MLB Player News

Vesia earned a save against the Cubs on Thursday by striking out the only batter he faced.

Los Angeles turned to Craig Kimbrel with a three-run lead heading into the ninth inning, but the closer stumbled and allowed the winning run to come to the plate. Vesia was then called upon to put out the fire, and he struck out Nelson Velazquez on six pitches to finish off the victory. The save was Vesia's first of the campaign and second of his career. He's not a threat to usurp Kimbrel for closing duties, but the left-hander is putting together a solid season with a 3.12 ERA and seven holds along with 34 strikeouts over 26 innings.

Hoffman did not factor into the decision in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader, allowing zero runs on one hit and zero walks over 1.2 innings against the Pirates. He struck out three.

The Reds were winging it in the nightcap; manager David Bell admitted in the afternoon that he didn't know who would start the second game. It ended up being Hoffman, who retired five of the seven batters he faced before turning things over to the rest of the bullpen. Hoffman has rebounded in a relief role this season (3.15 ERA through 30 total appearances) and will likely remain in the bullpen for the rest of 2022.

Bard earned a save against the Diamondbacks on Thursday, walking one batter in a scoreless inning.

After Colorado took a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Bard was brought in to close the door on the Diamondbacks. The right-hander was a bit shaky with his control -- he threw only eight of 15 pitches for strikes and walked a batter -- but he was able to get through the frame without allowing any damage on the scoreboard. Since his last blown save May 15, Bard has notched eight saves and allowed just three earned runs over 19.1 innings.

Rogers blew the save, allowing a run on a hit and a hit batsman while striking out one in the ninth inning of a 2-1 extra-inning win Thursday against San Francisco. He did not factor into the decision.

Rogers entered the game with the Padres leading 1-0 and hit the first batter he faced. With two outs, Brandon Crawford tied the game with an RBI single. Rogers has allowed runs in four consecutive outings, blowing two saves in that span and raising his season ERA from 2.84 to 3.63. The lefty is now 23-for-28 in save chances.

Wilson (1-5) took the loss in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Reds. He was charged with four runs (one earned) on seven hits and zero walks with four strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

The defense let Wilson down and Cincinnati cashed in with a couple additional runs after he exited the game in the seventh. Despite the loss, this goes down as another step in the right direction -- he now has a 2.13 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in his last two starts spanning 12.2 innings. Wilson still has a long way to go (6.60 ERA, 1.68 WHP at the major-league level this season), and he will be headed out as the designated 27th man for this doubleheader, but the right-hander remains in the mix for starts in the second half.

Graterol was diagnosed with right side soreness after exiting Thursday's game against the Cubs, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Graterol exited his appearance after just four pitches and was seen pointing to his side while being examined by trainers. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the right-hander experienced cramping around his ribs, and he'll undergo some testing to help determine whether a trip to the injured list is necessary. Any absence would put an extensive amount of stress on a Dodgers bullpen that is already missing several high-leverage arms.

Castano (1-2) allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and no walks while striking out two across four innings to take the loss Thursday against the Mets.

Castano got through the first two innings without incident, but he allowed two runs in the third inning and four in the fourth -- the big blow coming on a three-run homer by James McCann. Castano has had an uneven performance since joining the rotation, as he maintained a 2.86 ERA across four starts entering Thursday's game. However, in five total starts this season, Castano has just a 15:9 K:BB across 26 innings.

Graterol exited Thursday's game against the Cubs with an apparent injury to his midsection, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Graterol threw only four pitches before trainers came to check on him. He exited the game and appeared to be gesturing to his midsection or side prior to being pulled. Graterol has been one of the Dodgers' better relievers this season and a potential absence could leave a large gap in high-leverage situations if he is forced to miss additional time.

Littell was recalled by the Giants on Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Jose Alvarez (elbow) was placed on the injured list, creating a need in the bullpen. Littell will fill that void, and he's managed a 4.97 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB across 29 innings with the Giants on the season.

Cabrera (illness) may be reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The left-hander has been on the COVID-19 IL since June 25, and he's poised to rejoin the active roster without requiring a minor-league rehab assignment. Cabrera has a 2.27 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 26:12 K:BB across 31.2 innings this year and should return to a setup role once activated.