MLB Player News

Bard struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save Sunday against the Mets. He allowed one hit and did not walk a batter.

Bard worked around a Pete Alonso single to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and earn his 27th save on the season. The 37-year-old is now seventh in the majors in saves and well over the 20 he recorded in 2021. He now owns a strong 2.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP on the campaign.

Smith (lat) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The mound session was Smith's first since he was placed on the 15-day injured list July 28 with a right lat strain. He'll likely need to throw at least one more bullpen session before advancing to facing hitters in live batting practice, and then heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Smith still looks on pace to return from the IL at some point in the final three weeks of the regular season, at which point he'll likely step into a middle-relief or setup role out of the Mets bullpen.

Estevez threw a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out two Sunday against the Mets.

Estevez entered in the eighth inning with the Rockies up 1-0 and got Tyler Naquin to fly out to start the inning but surrendered a single to Brett Baty and allowed him to advance to second on a wild pitch. The righty worked out of the trouble by striking out the next two batters to secure his eighth hold of the campaign. He now owns a 3.66 ERA through 46.2 innings this season.

The Pirates activated Stephenson on Sunday.

Since Stephenson doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, the Pirates were required to add him to the 26-man active roster after claiming him off waivers from the Rockies on Saturday. Pittsburgh cleared a spot on the roster for the reliever by placing starter JT Brubaker (personal) on the paternity list. Stephenson should be available out of the bullpen for Sunday's series finale in Philadelphia.

The Rockies placed Gilbreath on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a left elbow flexor strain.

Gilbreath presumably picked up the injury following his most recent relief appearance Friday against the Mets. Colorado reinstated Alex Colome (elbow) from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move, and he'll replace Gilbreath in the bullpen. Gilbreath has been a key part of the bridge to closer Daniel Bard with 12 holds on the season, but his ratios (4.19 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 12.3 K-BB%) haven't been strong enough to keep him on the radar in the majority of fantasy leagues. According to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Gilbreath will undergo an MRI on Monday, which should reveal the extent of his injury while also shedding light on whether surgery will be necessary.

The Rockies reinstated Colome (forearm) from the 15-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Mets.

Colorado placed reliever Lucas Gilbreath (elbow) on the 15-day IL to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster and in the bullpen for Colome, who had been sidelined since Aug. 13 while battling tennis elbow. Colome didn't require a rehab assignment prior to being activated and should settle into a middle-innings or setup role with the Rockies now that he's been deemed healthy.

Martinez earned the save against Kansas City on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter in one scoreless inning.

With the Padres ahead by a run entering the bottom of the ninth inning, manager Bob Melvin turned to Martinez to shut the door in lieu of Josh Hader, who is still being held out of closing situations. Martinez capitalized on the opportunity, working around a two-out infield single to notch his sixth save. Melvin hasn't laid out a specific hierarchy in the current closing committee, but Martinez has notched each of the team's past two saves and hasn't been used in a non-closing situation in over a week. With that in mind, he could be the favorite for saves moving forward, though others will likely get opportunities and Hader is still likely to reclaim the role if he's able to straighten things out.

Beede (1-4) took the loss Saturday, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks over three innings in a 6-0 loss against the Phillies. He struck out five.

Beede surrendered a three-run double to catcher J.T. Realmuto in the first and later allowed a solo homer from outfielder Nick Castellanos. This marks the fifth start of 2022 for the righty, and he has yet to pitch more than four innings. The 29-year-old has allowed 12 runs over 10 innings during his current three-game losing streak.

Diaz earned a save against the Nationals on Saturday, issuing one walk and striking out two batters over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Diaz entered in the eighth inning with the tying run at the plate, and he retired Keibert Ruiz on a groundout to end the frame. The fireballing reliever stayed in for the ninth and had little trouble finishing off the save despite issuing a two-out walk. Diaz has only two saves across his past nine outings, but he appears to be the Reds' primary closer despite the fact that he isn't going to be used exclusively in the ninth inning. He's earned trust in high-leverage situations by posting a 1.82 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 67:24 K:BB over 49.1 innings during his rookie campaign.

Jansen (5-1) took the loss and blown save during Saturday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while recording one out.

Jansen was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning and faltered, inducing a Laars Nootbaar groundout before surrendering five straight baserunners and two runs to be saddled with the loss and blown save. The 34-year-old had converted nine consecutive save opportunities prior to Saturday's blunder and possessed a 1.13 ERA in eight August innings before the hiccup. Jansen owns a 3.40 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 64 strikeouts in 47.2 innings across 48 appearances. He ranks tied for second in the majors with 29 saves.