MLB Player News

Hader struck out four over two perfect innings to nail down his 18th save in a 6-5 victory over the Reds on Saturday.

The dominant left-hander was extremely efficient, retiring six hitters on 18 pitches. Amazingly, Hader averaged four pitches per batter to the four hitters he struck out and then retired the other two on one-pitch groundouts. Hader is 18-for-19 in save opportunities with a 1.91 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 37.2 innings this season.

Hernandez surrendered three runs on four hits and two walks over five innings during Saturday's 5-3 win over the Phillies. He struck out six but did not factor in the decision.

Hernandez was hurt by the long ball Saturday with solo shots from Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins, but he was able to limit the damage overall and keep the Marlins within striking distance. The 24-year-old has a 4.34 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 18.2 innings and lines up to pitch next weekend against the Phillies, assuming Caleb Smith (hip) isn't ready to return from the injured list.

Webb walked one and recorded one out to pick up his first career save Saturday against the Angels.

Webb was called upon after Jordan Hicks was forced to exit due to triceps tendinitis. Webb's opportunity appeared to be primarily a matter of circumstance, and it's not clear that he'd be near the top of the list for more save chances in the future if Hicks misses an extended period.

Hudson struck out six and improved to 6-3 after allowing just one run on five hits and a walk in seven innings against the Angels on Saturday.

Hudson's only blemish was a seventh-inning solo shot from Albert Pujols. The outing extended Hudson's streak of quality starts to eight and brought his ERA down to 3.36. Both his 16.0 percent strikeout rate and 9.9 percent walk rate are rather poor, but he's gotten by thanks to a strong 61.7 percent groundball rate. He lines up to pitch again next Saturday in San Diego.

Hicks will require at least a a few days of rest after being removed from Saturday's game versus the Angels with right triceps tendinitis, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hicks entered Saturday's game and was working towards a five-out save, but he exited with an athletic trainer with two outs in the ninth inning after allowing a solo home run and striking out two. The Cardinals have two off days in the upcoming week and three in the next nine days, so it could be a good chance to take advantage of the 10-day injured list. The 22-year-old will likely undergo additional testing Sunday and may receive an updated recovery timeline.

Reyes was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

Reyes was bumped off the active roster with the Padres requiring a spot for Chris Paddack, who was recalled from High-A Lake Elsinore ahead of his scheduled start against the Pirates on Saturday. Though he scooped up two wins in relief during his two-week stay with San Diego, Reyes was generally unproductive with seven runs allowed over 7.1 innings.

Nelson will pitch out of the bullpen moving forward, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Nelson just hasn't gotten the job done in his first three starts since missing over a year due to shoulder surgery, recording a 9.75 ERA, a 2.17 WHIP and a 15.9 percent walk rate. He'll get the chance to work through his struggles on the big-league roster in a low-leverage role. He could eventually return to the rotation if his numbers improve, but he's unlikely to have much fantasy value until that point. The Brewers have yet to announce who will take his spot in the rotation.

Alzolay will start Tuesday's game against the Braves, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Armed with a plus fastball and plus curveball, Alzolay has the tools to have success turning a lineup over a couple times. This actually may hurt his short-term fantasy value, however, as he was more likely to qualify for a win working behind an opener. The Cubs will work with a six-man rotation next week, so it remains to be seen if Alzolay will work as a true starter after Tuesday's outing.

Robertson (elbow) could throw off a mound in 10-12 days, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

He has been playing catch, but throwing off a mound will represent a big step in his rehab. If he gets on a mound in early July, we could be eyeing an activation after the All-Star break.

Kimbrel is scheduled to make another rehab appearance Saturday at Triple-A Iowa, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

After tossing a scoreless inning for Iowa on Friday, Kimbrel will face his first back-to-back test as he gears up for an eventual move to the Cubs' 25-man roster. According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Kimbrel's fastball sat around the 93-to-95 mile-per-hour range during Friday's outing, which is down a few ticks from the 97 mph he averaged with Boston in 2018. While Chicago has yet to outline a formal timeline for Kimbrel's debut with the big club, Bastian posits that it's unlikely the star closer joins the Cubs before their current homestand wraps June 27.