MLB Player News

Smith recorded his first save of the season in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Reds, giving up a run on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning of relief.

Kenley Jansen threw 30 pitches in his Atlanta debut Friday and wasn't available, leaving closing duties in the hands of Smith. The southpaw wasn't exactly sharp, but he did get the job done, which is not a surprising outcome after he racked up 37 saves in 2021. As long as Jansen is healthy, however, Smith will mostly be relegated to setup duties and high-leverage spots earlier in games, limiting his fantasy appeal to leagues that score holds as well as saves.

Bender gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Giants.

After blowing his first save chance of the year Friday, Bender was right back on the mound with a lead on the line the next day, and this time he came through. It's reassuring that manager Don Mattingly didn't lose faith in the right-hander after one outing, and if Bender can keep getting the job done through the first couple weeks of the season, he could wind up keeping the closer role even after Dylan Floro (shoulder) comes off the injured list.

Okert (1-0) picked up the win in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Giants, striking out all four batters he faced.

Facing the team that drafted him back in 2012, Okert took over from Pablo Lopez to begin the sixth inning and put together an outstanding first appearance of the season, getting rewarded with a win when Jesus Sanchez brought home the winning run in the top of the seventh. Okert is coming off his best MLB season in 2021, but his low 90s fastball-slider combination plays best in a situational or middle-relief role, so the 30-year-old southpaw isn't likely to see much high-leverage work.

Roberts pitched one inning, walking one batter in a 9-0 win Saturday over the Brewers.

Roberts made his major-league debut Saturday, pitching against the heart of the Brewers' lineup in the ninth inning of a laugher. The 2018 fourth-round draft pick steadily progressed through the Cubs' farm system, working exclusively in relief. Across three minor-league seasons, the Tennessee Tech alum produced a 3.09 ERA with a 2.3 BB/9 and 9.8 K/9 before earning a spot in the Cubs bullpen this spring.

Bard was credited with the save Saturday against the Dodgers after striking out the side.

Bard entered the game in the ninth with a one-run lead, and while he needed 17 pitches to get the job done, 11 of those pitches went for strikes and he ended up striking out the side. This was clearly a step in the right direction toward Bard working the ninth on a regular basis again.

Estevez (1-0) was credited with the win Saturday against the Dodgers after retiring the only batter he faced.

Estevez entered the game in the eighth inning to replace Alex Colome and was credited with the win after retiring Max Muncy on a flyout to center.

Treinen (0-1) was tagged with the loss in relief Saturday against the Rockies after allowing one run on one hit while fanning three across one inning.

Treinen entered the game in the eighth inning looking to keep the Dodgers in the game, but he gave up the game-winning run on a solo home run from Connor Joe. Treinen is not expected to have lots of save situations as long as Craig Kimbrel is healthy, but he should work as one of the Dodgers' main late-inning arms.

Thompson was ejected from Saturday's game against the Brewers after hitting Andrew McCutchen in the top of the eighth inning, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Thompson threw inside on back-to-back pitches, with the second pitch hitting McCutchen. The incident caused the benches to clear, and Thompson was ejected from the game as a result. Prior to his departure, he allowed no hits and a walk while striking out four in 2.2 scoreless relief innings. While the right-hander was in the mix for a rotation spot this spring, he's taken on a bullpen role early in the year. It's not yet clear whether he'll face discipline from the league following Saturday's game.

Kahnle (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kahnle underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2020 and was rehabbing throughout spring training. While he's on the injured list to begin the 2022 season, he'll start and throw one inning for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Kahnle is expected to be ready to rejoin the Dodgers in 3-5 weeks.

Sims (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville this week, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Sims performed well in his live BP session Friday, and the right-hander will take another step in his recovery process this week. If all goes well in Louisville, manager David Bell is optimistic that Sims could rejoin the Reds as early as next weekend for the team's home series against the Cardinals.