MLB Player News

Lord is slated to start Friday's game against the Marlins in Miami.

Lord will make his third consecutive start, though he's covered just 3.1 total innings in his prior two appearances. The Nationals are expected to once again deploy Lord as more of an opener, with lefty Will Dion profiling as the top candidate to pitch in bulk relief.

Burke (5-5) was charged with the loss and a blown save Thursday against St. Louis, allowing six unearned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one.

Reds manager Terry Francona eschewed using closer Emilio Pagan for a second straight day, instead bringing in Burke to close out a one-run lead to begin the top of the ninth inning. Burke was on the verge of getting the job done, but an error on a routine fly led to six unearned runs. Pagan had thrown 19 pitches Wednesday, and Francona may have considered the team's top closer unavailable, but his decision to turn to Burke may also have been matchup-based -- top right-handed setup man Pierce Johnson hasn't pitched since Monday but went completely unused in the contest.

Pagan was not used to protect a 5-4 lead in the ninth inning of Thursday's 10-9 loss to the Cardinals.

Manager Terry Francona opted for southpaw Brock Burke instead of Pagan to close out the game, after the veteran righty had thrown 19 pitches the night before. The top of the ninth turned into a nightmare, as an error on a routine flyball, along with three walks and a HBP from Burke, lead to six unearned runs for the Cardinals. If Pagan is currently unable to pitch on back-to-back days, it could open up save opportunities for other Cincinnati relievers, but Burke's usage Thursday may also have simply been matchup-based -- top right-handed setup man Pierce Johnson, who hasn't pitched since Monday, went completely unused in the contest.

Megill earned the save in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Mariners, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Megill was called on to face the heart of the Mariners' order in the ninth inning and retired the side on 13 pitches. It continued a strong second half for the 32-year-old, who's allowed only one earned run while locking down nine saves through 13 appearances since the All-Star break. For the season, he's 23-for-25 in save chances to go along with a 2.39 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB across 49 innings.

Iglesias earned the save in Thursday's 2-0 win over the White Sox, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Iglesias was summoned to protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning and did so on 12 pitches. The 36-year-old has posted a 7.04 ERA through eight appearances in what has been a shaky August, but he's still converted three of four save chances. On the year, he's 26-for-29 in save opportunities to go along with a 3.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 51:14 K:BB across 46.2 innings.

O'Brien secured the save Thursday against the Reds, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.

O'Brien needed just one out to finish it off for the Cardinals but made things very interesting, allowing two inherited runners to come across before getting Matt McLain to line out sharply to right field. The All-Star right-hander gave up his first hit since Aug. 2 in Toronto, so his grip on the Cardinals' closer role remains strong. Through 52 innings, O'Brien sports a 2.94 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 53:22 K:BB with an NL-leading 33 saves in 38 attempts.

Phillips struck out three and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks across two innings of relief in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Phillies.

After a stretch of 12 consecutive appearances as a starter, Phillips shifted to a relief role for the series in Philadelphia while the Marlins opted for a bullpen day when his turn in the rotation came up. Rather than leaning more heavily on Phillips as a bulk reliever behind opener Cade Gibson, manager Clayton McCullough opted to use five different bullpen arms to record the final 20 outs. Phillips' spot in the rotation will come up again Monday versus the Red Sox, but it's not clear whether he'll reclaim a traditional starting role for that game or continue to work out of the bullpen.

Assad struck out two and allowed two hits and no walks over three scoreless innings of relief Tuesday in the Cubs' 4-3 win over the White Sox.

Though he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Monday as the corresponding move to Edward Cabrera (finger) returning to the 15-day injured list, Assad won't end up replacing Cabrera in the rotation. After the Cubs called upon Assad to work in long relief following a short start by Kevin Gausman (hand) on Tuesday, David Peterson will end up taking over Cabrera's spot in the rotation this weekend in Seattle, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.

Vesia was charged with a blown save Wednesday against Colorado after giving up two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over one inning.

Vesia was summoned from the bullpen to begin the seventh inning with the Dodgers up 4-2. The lefty reliever couldn't protect the lead, issuing a two-out walk that was followed by a two-run Mickey Moniak homer. Vesia was excellent in the first half of the campaign, posting a 2.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 31.2 innings. However, he's been much less effective since the All-Star break, compiling a 5.68 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with a 13:10 K:BB across 12.2 frames spanning 15 appearances. He's likely to remain a high-leverage option for manager Dave Roberts, however, given his history of playoff success.

Gordon is slated to start Friday's game against the Guardians at Coors Field.

Gordon had made each of his first five appearances following the All-Star break as a long reliever, but he'll re-enter the rotation this week as a replacement for Michael Lorenzen, whom the Rockies released Wednesday. In Lorenzen's final start last Saturday against the Giants, Gordon ended up working behind him while covering four innings and 63 pitches, so the 28-year-old righty will be reasonably stretched out as he returns to the rotation. Gordon had previously made five starts for the Rockies, posting a 6.26 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB in 23 innings.