase required only 13 pitches to retire the side in order. The 26-year-old is riding a streak of eight straight scoreless appearances, allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts and five saves over eight innings. Clase remains among the game's elite closers, sporting a 0.42 ERA over 22.1 innings this season.

Miller received a hydrodissection procedure on the ulnar nerve in his right elbow earlier this week, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The procedure was to help with inflammation surrounding the nerve in Miller's elbow. He started the season strong with five scoreless outings, but he has taken the loss in two of his last four appearances, giving up five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two across three innings over that span. Miller was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday, and he is eligible to return in late May.

Bachman (shoulder) threw live batting practice Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Bachman began throwing off a mound May 7, and Friday marks another major step in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. The 24-year-old righty will almost certainly require a lengthy rehab assignment before the Angels think about adding him to their rotation, though the team has not yet specified when his assignment will start.

The Astros recalled Mushinski from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday.

Since being optioned to Triple-A on April 12, Mushinski has appeared in 12 games for Sugar Land, registering a 4.15 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 13 frames. The southpaw has not yielded a run over his last six minor-league outings, and he'll provide left-handed depth out of the bullpen for Houston. The Astros optioned right-hander Shawn Dubin to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.