MLB Player News

Diaz earned a save against the Dodgers on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning.

Diaz faced a daunting task in going up against Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith with a one-run lead in the ninth inning, but he needed only nine pitches to set the trio down in order. In doing so, he extended his streak of successful save conversions to 19, with his last blown save coming in late May. Over 33 games since that meltdown against the Giants, Diaz has allowed only two runs over 33.2 innings while posting a 66:7 K:BB.

Hader allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Wednesday against the Giants.

Hader was removed from the closer role Aug. 20. Nevertheless, with Nick Martinez unavailable, Hader was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning. After allowing a leadoff single, Hader retired the next three batters to record his 30th save of the campaign and first since July 29. It remains unclear whether this outing will convince the Padres to reinstate Hader as the closer, or if he will have to string together multiple positive performances to see consistent opportunities in the ninth inning once again.

Pallante (6-4) got the win after he pitched three innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out one in Wednesday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Reds.

Pallante entered the game in the bottom of the 11th inning with the score tied, pitching two scoreless frames before the Cardinals busted the game wide open in the top of the 13th. He entered the bottom of the 13th with a 5-2 lead, allowing the baserunner to score from second on a Jake Fraley single before getting the final two outs of the contest. Pallante has now produced a 0.77 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 18 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in his last eight appearances.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Smith (lat) will begin a rehab assignment in the minors Sunday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith has been sidelined since late July with a right lat strain and will likely require at least two appearances in the minors before the Mets are comfortable bringing him back from the 15-day injured list. Prior to being deactivated, Smith collected 14 holds and posted a 3.51 ERA in 41 innings out of the New York bullpen.

Almonte (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte threw off flat ground late last week, and Wednesday's throwing session marks the first time that he's been cleared for mound work since landing on the injured list Aug. 7. It's not yet clear when the right-hander will be able to begin a rehab assignment, but he's made good progress in his recovery over the last few days.

Vesia picked up a hold against the Mets on Tuesday as a result of pitching a scoreless inning. He struck out one batter and issued one walk.

After Los Angeles took the lead in the top of the seventh, Vesia was asked to keep the Mets at bay in the bottom of the frame. He was a bit wild, throwing only eight of 17 pitches for strikes, but worked around a two-out walk to protect the lead. Vesia hasn't allowed a run since July 21. Since that time, he's racked up two wins and six holds while posting a 22:4 K:BB over 14 innings spanning 16 appearances.

The Nationals recalled Abbott from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

Abbott was demoted to Triple-A last week to clear a spot in the rotation for Cade Cavalli, but Abbott will end up reclaiming a starting role after Cavalli was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation. Since the Nationals plan to shut Cavalli down for the next two weeks before he's even cleared to resume throwing, Abbott could be in line for multiple turns through the rotation. Abbott, who owns a 4.74 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 24.2 innings with the big club this season, will be available out of the bullpen Wednesday against the Athletics, but he's expected to slot into the rotation at some point during this weekend's series with the Mets, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.

Vasquez was designated for assignment by the Giants on Wednesday, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.

Vasquez was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Aug. 17 after being DFA'd by the Phillies, but he will once again be placed on waivers. The left-hander appeared in four games with Triple-A Sacramento, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings while striking out six batters. The transaction freed a spot for Andrew Knapp on the Giants' 40-man roster and his contract was selected Wednesday.

Nittoli was traded from the Blue Jays to the Phillies on Wednesday in exchange for Karl Ellison, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Nittoli told the Blue Jays on Sunday he intended to opt out of his minor-league contract, but the team was able to find a trade partner before he hit free agency. The right-hander will be added to the Phillies' major-league roster Thursday after he posted a 3.30 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 46.1 innings over 32 appearances (four starts) at the Triple-A level to begin the year.

Martinez allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Martinez entered with a three-run cushion and gave up a two-run blast to Joc Pederson before closing out the contest. Those were the first runs Martinez has allowed in August -- he entered Tuesday on a 15-inning scoreless streak. The strong pitching has earned him the primary closer gig since Josh Hader was demoted from the role earlier this month. Martinez has played a versatile role this year, pitching to a 3.18 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 82:35 K:BB with eight saves, three holds and a 3-3 record across 93.1 innings through 34 appearances (10 starts). The right-hander can be expected to function as a traditional closer for now, though he also has the ability to cover multiple high-leverage innings as necessary.