MLB Player News

Hader clinched the save Sunday against the Cardinals after tossing a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two.

The star reliever delivered a clean inning to record the 100th save of his career. Hader has been outstanding to begin the year, going 4-for-4 in save chances while striking out 40 percent of the batters he's faced. He owns a 3.0 K/BB and should remain one of the most dominant relievers in the National League as long as he remains healthy.

Arano gave up a hit and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning Sunday to record his first hold of the season in a loss to the Pirates.

The 27-year-old right-hander took over for Patrick Corbin in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out, and while Arano allowed two of those inherited runners to score, his own line remained clean. He hadn't pitched in the majors since 2019 prior to breaking camp in the Nationals' bullpen, but he's put together a strong start to the year with a 2.84 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 10:0 K:BB through 6.1 innings. With roles in the Washington 'pen still in flux, Arano could work his way into a consistent setup gig before long.

Robertson earned the save Sunday against Colorado after tossing a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one.

Robertson has been excellent so far for Chicago and he's yet to give up a run through four appearances while going 3-for-3 in save chances. He's yet to give up a hit since Opening Day.

Melancon noted a mechanical adjustment following last Saturday's win over the Mets in which he recorded a save, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

With the help of pitching coach Brent Strom and physical therapist Ben Hagar, Melancon made a change with his "hip hinge," per Strom. "Instead of (his right knee) just being straight and falling, he would get into his back leg and that helped create a little bit better power through the middle of the body, which then works its way up the chain and helped his cutter a great deal, which was evident in (Saturday's) game." The reliever, who struck out two over a clean inning Saturday, had the best of his four outings. Melancon had a rough Cactus League, which he attributed to toying with new grips of some pitches. It's unclear if those spring training struggles may have also been due to shifting mechanics.

Hudson (0-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits in two walks in three innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Brewers. He struck out two.

The Brewers did most of their damage in the first inning, plating three runs. Albert Pujols tied the game with a three-run home run in the third, but Hudson got back into trouble in the fourth. T.J. McFarland then allowed an inherited runner to score the tiebreaking run, which left Hudson with the loss when the Cardinals failed to pull even again. The right-hander has been shaky through two starts, allowing seven runs (six earned) in seven innings with a 6:2 K:BB. He lines up to make his next start versus the Reds next weekend.

Rogers saved Sunday's 2-1 victory over Atlanta, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Rogers was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning and made quick work of the heart of Atlanta's order to lock down his fourth save in as many appearances. The 31-year-old has acclimated well to his new team, submitting four scoreless innings with one hit allowed compared to five strikeouts.

Bednar walked one batter and struck out another in a scoreless ninth inning Sunday, earning a save over the Nationals.

Bednar earned his first hold Saturday and picked up his first save Sunday. The 27-year-old Pittsburgh native issued a one-out walk to Juan Soto but finished off the 5-3 victory with relative ease. He's opened the season with a 4.2-inning shutout streak and could start carving out a larger share of the closing duties if he continues to perform at this level.

Hernandez (1-1) earned the win and struck out five in six innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk in an 11-3 win Sunday over Philadelphia.

The lone run scored against Hernandez was a fifth-inning homer by Bryce Harper. Otherwise, he scattered four singles, a walk and a hit batsman and stayed out of trouble. After a rough first start, the 27-year-old regained his command and held the Phillies' lineup in check. His next scheduled start is Saturday in Atlanta.

Adams (forearm) recently underwent an MRI and is scheduled to receive a second opinion on his injury during the upcoming week, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Adams was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with an official diagnosis of a right forearm strain, but the fact that he's getting a second opinion on the injury suggests that season-ending Tommy John surgery could be on the table for the reliever. Even if Adams is able to avoid a procedure to address the injury, he'll almost certainly be sidelined for more than the minimum 10 days.

The Dodgers optioned Cleavinger to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Los Angeles will swap the left-handed Cleavinger out of its bullpen in exchange for a right-hander in Phil Bickford, who was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move. After earning a spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Cleavinger made only one relief appearance over the team's first eight games.