MLB Player News

Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Ortiz had been with the big-league club for nearly a month. In 10 innings, he struck out 10 batters and walked three while posting a 2.70 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Ranger Suarez (elbow) was activated off the injured list in a corresponding move.

Junis (2-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings Friday versus the Diamondbacks, taking the loss.

Junis got the last two outs of the fifth inning in relief of Ross Stripling, but he couldn't carry that success into the sixth. Arizona pounced for two runs and the Giants couldn't bounce back. Junis has been scored on in five of his nine appearances this season while operating primarily as a long reliever. He's now at a 5.14 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 21:10 K:BB across 21 innings.

Law will be used as an opener again Saturday against the Marlins, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Nick Lodolo was expected to start but was scratched due to a sore calf, so it will be Law on the mound to start and potentially Levi Stoudt who handles the bulk of the innings. Law also opened Thursday's game against the Mets, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout.

Phillips picked up the save in Friday's 4-2 victory over San Diego. He allowed one hit while striking out two over 1.2 scoreless innings. He did not walk a batter.

Phillips has been reliable all season, posting a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across 14 innings. The right-hander has not blown a save this year. The 28-year-old isn't considered among the game's elite closers, but he's a safe bet to get the job done whenever he enters the game.

Robertson walked two and struck out four over 1.2 scoreless innings Friday to record his fourth hold of the season in a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

The veteran right-hander was put in position to try and get a six-out save, but after breezing through the eighth inning Robertson ran out of steam in the ninth, eventually throwing 40 pitches (20 strikes) before he needed Drew Smith to finish things out and collect the save. Given that hefty workload, Robertson likely won't be available for a save chance Saturday should one arise, and he might end up getting Sunday off too. On the season, the 38-year-old is a perfect 7-for-7 in converting save opportunities with a 0.53 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 24:7 K:BB through 17 innings.

Smith struck out the only batter he faced to record his first career save in Friday's 3-2 win over the Nationals.

Manager Buck Showalter didn't want to take any chances once the Mets grabbed the lead in the sixth inning, and after Adam Ottavino worked a scoreless seventh, David Robertson was asked to try and get a six-out save. When Robertson ran out of gas in the ninth inning after throwing 40 pitches, however, Smith was on hand to bail him out. Smith has earned his high-leverage spot with a 1.88 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB through 14.1 innings, collecting two wins and seven holds in 16 appearances along with Friday's save, but he's unlikely to see consistent save opportunities barring an injury to either Robertson or Ottavino.

Chafin allowed two hits and struck out one over one inning to earn a hold in Friday's 7-5 win over San Francisco.

Chafin entered with one out and a runner on in the eighth inning against a string of scheduled lefties. He allowed the inherited runner to score but managed to preserve the lead and got the first batter of the ninth out before Miguel Castro finished the game against right-handed batters. Chafin has been the club's primary closer but has hit a rough patch of late, giving up four runs on seven hits over his last two-plus innings.

Brebbia did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one hit and one walk over a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks. He struck out two.

Brebbia was San Fransisco's opener for the second time this season. The right-hander has a generous 5.52 ERA over just 14.2 innings this season, but he now also has 11 scoreless outings. The 32-year-old has had a couple of bad outings that have marred his overall stats, but he still has value to the Giants in a pinch.

Castro allowed one hit and struck out one over a scoreless two-thirds of an inning to record the save in Friday's 7-5 win over the Giants.

Castro got the call from the bullpen after Andrew Chafin got the first out of the ninth inning. It was Castro's second save of the season. Chafin has been the primary closer, but manager Torey Lovullo had him enter the eighth inning against a string of lefty batters. The sequence hinted at changes Lovullo mused about with Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic. In reaction to a string of adverse relief work, the manager talked about shifting roles and avoiding the overuse of his most trusted arms, like Chafin.

Diaz picked up the save in Friday's 7-4 win over the Marlins, tossing a perfect ninth inning in which he struck out two.

Diaz entered with a three-run lead and retired the side in order, including strikeouts of Jesus Sanchez and Jazz Chisholm. The closer hasn't allowed a run in 12 straight outings (10.1 innings) or blown a save this season. Diaz sports a 2.03 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 26:4 K:BB through 15 games (13.1 innings) and is quickly becoming one of the best late-inning relievers in MLB.