MLB Player News

Voth is expected to be back in the big leagues to start in Baltimore on July 16 or 17, Byron Kerr of MASN Sports reports.

Voth was sent down Saturday as he won't be needed over the All-Star break. The Nationals won't need a fifth starter until July 20 due to an off day, but it sounds as though Voth will be back sooner than that, giving the rest of the rotation an extra day to rest.

Voth was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg on Saturday, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.

Voth is the roster casualty to make room for Max Scherzer's return from the paternity list as he won't be needed to pitch again before the All-Star break. He could remain in the minors for some time as the Nationals won't need a fifth starter until July 20 against the Braves.

The Mets may consider removing Diaz from the closer role, Wallace Matthews of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Diaz blew his fourth save in his last 10 chances Friday night and now has a 5.67 ERA as the All-Star break nears. That caused manager Mickey Callaway to ponder the possibility of a shift to the back end of his bullpen after the game, saying, "We talk about all kinds of things internally all the time. I think the one thing we will always try to do is try to use our best personnel the best we can, and if somebody steps up and is getting the job done better in that role, then we would consider it probably." Diaz may still have a chance to retain the role based on the rest of the Mets bullpen, which includes the struggling Jeurys Familia and Robert Gsellman. If the team does decide to make a move, Seth Lugo could be a strong candidate.

Brigham was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Brigham was sent down in a corresponding move to Caleb Smith's activation off the injured list. Brigham has made eight appearances out of the bullpen with the big-league club, registering a 5.68 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 19 strikeouts across 12.2 innings.

Jackson (4-2) picked up the win in Friday's 1-0 victory over the Marlins, allowing one hit and striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning.

With a save chance no longer possible at home, Jackson entered a 0-0 tie in the ninth and promptly gave up a leadoff double to Jorge Alfaro, but the Atlanta closer settled down and didn't let him advance any further. He then got rewarded when Brian McCann came through with a bases-loaded walkoff single in the bottom of the frame. Jackson has hardly been a shutdown option at the back of the bullpen, blowing six save chances against 13 conversions, but his 59:14 K:BB through 43 innings does highlight his upside.

Quijada (0-3) took the loss Friday as the Marlins fell 1-0 to Atlanta, giving up a run on two hits and two walks in one-third of an inning.

For the second time already in July, Quijada gave up a walkoff hit -- this time a bases-loaded single to Brian McCann. The 23-year-old southpaw didn't pitch as badly as his box score suggested, as both walks were intentional, but he still has a 4.32 ERA, 2.16 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB through 8.1 innings since his promotion to the Miami bullpen.

Yamamoto didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 1-0 loss to Atlanta, giving up two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings while striking out seven.

The rookie was locked in a pitchers duel with Julio Teheran through six innings, but Yamamoto had to settle for a no-decision when he left after 94 pitches (57 strikes). One of the Marlins' young starters will lose his rotation spot to a returning Caleb Smith (hip) after the All-Star break, but it's hard to imagine it will be Yamamoto given his 1.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 30:15 K:BB through his first 29 big-league innings.

Voth allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts across 4.1 innings in a no-decision against the Royals on Friday.

When the 27-year-old left during the fifth, the Nationals trailed 4-1, but they crawled back in the last few innings to force extras and get Voth off the hook. It's still a small sample size, but in three of his four starts this season, he's failed to complete five innings, and in his last two appearances he's nearly allowed a run per frame. Voth still doesn't own a decision, but he does possess a 5.52 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 14.2 innings in 2019.

Garcia (1-3) took the loss Friday against the Padres after allowing a home run with three strikeouts over two innings.

Garcia served up a solo home run to Hunter Renfroe in the eighth inning, which proved to be all the Padres needed to complete the win. On the bright side, the three strikeouts were a season high for the 28-year-old, who has compiled a 4.11 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 32:9 K:BB over 34 appearances.

Yates tossed a scoreless five-out save with two strikeouts at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

With two outs in the ninth, Yates allowed a runner after hitting Russell Martin in the helmet with a pitch. Luckily, Martin was fine, and no further damage ensued as the 32-year-old closer picked up his first five-out save of the season. With his 28th save, Yates continues to lead the majors while putting together a 1.22 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 58:9 K:BB.