MLB Player News

Holton was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Holton had his contract selected earlier in the day but didn't even last a full 24 hours on the major-league roster. He did get to make his big-league debut, striking out one batter while allowing two hits in a scoreless inning of relief against the Cardinals.

Melancon was placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons Friday.

The Diamondbacks declined to specify both the reason for Melancon's absence and which injured list he'd been placed on, which is the pattern teams have used when a player lands on the COVID-19 injured list. Whether or not Melancon has tested positive for the virus himself is unclear. If he has, he could miss over a week, but it's also possible he's merely a close contact or is dealing with the symptoms of an unrelated illness. Ian Kennedy could see save chances while Melancon is unavailable, as could lefty Joe Mantiply, the only Diamondback other than Melancon to record a save this season.

Leone was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday after he tested positive for the virus, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Leone has made nine relief appearances for the Giants this year, and he's earned a save and two holds while posting a 2.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in seven innings. He's vaccinated and boosted and will be eligible to rejoin the club as soon as he clears the league's health and safety protocols.

VerHagen (hip) could return from the 10-day injured list as early as Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

VerHagen will throw a side session Saturday, and he'll likely be cleared to rejoin the Cardinals following a minimal stay on the IL as long as he feels good after throwing. The right-hander posted a 5.79 ERA and 1.93 WHIP in 4.2 innings over his first three appearances in 2022.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Gonzalez (elbow) could join the big club in mid-to-late May, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Gonzalez has yet to pitch in a game this season due to inflammation in his left elbow that first cropped up in spring training. The left-hander is expected to start a rehab assignment soon and has recently been tossing bullpen sessions.

Kranick (forearm) allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two across three innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

This was Kranick's second rehab outing with Indianapolis and his longest appearance of the season as he works his way back from a forearm strain he sustained during the lockout. The 24-year-old made his major-league debut in 2021 but struggled to a 6.28 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP across 38.2 innings. He is likely to remain in Triple-A after being activated from the injured list, but given the current state of the Pirates' starting staff, Kranick could be called upon to enter the big-league rotation at some point this season.

Hudson (2-1) earned the win over Arizona on Thursday, pitching six scoreless innings during which he allowed one hit and three walks while striking out four.

Hudson's control was shaky in the outing, as he threw only 46 of 84 pitches for strikes. However, the right-hander made up for his three free passes by allowing only one hit and keeping the Diamondbacks off the scoreboard for six innings. This was Hudson's second straight impressive win, and he allowed just three hits with an 8:7 K:BB over 12.2 scoreless frames in those outings. The walks may catch up to him eventually, but for now Hudson is rolling, and he'll look to keep the momentum going when he faces Kansas City next week.

Sulser struck out two and allowed a walk across a scoreless 1.1 innings to earn the save Thursday against Washington.

Sulser entered the game with a one-run lead in the eighth inning and with runners on first and second. However, he struck out Josh Bell to end the threat and then worked around a leadoff walk in the final frame to record his first save. Anthony Bender has served as the team's primary closer this season, but he pitched on consecutive days and was likely unavailable Thursday as a result. Sulser has pitched well early in 2022, allowing only one earned run across 8.2 innings while maintaining an 8:4 K:BB.

Roberts allowed three runs on four hits in an inning of relief work during Thursday's loss to Atlanta. He struck out two.

Roberts didn't take the loss, as he entered the contest in the eighth inning with the Cubs already trailing, but he didn't help keep his team in the game, either. The righty has nine strikeouts through seven innings this season, but he's otherwise struggled with a 7.71 ERA and 2.00 WHIP. Roberts should remain in a lower-leverage role until he shows a bit more consistency on the mound.

Moreta allowed a run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning during Thursday's loss to the Padres. He's allowed runs on back-to-back days, raising his ERA to 4.50 despite carrying a 0.90 WHIP.

Moreta has hardly been the worst reliever for the Reds, but he's allowed two homers and a double among his five hits allowed. On the bright side, he has 11 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.