MLB Player News

Kimbrel recorded one strikeout in a perfect ninth inning Friday against the Cardinals en route to his 16th save.

He has now gone 10 straight appearances without allowing an earned run and has struck out 17 in 9.1 innings while recording nine saves and one win over that impressive three-week stretch.

Bukauskas (elbow) has begun throwing, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

He is out with a right elbow flexor strain and has not pitched since May 14. Bukauskas does not have a timetable to return. He gave up eight earned runs while striking out eight over 11 appearances out of the big-league bullpen.

Santillan will be called up to start Sunday against the Rockies for his major-league debut, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Santillan will step into the rotation for at least one start with Sonny Gray (groin) and Jeff Hoffman (shoulder) both injured. He's not a particularly highly-rated prospect, though he's started this season well at Triple-A Louisville, posting a 2.51 ERA and a 34.4 percent strikeout rate through six starts.

Antone was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with right forearm inflammation, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

News of Antone's placement on the IL was reported earlier Friday, though it wasn't revealed until later in the afternoon that the right-hander is dealing with the forearm issue. The injury doesn't appear to be serious, as manager David Bell said Friday that he is "very confident" Antone will be ready to be activated when first eligible June 18, per Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. With Antone on the shelf for the time being, Heath Hembree is among those that could see increased work in high-leverage situations.

Antone (undisclosed) will be placed on the injured list Friday for what the Reds hope will be a minimum-length stay, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Manager David Bell said that Antone was unavailable Thursday, and while the team still hasn't specified the nature of the injury, it's evidently serious enough to shut him down for at least a brief period. Antone hasn't pitched since Sunday, so the Reds can backdate the transaction by three days, leaving him eligible to return next Friday. His absence will be a big loss for the Reds, as he owns a 1.41 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 32 innings of relief this season, saving three games.

Neris allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two to blow the save Thursday against Atlanta.

Neris was given a one-run lead, but he surrendered a solo homer to Freddie Freeman to blow his third save of the season. Despite the poor results in this outing, Neris has largely been excellent this season as he entered the game having not allowed a run in any of his last nine appearances. He should remain the clear-cut closer in Philadelphia, and he has already collected nine saves on the campaign.

Bickford earned the save against the Pirates on Thursday by tossing a perfect inning that included one strikeout.

It wasn't quite the ordinary save for Bickford, who was actually in line to earn a hold after entering the seventh with the Dodgers leading by two. Following his successful inning, a long rain delay turned into a called game, gifting Bickford with his first career save as he became the sixth Dodger to earn a save this year. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 23 as a replacement for Jimmy Nelson (forearm) and is expected to be primarily used in lower-leverage situations.

Manager David Bell said that Antone was "not an option" out of the bullpen in Thursday's loss to the Brewers, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bell didn't elaborate on why Antone was unavailable Thursday but said that he would provide an update on the right-hander's status Friday. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available for Cincinnati's weekend series against the Rockies.

Weigel was recalled by the Brewers on Thursday.

Weigel has already spent two separate stints on the Brewers' active roster, appearing a total of three times. He's allowed two earned runs in four innings of work, striking out nine while walking four. Travis Shaw (shoulder) landed on the injured list in a corresponding move.

Rainey was credited with the save Wednesday against the Rays, completing a scoreless inning during which he walked one and struck out two.

Usual closer Brad Hand was brought in with the score tied in the ninth inning, and he kept Tampa Bay off the board to push the game into extra innings. Each team scored a pair of runs in the 10th, and the Nationals put up two more in their half of the 11th frame. Rainey was then summoned to protect the lead, and he succeeded on the strength of two strikeouts and a groundout. The save was a bright spot in an otherwise difficult season for the right-hander, who has posted a 9.35 ERA and 24:15 K:BB across 17.1 innings.