MLB Player News

Rainey (1-0) walked one in a scoreless inning of relief to record the win Saturday against the Yankees.

Stephen Strasburg (hand) was a late scratch for this one, and as a result Erick Fedde was pressed into duty in the rotation. Fedde was able to give the Nats four solid innings, and Rainey was the first reliever out of the 'pen afterwards -- and thus the beneficiary of the 5-2 lead he inherited. Rainey was expected to push for a setup job this season rather than work in scenarios such as the one he faced Saturday, but bullpen roles could be very inconsistent all over the league during a chaotic 2020 campaign.

Yates struck out two in a perfect ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Yates retired Arizona's 4-6 hitters on nine pitches. The Padres were leading 5-1 when Yates entered for the ninth, so it wasn't a save chance, but it's good to see Yates pick up where he left off after his 2019 season, in which he finished ninth in NL Cy Young voting.

Lamet (1-0) allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out eight over five innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Lamet only threw 73 innings last season in his return from Tommy John surgery. The Padres expect him to be able to take the ball every fifth day throughout the 60-game season, but they were a little cautious Saturday, pulling him after 80 pitches. Fortunately, Lamet maximized those 80 pitches and went deep enough for the win. He's in good position to start the season 2-0 with a road matchup against the Giants on tap for next week.

Gallegos was more consistent during his Saturday live batting practice than in his first one Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. "He was really sharp," manager Mike Shildt said. "Feel like he's pretty much where he needs to be. Hitters had the right kind of feedback, said the ball was coming out good. He was a little more consistent with his command today than a couple days ago. So if he recovers well, we should expect to see him ready to go in our bullpen."

The hard-throwing reliever took another big step toward active status Saturday, with Shildt's comments implying it's likely Gallegos won't require another live batting practice before activation. The Cardinals' active roster currently stands at 29 players, meaning no move will be necessary for Gallegos' inclusion to transpire. Where Gallegos will slot in once he's a part of the bullpen remains to be seen, as he was once thought to be a natural candidate for the closing job that Kwang-Hyun Kim was appointed to just before Opening Day.

Stephenson allowed a homer to Austin Romine and a subsequent single to JaCoby Jones on Saturday, with Jones later coming around to score in the Reds' loss to the Tigers.

Stephenson was one of three Reds relievers to allow a homer in the loss. He was behind schedule in summer camp due to a wrist issue and might not yet be up to speed.

Bard (1-0) earned a win coming out of the bullpen in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Rangers, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning one.

Bard came into the game with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, and he tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win. What makes this even more noteworthy is the fact that Bard hadn't pitched in an MLB game since 2013.

Iglesias gave up a game-losing two-run homer to JaCoby Jones in Saturday's loss to the Tigers. He got through the ninth inning, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two.

Iglesias entered the ninth with the game tied 4-4 and allowed a single to Austin Romine to lead off the inning, followed by Jones' homer. He then allowed a single to Niko Goodrum before retiring the last three batters. Iglesias also struggled early last season and in spring training in March.

Jackson (1-0) pitched two innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits to earn the win in Saturday's extra-inning contest versus the Mets.

Jackson entered a tied game in the ninth inning and managed to keep it that way. He gave up a pair of singles to start the 10th inning, but only Jeff McNeil scored on a Dominic Smith sacrifice fly. Jackson had 18 saves and nine holds with a 3.84 ERA and 106 strikeouts across 72.2 innings last year, but he's a setup man at best in 2020.

Gott allowed a solo home run but earned the save Saturday in a 5-4 win over the Dodgers.

Gott was taken deep by Dodgers catcher Will Smith to start the bottom of the ninth inning, but he was able to retire the next three batters in order to secure the save. In 2019, Gott featured in more of a middle-relief role for the Giants, but he's their first reliever to record a save this season. Tony Watson remains the favorite for the bulk of closer duties, but Gott could be useful for fantasy mangers in formats that count holds.

Mets Manager Luis Rojas said he was "definitely not concerned" about Diaz after the reliever allowed a homer to Marcell Ozuna to blow the save in Saturday's loss to the Braves, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets wouldn't commit to a clear closer prior to the season, though Diaz was used in a save situation in both of the team's first two games. He got the job done in Friday's season opener but was beaten for the game-tying run Saturday, a potentially worrying sign given that he blew seven saves while struggling to a 5.59 ERA last season. One poor outing won't shake his manager's faith too much, but the Mets indicated they'd be willing to give ninth-inning opportunities to other pitchers before the season started and that presumably remains as true as ever following Saturday's loss.