MLB Player News

Hjelle pitched the bulk of the innings for San Francisco in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader in Milwaukee, allowing one run on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out six in five innings in a 4-2 loss. He did not factor into the decision.

Alex Young was the opener for the Giants but was unable to complete the first inning, and Hjelle entered with two outs and Milwaukee already leading 3-0. He scattered three singles and two walks and was removed in the sixth with two outs after hitting Luis Urias -- who later came around to score. It was Hjelle's fourth and best outing in the majors this season, and he now has a 5.73 ERA through 14 innings. He served as San Francisco's 29th man for the doubleheader and is likely to make his next start for Triple-A Sacramento.

Leiter (2-7) allowed two runs on two hits while retiring just two batters to take the loss Thursday against the Reds. He walked one and struck out one.

Leiter has had a rough go of things in terms of record, but he's been pitching pretty well lately. Coming into Thursday, the righty had a 1.69 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 16 innings since the beginning of August. Leiter should stick in a prominent bullpen role for the Cubs, though his fantasy value will remain capped unless he can begin turning some of the losses into wins.

Williams picked up the save in one perfect inning to close out Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Giants.

Williams has seized his opportunity to occupy the closer role since Josh Hader was traded to San Diego; aside from allowing one earned run in back-to-back outings in late August, Williams has been blemish free in his last 14 appearances. In addition, the 27-year-old has not allowed a hit in 10 of his last 13 outings.

Johnson (elbow) pitched on one day of rest Tuesday, striking out one batter in one inning for Triple-A El Paso.

This was Johnson's sixth appearance since he kicked off a rehab stint with the Padres' ACL affiliate Aug. 23. The righty reliever has allowed only one run over six innings during that stretch while compiling a 7:0 K:BB. Tuesday was the first time he has pitched on one day of rest, and the Associated Press reports that throwing on back-to-back days could be Johnson's final step before he's activated from the 60-day IL.

Junis (4-5) took the loss Thursday against the Brewers after he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings.

The right-hander allowed two doubles - one of which drove in a run off the bat of Christian Yelich - while covering the second through seventh innings behind opener Scott Alexander. Junis has posted a 6.03 ERA in 34.1 innings across his last seven outings, allowing six runs in two of those appearances. This is just the third time the 29-year-old has pitched six innings or more in his last nine games.

Martinez earned a hold against Arizona on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters in one inning.

With San Diego up by two runs in the eighth inning, Martinez was summoned from the bullpen, and he worked around a two-out single to preserve the lead. Notably, Josh Hader got the ball in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his 31st save. Hader had been removed from the closer role in late August due to a series of rough outings, but he's notched each of the Padres' past two saves while Martinez hasn't picked up a save since Aug. 30. That's probably enough to expect Hader to get most of the closing opportunities moving forward, though Martinez has earned manager Bob Melvin's trust and could still see an occasional save chance.

Diaz (6-2) earned the win in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Cubs. He allowed one run on one hit and zero walks while striking out three over 1.2 innings.

Diaz entered the game with one out in the seventh inning down 2-1 and struck out the two batters he faced. He stuck around for the eighth inning after the Reds the game 2-2, and he surrendered a one-out solo shot off the bat of Seiya Suzuki before retiring the next two batters. Cincinnati went on to score two in the ninth to earn Diaz his sixth win in what was a back-and-forth finish to the game. Despite the hiccup, Diaz still owns a dazzling 1.83 ERA and 0.94 WHIP and remains the Reds' primary closer down the stretch.

Young will start the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Brewers, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Young's first 17 major-league appearances of the season have come out of the bullpen, and he's posted a 2.40 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 15 innings. He'll likely serve as an opener for Thursday's nightcap since he doesn't tend to last very long in his relief outings. Sean Hjelle should be available to serve as a bulk reliever after he was called up as the 29th man for the twin bill.

Phillips (6-3) earned the win over San Francisco on Wednesday, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two batters over 1.1 innings.

Phillips entered a tie game with two outs in the seventh inning and began his outing with a walk before notching a strikeout to end the frame. The right-hander allowed two more hitters to reach base in the eighth but used a timely double play to escape without allowing a run. He picked up the win as a result of Los Angeles scoring four times in the bottom of the frame. Phillips has been arguably the Dodgers' most effective reliever this season, posting a 1.35 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 61:14 K:BB over 53.1 innings while registering six wins, two saves and 17 holds.

Topa was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to serve as the 29th man for Thursday's doubleheader against the Giants.

Topa was sent down in mid-August after being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, but he'll join the big-league club for its doubleheader against San Francisco. The right-hander has posted a 3.71 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 17 innings over 15 relief appearances at Nashville this year and should serve as an extra arm in Milwaukee's bullpen Thursday.