MLB Player News

Vesia earned a hold against Arizona on Saturday, allowing one walk and striking out two batters in one scoreless inning.

The left-hander handled the eighth inning for Los Angeles and protected a one-run lead despite issuing a one-out walk. Vesia has seen his high-leverage opportunities increase over the course of the season, and he has secured a hold in five of his past six outings. He's allowed only one run during that span and has held the opponent scoreless in 16 of his 18 appearances on the season.

Stephenson (illness) was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday and allowed two earned runs on two hits in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader loss to the Nationals, which marked his first appearance since being activated.

In his first outing in a week following his stint on the IL, Stephenson served up a two-run home run to Riley Adams in the eighth inning. Stephenson now owns a 5.56 ERA and 1.59 WHIP across 11.1 frames this season, and he will likely continue to occupy a low-leverage role out of the Rockies bullpen.

Davidson (1-2) took the loss Saturday as Atlanta was downed 4-1 by the Marlins, allowing one run on three hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out three.

The lefty tossed 47 of 77 pitches for strikes but once again had trouble putting hitters away, issuing four free passes for the second straight start. Davidson has a 4.26 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and brutal 8:11 K:BB through 12.2 innings over three outings since joining the rotation, and he won't keep that assignment much longer if he can't sharpen his control.

Sulser gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his second save of the season in a 4-1 win over Atlanta.

The right-hander made things interesting, putting two runners aboard with two outs, but Sulser was able to strike out Austin Riley to preserve the victory. The back of the Marlins' bullpen remains a mess, as Anthony Bender (back) is on the shelf and Dylan Floro continues to work in lower-leverage spots despite a streak of five straight scoreless appearance. Remarkably, this was the first save by any Miami reliever in the month of May. Given Sulser's effectiveness this season, his 2.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB through 18 innings might be good enough to earn him further chances in the ninth inning.

Bard struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his 11th save of the season in the second game of a doubleheader against the Nationals.

The right-hander stumbled a bit in the middle of May, but Bard has rebounded to deliver three straight scoreless appearances with a 5:1 K:BB over four innings. He's 11-for-13 in converting save chances on the season, and his 3.12 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and career-best 33.3 percent strikeout rate are all excellent numbers considering his home stadium.

Rogers (0-1) was dealt the loss and blown save during Saturday's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning.

Rogers entered in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead and allowed two early baserunners before permitting a go-ahead three-run home run to Ke'Bryan Hayes. The lefty had allowed only one earned run through 20.1 innings prior to Saturday's blip, and the 31-year-old now possesses a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in addition to an MLB-best 17 saves.

Hudson picked up a save against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning during which he allowed one hit and struck out two.

Hudson found himself in immediate trouble when Ketel Marte led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a double, but the veteran reliever escaped with the save by following with a groundout and two strikeouts. Hudson was granted the save opportunity because regular closer Craig Kimbrel threw 26 pitches Friday and realized that his body "just didn't feel good" Saturday, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Kimbrel is expected to be available Sunday, but with three saves in three opportunities on the campaign, Hudson has shown that he can be an effective option when Kimbrel is unavailable.

Bednar saved Saturday's 4-2 win against the Padres, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

After Pittsburgh took the lead in the top of the ninth inning, Bednar entered for the bottom of the frame and retired the side in order on 12 pitches. It was a nice rebound from Tuesday's loss and the 27-year-old has compiled a strong May that features seven successful save opportunities, a 0.63 ERA, 0.49 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB in 14.1 innings.

Thompson (5-0) earned the win over the White Sox on Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out four.

As has been the case throughout the season so far, Thompson was stingy on the mound against the Cubs' crosstown rivals, allowing only one run over five frames. The right-hander has started in only three of his 11 appearances, but he's logged at least 2.2 innings in every outing and has yet to allow more than two earned runs. In addition to a perfect 5-0 record, Thompson has posted a 1.58 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 35:11 K:BB over 40 innings.

Santillan allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings to earn the save in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

Santillan escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth inning with little trouble before putting more traffic on base in the ninth. He was able to get a little help from his defense, as Joey Bart was thrown out at home on a two-out Wilmer Flores single that would have counted as the game-tying run. Santillan has not given up a run in his last five appearances, logging six scoreless inning with two saves, two holds and a 4:4 K:BB in that span. For the season, he's posted a 4.41 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 18:9 K:BB, three saves, four holds and a blown save across 16.1 innings. As long as he's pitching well, the 25-year-old should remain in the Reds' high-leverage mix as part of a closer committee.