MLB Player News

Castano didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Atlanta, giving up one run on four hits and two walks over six-plus innings. He struck out two.

After trading goose eggs with Max Fried for six frames, Castano came out to begin the seventh but was promptly taken deep by Marcell Ozuna and got the hook. Monte Harrison tied it up with a solo shot of his own in the eighth to prevent Castano from taking the loss. The quality start was the first of the rookie's career in only his second big-league outing, and the 25-year-old southpaw appears to be locking down a regular turn in the Marlins' beleaguered rotation. If he stays on schedule, his next start would come Thursday, at home against the Mets.

Melancon gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his fourth save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Marlins.

All the runs in the game came in the final three innings and all on solo homers, but Melancon was able to avoid serving one up to protect the win. The right-hander has yet to allow a run this season and has converted all four of his save chances, and while his 4:0 K:BB through seven innings isn't dominant, Melancon seems to have a firm grip on Atlanta's closer job.

Smith (1-0) gave up a game-tying solo home run to Monte Harrison in the eighth inning Saturday but wound up with the win as Atlanta came away with a 2-1 victory over the Marlins.

In just his third appearance of the season, Smith blew his first save in an Atlanta uniform, but he was still the pitcher of record when Adam Duvall answered with a blast of his own in the ninth. With Mark Melancon pitching well so far, look for Smith to continue working in a setup capacity rather than sharing in the save chances for his new team.

Gallegos struck out all three batters he faced in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

While the inning couldn't have gone any better for Gallegos, the circumstances of the outing could be mildly worrisome for those banking on the righty emerging from the Cardinals' committee and becoming a true closer. He entered the game in the sixth inning of the seven-inning contest with his side holding a four-run lead, a rather low-leverage situation. While that's a discouraging spot for him to be used, it's certainly possible that his dominance leads to him getting a save opportunity within the next few days.

Bednar was recalled from the Padres' alternate training site Saturday.

Bednar was demoted to alternate camp in early August, but he'll return to the Padres' bullpen after Kirby Yates (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. Bednar allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks while striking out one over 2.1 innings to begin the season. He should pitch mainly in low-leverage situations.

Yates was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday with right elbow inflammation.

Yates left Friday's outing against the Diamondbacks after just six pitches and will now get at least 10 days to rest and recover. He has given up at least one run in four of his six appearances this season as this issue may have come about earlier than Friday. Yates is scheduled to undergo further tests on his elbow Saturday, which should officially determine the severity of the injury and the length of his absence. Drew Pomeranz figures to immediately step in as the closer for the Padres and should be added across most fantasy formats.

Jansen earned the save Friday against the Angels when he struck out the only batter he faced.

Jansen, who recently admitted he wasn't feeling 100 percent at full strength following his bout with COVID-19, came into the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a runner on second base, but he struck out Jason Castro to close the game out. The star reliever is 5-for-5 in save opportunities this season and has not allowed an earned run in his last three appearances.

Garcia (0-1) was tagged with the loss Friday against the Athletics. He pitched one inning and gave up an unearned run.

Garcia was hurt by the new extra-inning rule that allows teams to start with a runner at second base, as he got Matt Olson to ground out and Mark Canha to fly out, but that still allowed Matt Chapman to score the game-winning run. He retired the side without allowing hits or walks, and that should be encouraging even if the Giants had to settle for an extra-inning loss.

Hader walked two and struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings to record his fourth save of the season during Friday's 4-3 win over the Cubs.

The southpaw needed 35 pitches to finish the job and threw less than half of them for strikes, but the end result was still another save for Hader. His 9:4 K:BB through 5.1 innings is a little worrisome considering he didn't post a walk rate north of 9.8 percent in either of the last two seasons, but Hader hasn't even allowed a hit yet in 2020, much less a run, making his early-season control issues a lot more palatable.

Lamet (2-1) gave up one run on three hits and a walk and struck out eight over six innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Lamet's only mistake was a solo home run by Kole Calhoun, but that was enough for the righty to suffer his first loss of the year. He's pitched to a sparkling 1.59 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 28.1 innings across five starts. He has yet to allow more than two runs in an appearance. Lamet lines up to face the Rangers on Wednesday in his next start.