MLB Player News

Poulin will serve as the opening pitcher in Saturday's game against the Yankees, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Poulin will receive his 11th opening assignment of the season and will likely remain in the game for an inning or two before turning the game over to bulk reliever Miles Mikolas. Poulin has given up just two runs in 10.1 innings since coming up from the minors in mid-June and carries a 2.83 ERA through 35 frames on the year.

The Pirates designated Sanders for assignment Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

A day after losing his place on the active roster, Sanders will now also be removed from the 40-man to help create space for new acquisitions Brandon Eisert and Jacob Gonzalez. Sanders has struggled in the big leagues up to this point but owns a 2.96 ERA through 24.1 innings in the minors, which could draw interest on the waiver wire from bullpen-needy teams.

O'Brien retired all three batters he faced with two strikeouts to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win against Atlanta.

O'Brien needed just 12 pitches to retire the side in order and convert his 10th consecutive save opportunity. That brings the right-hander up to 23 saves on the season, moving him back into a three-way tie with Mason Miller and Jhoan Duran for the National League lead. While he has not blown a save since mid-May, O'Brien surrendered six runs with a 7:7 K:BB across 10 appearances in June. He finished the month with three straight scoreless outings and has followed up with three more clean appearances to begin July.

Kilian (2-5) allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while failing to record an out, taking the loss and a blown save in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies.

Kilian has three blown saves this season, and two have come during a six-appearance stretch in which he's allowed nine runs over 4.2 innings. The reliever's hold on the closing job for the Giants is likely weakening with each poor performance. He's now at a 4.74 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 47:18 K:BB through 38 innings this season while converting eight of 11 save chances and adding three holds. Given the Giants' poor placement in the standings, trusting Kilian or other relievers on the team for steady save chances is a risky fantasy strategy.

Romano allowed a run on one hit and three walks over two-thirds of an inning in Friday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Romano was brought in to close out the game after the Rockies took the lead in the eighth inning. He couldn't get the job done, and Juan Mejia ultimately got the final out after Romano left the bases loaded. This was the first run Romano has allowed in four outings with the Rockies. He has a 7.71 ERA, 2.14 WHIP and 17:10 K:BB through 11.2 innings between the Rockies and the Angels, but he's also collected six saves and a hold. Romano is in the mix as part of Colorado's convoluted closer committee -- he's earned two of the team's three most recent saves, but no reliever on the roster has more than four saves all season.

Mejia retired the only batter he faced to earn the save in Friday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Jordan Romano initially got the save chance, but he put four of the six batters he faced on base. Mejia inherited a bases-loaded situation and got Bryce Eldridge to ground out, ending the threat. This was Mejia's first save since May 18 versus the Rangers, and after some bumpy performances in late May and early June, he's seen his high-leverage opportunities decrease. The reliever has a 5.74 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB through 42.1 innings this season, and he's added four saves and six holds.

Gordon allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out one over five innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Friday.

Gordon didn't have a great outing, but he was good enough to limit damage. Just two of the Giants' eight hits off him went for extra bases -- a solo home run by Rafael Devers and a double by Drew Gilbert. Gordon had allowed five homers and 10 runs over his last 10 innings coming into Friday. The right-hander is now at a 6.44 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 47:11 K:BB through 50.1 innings across 12 games (five starts) this season.

Morgan (knee) began a throwing progression this week, per MLB.com.

Morgan has been on the IL since late June due to soreness in his left knee. The righty reliever had been pitching pretty well prior to getting hurt, posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with an 11:2 K:BB over 8.2 innings spanning seven appearances since the calendar flipped to June. Morgan isn't expected to return to San Diego by the All-Star break, but he could be activated before the end of July.

Diaz (elbow) threw live batting practice Wednesday and is approaching a minor-league rehab assignment, per MLB.com.

The live BP was Diaz's second over a four-day span and marked another step forward in his recovery from the elbow surgery he underwent in late April. The expectation remains that Diaz will need to embark on a rehab stint before being activated from the 60-day IL, but even so he appears in line to return to the Dodgers' bullpen not long after the All-Star break.

The White Sox traded Eisert and Jacob Gonzalez to the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league reliever Jaden Woods and the 34th pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Eisert has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues this season, logging a 5.93 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 27.1 innings with the White Sox. Unless a change of scenery sparks a significant turnaround, the 28-year-old southpaw is likely to remain in a middle-relief role with the Pirates.