MLB Player News
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Calvin Faucher RP | MIA
Marlins' Calvin Faucher: Tagged with loss Friday
Faucher (1-2) took the loss Friday against the Brewers, giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk in the 10th inning. He struck out one.
Tasked with protecting a 4-4 tie, Faucher instead loaded the bases with nobody out before a throwing error by Xavier Edwards and then a double by Garrett Mitchell brought all three runners home. Faucher has had a very shaky start to the season, stumbling to a 6.43 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and 11:8 K:BB through eight appearances and seven innings, and he could be slipping into a low-leverage role as a result -- his only hold so far in 2026 came back on April 5.
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Ryan Helsley RP | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Secures sixth save
Helsley walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his sixth save of the season in a 6-4 win over the Guardians.
The right-hander continues to get the job done as the Orioles' closer, and Helsley has converted all six of his save chances to begin the season. Last year's homer issues also have yet to resurface -- after he served up nine long balls over 56 innings in 2025 between the Cardinals and Mets, leading to a 4.50 ERA, Helsley has yet to be taken deep over 8.1 innings in 2026 while producing a 2.16 ERA.
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Kyle Finnegan RP | DET
Tigers' Kyle Finnegan: Continues scoreless start
After tossing a scoreless inning of relief in Friday's 1-0, 10-inning loss to the Red Sox, Finnegan is now up to nine consecutive scoreless appearances this season.
Finnegan has managed to keep the opposition off the board so far this year, but there are some signs for concern. He only has three strikeouts across nine innings and has walked eight batters, which has contributed to a 1.33 WHIP that is a jump up from the 1.11 WHIP he posted for the Nationals and Tigers last year. Finnegan should remain locked into a key setup role for Detroit, though he'll need to flip the strikeouts and walks around if he wants to sustain his early success.
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Dennis Santana RP | PIT
Gregory Soto RP | PIT
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Works ninth inning in win
Santana allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one in the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Rays.
The Pirates were up by two runs at the start of the eighth inning but tacked on two runs in the home half of the frame. That meant Santana didn't work in a save situation, though he's now pitched the ninth inning or 10th inning in six consecutive appearances -- five of which were to end the game. Santana looks to be the Pirates' preferred closing option for the time being, though Gregory Soto will likely mix in occasionally.
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Gregory Soto RP | PIT
Dennis Santana RP | PIT
Pirates' Gregory Soto: Being used in setup role
Soto didn't allow a baserunner across one inning to earn a hold Friday against the Rays.
Soto entered the game in the eighth inning with the Pirates up by two runs. He's remained very sharp all season, allowing only one earned run across 10.2 innings while maintaining a 15:5 K:BB. However, Soto has now pitched in the seventh or eighth inning in five consecutive appearances, suggesting Dennis Santana is the primary option for saves at this point.
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Jose Soriano RP | LAA
Angels' Jose Soriano: Already at five wins
Soriano (5-0) allowed two hits and four walks while striking out eight over 5.2 shutout innings to earn the win Friday over the Padres.
Soriano fell short of a quality start for the first time this season, but he's still picked up a win in all five outings so far. The four walks matched his season high from Opening Day versus the Astros, but that's about the only complaint to be had with his performance. The right-hander has a tiny 0.28 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 39:13 K:BB across 32.2 innings so far. The walk rate is a concern in the long run, but he's consistently shown an ability to limit home runs as a groundball pitcher. He'll see his luck fade at some point, but he looks like the Angels' clear ace early in 2026. Soriano is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Blue Jays.
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Matt Waldron SP | SD
Nick Pivetta RP | SD
Padres' Matt Waldron: Ineffective in season debut
Waldron (0-1) allowed six runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batsman over 3.2 innings Friday, taking the loss versus the Angels. He struck out four.
Waldron missed time due to hemorrhoid surgery in late February. The knuckleballer didn't have success in his major-league season debut as the Angels got to him in the second and fourth innings. The right-hander was limited to just one big-league start in 2025, allowing four runs over 4.2 innings, and he pitched to a 6.67 ERA over 82.1 innings across 18 starts with Triple-A El Paso last year. There's an opening in the Padres' rotation with Nick Pivetta (elbow) on the shelf, but it's not yet clear if Waldron will be the one to fill it on a permanent basis.
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Paul Sewald RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Paul Sewald: Posts seventh save
Sewald struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Sewald's been excellent in save situations this season, pitching seven scoreless innings to come away with seven saves in as many attempts. He's struggled outside of closing duties, allowing three runs (two earned) over 1.1 innings across his three other appearances this season, two of which have resulted in him taking a loss. Overall, he still looks locked in as the Diamondbacks' closer with a 2.16 ERA, 0.48 WHIP and 11:0 K:BB through 8.1 innings.
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Christian Vazquez C | HOU
Kyle Leahy RP | STL
Astros' Christian Vazquez: Homers in loss to St. Louis
Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Cardinals.
Vazquez got the scoring started for the Astros, taking Kyle Leahy deep for a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning. Three solo homers were the extent of the damage against Leahy. Vazquez has made seven starts this season and has at least one hit in all seven, as he's now slashing .400/.438/.733 with two home runs, 10 RBI, five runs scored and a 2:7 BB:K across 33 trips to the plate.
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Tim Mayza RP | PHI
Phillies' Tim Mayza: Two scoreless frames Friday
Mayza allowed one hit and no walks in two scoreless innings Friday against Atlanta.
After giving up three earned runs his last time out versus the Cubs, Mayza got right back on track Friday with his eighth scoreless outing of the season already. While the southpaw has just one hold in 2026, he's proven to be very capable out of the bullpen while posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB through 11 frames.