MLB Player News

Hill earned a hold Thursday versus Miami by retiring the only batter he faced.

The southpaw was brought in to face lefty Magneuris Sierra with two outs in the eighth inning and made quick work of the pinch hitter, getting Sierra to ground out on the first pitch. The outing was Hill's sixth straight without allowing a run or a hit, though he has covered only 3.1 innings over that span. On the season, he has posted a 2.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, one save and 13 holds.

Jansen (1-4) was tagged with the loss and a blown save Thursday against the Giants after giving up four runs on four hits and two walks through two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two.

Jansen has blown his last three save opportunities and it's safe to wonder whether he will continue to be the Dodgers' closer going forward. He was absolutely woeful Thursday and has been struggling of late, giving up eight runs on nine hits and four walks while fanning just three over his last three outings. Even though he has gone 21-for-26 in save chances this season, the fact that he has blown his last three save opportunities isn't an encouraging sign going forward. Plus, he owns a dreadful 12.71 ERA through seven outings (5.2 innings) this month.

Jackson gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning during Thursday's win over the Phillies.

The right-hander has rebounded in strong fashion from an awful 2020 season. Through 41 appearances and 35 innings this year, Jackson has posted a 2.06 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 36:16 K:BB with a win and 12 holds. He's not likely to work his way back into the closer mix, but the 29-year-old has become a reliable setup man in front of Will Smith.

Bender hit a batter and struck out one in a scoreless inning during Thursday's 3-2 loss to San Diego. He did not factor in the decision.

Bender was effective in the first inning as the opener ahead of Jordan Holloway. Thursday was Bender's first major-league start, and the scoreless inning lowered his ERA to 2.20 with a 0.92 WHIP and 41:8 K:BB through 32.2 innings overall. The 26-year-old has been an effective reliever, although he's picked up only one save, five holds and two blown saves across 32 appearances.

Melancon struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over Miami.

The 36-year-old has now posted back-to-back clean innings after struggling in his two appearances adjacent to the All-Star break. Melancon upped his league-leading saves total to 29, six more than the White Sox's Liam Hendriks and the Cardinals' Alex Reyes. Through 42 innings, Melancon has a 2.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 35:16 K:BB.

Reyes allowed one walk and struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Cubs.

Reyes suffered his first blown save Tuesday, but manager Mike Shildt didn't hesitate to turn to his closer to protect a one-run lead Thursday. The right-hander rewarded his manager's faith with the save, his 23rd in 24 chances this year. While he's allowed six runs across seven innings in July, there's little reason to think Reyes will lose his grip on the closer role. The 26-year-old has a 2.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 58:38 K:BB across 44.2 innings overall.

Moore (0-2) allowed six earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four across six innings to take the loss Thursday against Atlanta.

The majority of the damage Moore surrendered came in the third inning. He retired the first two batters he faced but allowed two singles and a walk before serving up a grand slam to Dansby Swanson. This was Moore's longest outing of the season, which at least offset the damage of his outing to some degree. Moore now has a 5.79 ERA with a 37:20 K:BB across 42 innings on the campaign.

Long (back) threw a 30-pitch live batting practice session Thursday, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.

Long threw a bullpen session Friday and has now taken the next step towards his return to the mound by facing live hitters. He'll likely have to continue to ramp up his workload prior to being activated, though it's unclear if that will require a rehab assignment.

Alzolay (4-10) allowed three runs across six innings and took the loss Thursday against the Cardinals. He gave up four hits and three walks while striking out eight.

Alzolay pitched pretty well, as he set a season high in strikeouts, but the Cubs' offense didn't provide much support in the 3-2 defeat. The righty was done in by two home runs, including a two-run bomb by Nolan Arenado, which accounted for all three runs against him. Alzolay now has a 4.58 ERA this season and is scheduled to take the mound again Tuesday against the Reds.

Nelson (back) could be activated either Sunday or Tuesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Nelson was set to throw live batting practice Thursday. How he responds to that work will dictate when he returns, according to manager Dave Roberts. Regardless, it appears that Nelson likely won't need a rehab assignment prior to being activated from the injured list.