MLB Player News

Helsley issued one walk, struck out one and did not give up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in a 2-1 victory over the Pirates on Friday.

Helsley closed out the one-run game thanks in part to some excellent defense behind him. With a runner on first and two out, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt made an incredible running catch on a pop up by Miguel Andujar in foul territory that saw him crash into the netting. Helsley has a superb 1.26 ERA this season and could reach the 20-save mark for the first time in his career depending on how the Cardinals decide to manage his rest in the final week of the regular season.

Szapucki (hip) struck out two in a perfect inning Friday versus the Diamondbacks.

Szapucki hadn't pitched since Sept. 24 after exiting his last appearance with hip tightness. Friday marked his first clean outing this year, though his season-long numbers remain skewed by his lone appearance with the Mets in May in which he allowed nine runs in 1.1 innings versus the Giants. He has given up three runs in 11.2 innings across nine outings over two stints in the big leagues with the Giants since he was included in the Darin Ruf trade at the deadline.

Treinen (shoulder) played catch Friday and manager Dave Roberts said he's getting closer to throwing off a mound again, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

There is still no word on how soon Treinen will be able to return, but chances are that he will miss at least the beginning of the postseason. He's been sidelined with shoulder issues for the vast majority of the season and hasn't made an appearance since the beginning of September.

Yates (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Yates has been sidelined since mid-September due to right elbow inflammation but has been optimistic he'll be able to return this season. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available for the playoffs, but he's trending in the right direction and would likely be able to have a relatively normal offseason, even if he isn't cleared to return to game action.

Johnson (1-2) took the loss and was charged with a blown save against the Dodgers on Thursday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two batters over two-thirds of an inning.

San Diego held a one-run lead when Johnson entered in the sixth inning, but he surrendered a hit to each of the first three batters he faced to allow Los Angeles to tie the score. The righty nearly got out of the frame without further damage, but a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Miguel Vargas put the Dodgers ahead and resulted in Johnson's departure. It was the second time this season Johnson has allowed three runs in an appearance, though he's held the opponent scoreless in each of his other 11 outings.

Vesia earned a hold over San Diego on Thursday by retiring both batters he faced, including one by strikeout.

After Chris Martin allowed two of the three batters he faced to reach base in the eighth inning, Vesia entered and got two outs to preserve Los Angeles' 5-2 lead. The scoreless outing was Vesia's 25th over his past 26 appearances. Over that stretch, he's posted a 38:9 K:BB while allowing just one run over 24 innings.

Nance (1-3) earned the win in Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Brewers. He did not allow a run on one hit while striking out one over one inning.

Nance allowed only a double from Tyrone Taylor in his return from the 15-day injured list (groin). The righty has been awesome during his last 12 outings, recording a 2.13 ERA over 12.2 innings. In addition, the 31-year-old has only allowed one baserunner over 2.2 innings during his last three appearances.

Manaea did not factor into the decision Thursday versus the Dodgers, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three and walking none in four innings.

Manaea worked behind an opener Thursday, and the role appeared to suit him well. He'd given up five runs across his previous 8.2 innings entering the contest, but he had better results this time despite throwing only 38 of 62 pitches for strikes. The southpaw has a 5.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 150:49 K:BB across 152 innings through 29 outings this year, though his second-half struggles likely mean he'll operate out of the bullpen during the Padres' playoff run. He's tentatively set for one more regular-season outing next week versus the Giants.

Doval retired the only batter he faced to earn the save in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Rockies.

Jharel Cotton and John Brebbia both struggled in the ninth inning, but Doval was able to escape with a save when he got Ezequiel Tovar to ground out. Considering Doval had allowed a run in each of his last two outings, this was a positive showing. He's up to 27 saves in 30 attempts while maintaining a 2.57 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 80:30 K:BB through 66.2 innings this year.

Floro picked up the save Thursday against the Brewers. He allowed one walk and no hits with one punchout in a scoreless inning.

Floro has emerged as Miami's top option in the ninth inning recently and Thursday was no exception. He entered the game up 4-2 in the ninth and worked around a walk to record his ninth save of the season. Over his last 10 appearances dating back to Sept. 9, Floro has recorded six saves while allowing just one earned run over 9.1 innings.