MLB Player News

Lawrence got charged with five runs (four earned) on five hits in only one-third of an inning Friday against the Rays.

He wasn't fooling anyone, and most of the balls Tampa Bay batters put in play against Lawrence seemed to find holes. He avoided a blown save only because he entered the game to protect a four-run lead, and Lawrence was taken off the hook for a loss by a Ryan McMahon walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. The 29-year-old right-hander is still viewed as the nominal favorite to get saves for the Rockies, but performances like this won't help his tenuous job security.

Alzolay earned the save in Friday's 9-7 win over the Dodgers, working around two hits in a scoreless inning.

Alzolay allowed back-to-back singles to Freddie Freeman and Will Smith to open the ninth inning, but he'd rebound to set down the next three batters and grab his first save of the year. After allowing a run in his first appearance this season, Alzolay's responded with three scoreless outings, striking out four in that span. He should remain the primary closing option in Chicago after he converted 22 of 25 save chances last year while posting a career-best 2.67 ERA over 64 innings.

Junis has been dealing with a shoulder issue since his last start Tuesday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said the team is still waiting for imaging results to come back on Junis' shoulder, which will offer more information on whether or not the right-hander will be able to make his next start -- tentatively scheduled for Monday versus the Reds. Should Junis miss his turn through the rotation, Aaron Ashby will come up from Triple-A Nashville to take his place.

Tonkin was designated for assignment by the Mets on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 26-man and 40-man rosters for Julio Teheran. Tonkin allowed eight runs (two earned) over four innings covering three relief appearances with the Mets. There would seem to be a good chance the 34-year-old passes through waivers unclaimed.

Jackson (back) is currently throwing from 90 feet, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Jackson will be reevaluated Friday to see if he's ready to begin throwing off a mound. The reliever suffered a lower-back strain Opening Day and will be eligible to return next weekend, although it's not clear at this point whether he'll be ready at that time.

Hjelle (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A San Jose on Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Hjelle is slated for one relief inning in what will be his first game appearance since he was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his pitching elbow back in early March. The Giants likely want to build Hjelle up for a long relief role, so he figures to require a handful of rehab appearances.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Treinen (chest) is "weeks" away from a return, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Treinen began a throwing program nearly a week ago after suffering a bruised lung when he was struck in the chest by a comebacker in early March. Because he was shut down for so long, he will need time to ramp things back up. A timeline for the veteran reliever should become clear once he's throwing off a mound again.

Garrett (1-0) picked up the win in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers, giving up two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four.

After Jose Butto tossed one-run ball over six innings, Garrett saved a Mets bullpen that had been taxed in the matinee by working the rest of the game, and he got rewarded for his efforts when New York finally pushed two runs across in the ninth. It's only the second big-league win of Garrett's career in 32 appearances, and his 6.65 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in 47.1 innings don't make a strong case for anything more than a low-leverage role. Despite Thursday's performance, the 31-year-old seems likely to get booted off the 26-man roster when the Mets next have a need for a fresh arm.

Bender gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning Thursday to collect his second hold of the season in a loss to the Cardinals.

The right-hander has been arguably the Marlins' most reliable reliever so far, posting a 6:1 K:BB through 3.2 innings and getting scored upon in only one of his four appearances. By contrast, closer Tanner Scott has a 5:6 K:BB in 3.0 innings, and Andrew Nardi has an ERA of 21.60 and has given up multiple runs in three of his four appearances. Bender's usage Thursday doesn't suggest he's in the closing mix at the moment, but if Scott and Nardi continue to struggle, that could change by the time Miami -- 0-8 to begin the season -- starts having late leads to protect.

Gibaut (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Dayton on Friday.

Gibaut missed all of spring training with a strained forearm but has been cleared for game action. He is eligible for activation April 9, but he might not be ready by then.