MLB Player News

Hand (elbow) thew a 25-pitch bullpen session Monday and is scheduled to face live hitters Wednesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It is beginning to look more and more like Hand will rejoin the Phillies for their wild-card series, assuming they maintain their position in the standings. Hand hasn't pitched since Sept. 20, when he gave up three earned runs over just one-third of an inning against Toronto.

Gallegos signed a two-year contract extension with the Cardinals on Monday.

Gallegos has performed well as a high-leverage reliever for the Cardinals over the last two seasons, converting 28 of 42 save chances with 36 holds while posting a 2.98 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 139 innings over 129 relief appearances. The right-hander will remain in St. Louis for at least two more seasons and should factor into the team's late-inning mix once again in 2023. His extension includes a club option for the 2025 season.

The Pirates recalled Mears from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Starting pitcher Luis Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A to open up a spot on the 28-man active roster for Mears, who will be available out of the bullpen over the Bucs' final three games of the season. Mears has missed most of the season while recovering from arthroscopic elbow surgery, but he's been healthy since late July and was pitching regularly out of the Triple-A bullpen prior to his promotion. Over his final nine outings at Triple-A, Mears allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out nine over 12.1 innings.

Hudson is scheduled to start Tuesday's game in Pittsburgh, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on Sept. 21, Hudson has made one three-inning appearance out of the bullpen, which came back on Sept. 24. He's likely kept himself stretched out through side sessions and simulated games, so he should be in store for a relatively normal start despite his prolonged idle period. If Hudson performs well Tuesday, he could have a case for a spot in the Cardinals' bullpen during the postseason.

Brebbia will serve as the opener for Monday's game versus the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Brebbia will make his 10th appearance as a starter this season. His last outing came out of the bullpen, and he failed to record an out while giving up two runs on three hits versus the Rockies on Thursday. Brebbia is unlikely to cover more than an inning Monday and will likely give way to a bulk reliever, with Sean Hjelle the most logical choice to follow him.

Thompson allowed a run on one hit and struck out three over 2.1 innings during Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Pirates.

Thompson has been effective in a middle-relief role since he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Aug. 27. In nine appearances since that date, he's allowed two runs, six hits and six walks while striking out 11 over 12 innings. The southpaw has been an effective part of the Cardinals' bullpen throughout the year with a 2.12 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 27:13 K:BB in 34 innings across 21 appearances (one start). His ability to handle multi-inning assignments should give him a path to the postseason roster.

Romero has allowed at least one run in four of his last eight appearances.

Romero was called up to the Cardinals on Aug. 19 and logged six scoreless innings in his first five appearances with the team. Since then, he's given up six runs across 6.1 innings in his last eight outings. The 26-year-old southpaw has a 5.65 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB through 14.1 innings between the Cardinals and the Phillies this year, working exclusively as a low-leverage option.

Jansen saved Sunday's 5-3 win against the Mets, tossing a perfect ninth inning.

With Atlanta possessing a tight lead over their divisional rivals for the third straight night, manager Brian Snitker turned to Jansen, who once again delivered. The 35-year-old recorded three quick outs on seven pitches -- all of them strikes -- and has now converted seven straight save opportunities, permitting just one earned run while striking out 14 during the 10-inning stretch. Jansen reached 40 saves for the fourth time in his career and first since 2017, and he ranks one behind Emmanuel Clase for the MLB lead.

Bard saved Sunday's 4-1 win against the Dodgers, allowing two hits while striking out six in two scoreless innings.

Bard entered a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth and struck out three after the first two batters reached on a hit and error. Colorado added two runs in the top of the ninth, and manager Bud Black opted to stick with the veteran for the bottom of the frame, when Bard struck out three more while permitting a one-out Justin Turner single. In total, Bard fired 27 of 35 pitches for strikes with eight of the swinging variety. The scoreless outing extends Bard's streak to 14 innings without an earned run, lowering his ERA and WHIP to 1.82 and 0.99.

Scott picked up the save Sunday in Milwaukee, striking out two and walking one in a scoreless 12th inning in a 4-3 extra-innings victory.

Scott allowed a one-out walk before retiring the last two batters to earn his 20th save of the season. Dylan Floro blew a save in the ninth, resulting in Scott being given the chance to convert his first save since Aug. 23. It's been a difficult second half for the 28-year-old as he has a 5.09 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 33:19 K:BB in 23 innings across 24 outings. Floro will likely be called upon first in any remaining save opportunities.