MLB Player News

Wilson was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Wilson served as the 27th man in Thursday's doubleheader and started the nightcap, taking the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) across 6.2 innings. The right-hander has a 6.60 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 35:16 K:BB over 46.1 frames in the majors this year.

Nance was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Nance spent just over two months on the active roster, struggling to a 6.14 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 22 innings of relief. Elieser Hernandez was called up to take his place in the bullpen.

Kelly was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Kelly made his big-league debut in mid-June but has been in the minors for the past couple weeks, and he'll rejoin the big club Friday. The 29-year-old has a 7.33 ERA in 23 outings for Lehigh Valley this year, though he delivered scoreless frames in each of his first two major-league appearances.

Hernandez was recalled by the Marlins on Friday and will pitch out of the bullpen, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hernandez finally had a run of good health this season, but he was demoted in early June after struggling to a 6.75 ERA in 11 appearances. He gave up too much contact, with his strikeout rate dipping to 21.6 percent, and he couldn't keep the ball on the ground, posting a 30.0 percent groundball rate. That combination led to an awful 3.4 HR/9. The Marlins will hope for better results out of the bullpen, where Hernandez could potentially scrap his largely ineffective changeup and lean on his fastball and slider. Tommy Nance was optioned to clear space on the roster.

Kimbrel earned a hold against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning.

With the Dodgers ahead by three runs entering the ninth inning, Kimbrel was brought in to secure the final three outs. He struck out Rafael Ortega and Nico Hoerner to begin the frame, but Chicago then had three straight batters reach base, and Kimbrel was removed in favor of Alex Vesia, who got the final out. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, manager Dave Roberts indicated that Kimbrel was pulled due to his high pitch count (31) and stressful nature of his throws on his second straight day of work, but it's nonetheless concerning that the veteran wasn't allowed to finish off the game, especially considering that he's blown two of his past three save chances and recently sat out a pair of games due to a back issue.

Diaz (biceps) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Diaz will make his return Friday as expected, rejoining the team after missing a little over three weeks while nursing a biceps injury. The reliever owns a 2.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 36 punchouts and two saves over 30 innings in 27 appearances this season. Diaz should work his way back into a high-leverage role pretty quickly, potentially contending for saves given Hunter Strickland's recent struggles.

Garcia (1-3) allowed an unearned run on two hits and an intentional walk without retiring a batter Thursday, taking an extra-inning loss versus the Padres.

Garcia walked Austin Nola in the bottom of the 10th inning, then allowed back-to-back singles to Trent Grisham and Jorge Alfaro to end the game. Since the start of June, Garcia has given up 10 runs (seven earned) in 12.1 innings, recording two losses, a blown save and a hold in that span. The southpaw retains a respectable 2.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 21:10 K:BB through 29.1 innings, but his 4.02 FIP indicates he's been lucky to perform so well through the first half of the year.

Gallegoes allowed a run on one hit and struck out two in one inning during Thursday's extra-innings win over Atlanta. He was charged with a blown save.

Gallegos pitched the seventh inning and allowed a game-tying solo shot to rookie Michael Harris. This was officially Gallegos' second blown save in his last five outings, though he's seen more of the closing duties given to Ryan Helsley lately. Gallegos has a 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 39:9 K:BB, nine saves, five holds and five blown saves through 32 innings this season. Both of the Cardinals' top relievers have had limited save opportunities lately with the team struggling through a 7-10 stretch.

Helsley (5-1) allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 2.1 innings to earn the extra-innings win over Atlanta on Thursday.

Helsley got out of a jam created by Junior Fernandez in the eighth inning and then worked two more frames. Helsley wasn't able to finish off the game in the 10th, as Matt Olson tagged him for a game-tying single, but the Cardinals took the lead in the 11th and Packy Naughton converted the save. In his last five outings, Helsley has picked up three wins, one loss, one save and one blown save, as the Cardinals' struggles of late have limited his closing opportunities. He has a 0.77 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 53:12 K:BB with six saves, five holds and three blown saves across 35 innings this year.

Naughton pitched a perfect 11th inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Naughton was shaky in his previous stints in the majors this year, but he's allowed just one run, two hits and three walks in seven innings across six appearances since his June 24 recall. With the Cardinals exhausting their top high-leverage arms earlier in Thursday's contest, Naughton got the call to protect a one-run lead, and he delivered. He now has a 3.98 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB across 20.1 innings, and he's added a hold and an 0-2 record through 15 appearances (three starts). The southpaw likely won't contend for many high-leverage chances, but he's building up some trust with his recent success.