MLB Player News

Reyes pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three to get the save in the Cardinals' win over the Brewers on Thursday.

Reyes walked the first batter he faced in the ninth inning and allowed a runner to get into scoring position, but he ultimately struck out three for his 11th save of the season. He trails only Mark Melancon for most saves in all of baseball. The 26-year-old has allowed just one run in 20 innings this season.

Hartlieb was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Hartlieb has already been shuttled between the alternate site, Triple-A and the major-league team a few times this season. He's thrown only two innings in Pittsburgh, during which he surrendered three walks, two hits and three earned runs. Miguel Yajure is being called up in the corresponding move and will start Friday's game.

Smith (0-3) allowed four runs on five hits and no walks in a third of an inning to take the loss against the Blue Jays on Thursday.

Smith had been dominant in his last six appearances, as he converted on all four of his save chances and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five in six scoreless innings. However, he entered Thursday's contest in the ninth inning with the game tied at four runs and gave up three singles and two doubles to put him in line for the loss. While Smith's rough outing was discouraging, he still has good job security as Atlanta's closer if he can return to form in the near future.

Bolton recently underwent right knee surgery, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Bolton was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday, and he's projected to return to full baseball activities in 4-6 months. The right-hander is viewed as one of Pittsburgh's top pitching prospects but could miss the remainder of the 2021 campaign following his surgery.

Double-A Altoona transferred Bolton (knee) from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 22-year-old right-hander will likely be out until at least the middle of the summer while he recovers from a knee injury he sustained in a recent workout. Bolton is viewed as one of the Pirates' top pitching prospects.

Lawrence was returned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.

Lawrence served as the 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader against the Padres but didn't make an appearance. He'll now head back to the minors going forward.

Weigel was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Weigel had been with the team since the start of May for his second stint on the big-league roster. In three total relief appearances, he's allowed two runs on four hits in four innings of work, striking out nine but also walking four. He's likely to continue bouncing between the majors and Triple-A depending on the team's needs but is unlikely to find his way into a high-leverage role. Josh Lindblom (knee) returned from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Davidson tossed seven scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out eight.

The southpaw has been fantastic through his first two outings this year, posting a 0.64 ERA and 14:3 K:BB through 14 innings. Davidson stumbled in his brief big-league debut last season, but if the 25-year-old keeps dealing at Triple-A, he should get another look in the Atlanta rotation before long.

Jackson (1-1) took the loss Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out one in the seventh inning as Atlanta fell 4-1 to the Blue Jays.

Entering the game with the score tied 1-1, Jackson's first pitch was launched over the center-field fence by Teoscar Hernandez. The right-hander has a strong 1.93 ERA through 14 innings to begin the season, but his 12:8 K:BB indicates he's been more lucky than good.

Ponce de Leon (shoulder) has been assigned to Triple-A Memphis to begin a rehab assignment, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Ponce de Leon has been dealing with right shoulder inflammation for two weeks, but his rehab assignment signals that he's nearing his return to the major-league roster. Since Ponce de Leon has moved to the bullpen following his start in his season debut, he's unlikely to require much time to build up with Triple-A Memphis.