MLB Player News

Bukauskas (2-2) struck out two over a perfect seventh inning and was the winning pitcher in Tuesday's 11-6 win over the Pirates.

Bukauskas was the beneficiary of Arizona's eight-run seventh inning, but he was impressive nonetheless, using his entire repertoire to dispatch Pittsburgh on 14 pitches (10 strikes). Both of his post-break outings have been scoreless. The Diamondbacks will be giving Bukauskas plenty of chances over the final months to chisel away at a 7.98 ERA.

Smith gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 19th save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Padres.

The veteran lefty did give up a two-out double to Wil Myers, but he got Victor Caratini to ground out to end the threat. Smith has converted three straight save chances and eight of his last nine dating back to June 13, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB through 14 innings over that stretch.

Hand recorded the save Tuesday against the Marlins after tossing a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one.

Hand closed the door on a potential comeback attempt by the Marlins with a strong outing, as he needed just 14 pitches (nine strikes) to get the job done in the top of the ninth. The southpaw has been one of the best late-inning relievers in all of baseball, going 20-for-23 in save chances. He also owns a 2.54 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a 9.2 K/9 through 39 innings (37 appearances) on the season.

Finnegan (4-2) earned the win Tuesday against the Yankees after pitching a scoreless inning in relief.

Finnegan entered the game in the seventh inning and was both effective and dominant, needing just seven pitches (six strikes) to retire the side even though he didn't record a single strikeout. The right-hander bounced back from an ugly outing against the Padres last week, but it's worth noting he has six scoreless appearances over his last seven trips to the mound. He owns a 3.82 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP across 35.1 innings on the season.

Rogers (1-1) blew the save and took the loss against the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks without retiring a batter.

With San Francisco clinging to a one-run lead into the late innings, the Giants opted to use Jake McGee in a setup role in the eighth and turn to Rogers to close the game out in the ninth. The move backfired, as McGee pitched a perfect frame while Rogers imploded for the loss. The right-hander threw only three of 11 pitches for strikes and walked the first two batters he faced before Will Smith walked it off with a three-run blast to left field. Despite the letdown, Rogers is unlikely to lose his manager's confidence, as he has racked up 17 holds and 10 saves this season while posting a strong 2.05 ERA.

Reyes (5-4) allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one across a third of an inning to blow the save and take the loss Tuesday against the Cubs.

The Cardinals entered the ninth inning with a 6-1 lead, so Luis Garcia began the inning on the mound. However, he was relieved by Reyes after loading the bases. Reyes failed to get the game back on track, walking two of the first three batters he faced prior to allowing a single and a double to blow the lead. This marks his first blown save this season, though he's now allowed six earned runs across his last four innings (five appearances). On the campaign, Reyes still has a 2.06 ERA, but he has walked 37 batters across only 43.2 frames.

Kimbrel struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Kimbrel was handed a one-run lead after the Cubs scored six runs in a massive ninth-inning rally. He had no issue locking in the victory and needed only 13 pitches to record his 22nd save of the season. Kimbrel has been excellent to this point in the campaign, maintaining a 0.52 ERA and striking out 60 across 34.2 frames.

Uceta (back) was activated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander landed on the shelf with a back strain July 10, and he'll head to the minors now that he's healthy. Uceta has struggled in 11 outings for the Dodgers, putting together an 8.10 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 18:11 K:BB over 16.2 innings.

Lambert (elbow) will face live hitters Friday in Los Angeles, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Lambert has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in July 2020. This latest news mark the most encouraging update yet for the right-hander, as it signals that he could be ready for a minor-league rehab assignment in the near future. If Lambert continues to progress well, he could become an option to pitch for the big club during the season's final month.

Nelson (back) pitched off a mound at Dodger Stadium on Monday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Monday marked the first time Nelson has thrown off a mound since going on the injured list with a left lumbar strain July 9. Though there had been optimism that the right-hander could return to the active roster early this week, it now appears that he'll need more time before he's ready to rejoin the big club.