MLB Player News

Hernandez, who will start Thursday's game against the Braves, is expected to be limited to around 70-to-80 pitches, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez, a Rule 5 selection, has made five starts for the Marlins in his debut season, but none since June 26. He's since proven useful in a long-relief role for Miami, accruing a 1.15 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 15.2 innings over his last 11 appearances. Because he isn't stretched out enough to handle a starter's workload, Hernandez will have a short leash Thursday, which could hurt his chances of factoring into the decision even if he performs well. Hernandez will likely head back to the bullpen following the start with Jose Urena (suspension) on track to rejoin the rotation next week.

Alexander gave up a solo home run while striking out one over an inning in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Cardinals.

Alexander was unable to protect a one-run lead in the eighth inning after serving up a solo homer to pinch-hitter Tyler O'Neill. The southpaw was one of several Dodgers relievers to falter as closer while Kenley Jansen was sidelined over the past couple of weeks, and the latter's return will push Alexander back into a setup role against left-heavy portions of the lineup.

Sewald recorded the final two outs of the ninth inning Wednesday, one via strikeout, to pick up his first career save in a 5-3 win over the Giants.

The Mets' closer situation remains a mess, as four different pitchers (Sewald, Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo and Jerry Blevins) have notched the team's last four saves. Sewald's 4.68 ERA and 1.4 HR/9 would make him a volatile ninth-inning option even if the team did commit to him in the role, but given the competition and the circumstances, Wednesday's save chance could easily end up being his last of the year despite the successful conversion.

Hicks struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning against the Dodgers on Wednesday en route to his fifth save of the season.

Regular closer Bud Norris had pitched Monday and Tuesday in the first two games of the series, notching saves in both appearances, leaving Hicks to close things out in the finale. Hicks, who has the highest average pitch velocity in baseball, sits with a 3.08 ERA and 1.20 WHIP through 64.1 innings this season. The 21-year-old should continue to get chances when Norris is unavailable.

Jansen (0-5) gave up a go-ahead, two-run home run Wednesday to take the loss to St. Louis.

Called upon to pitch the top of the ninth in a tie game, Jansen allowed a single to Jedd Gyorko before Paul DeJong launched one to put the Cardinals ahead for good. It was the third homer allowed in the span of just nine batters for Jansen since his return from the disabled list (irregular heartbeat). While he may not be in peak form right now, Jansen is probably not in any real jeopardy of being removed from the ninth-inning role, even temporarily. He will almost certainly continue to close so long as he's on the active roster.

Richards didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Yankees, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over 5.1 innings while striking out nine.

Despite the solid line, Richards was actually headed for his eighth loss of the year before the Marlins broke out for five runs in the sixth inning to take him off the hook. The rookie hasn't completed six innings in any of his last four starts, and he'll carry a 4,23 ERA into his next outing, another tough matchup on the road against the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Dominguez (1-4) blew his fourth save of the season in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Nationals, serving up a two-run walkoff home run to Ryan Zimmerman with two outs in the ninth inning.

The right-hander seemed to have things well in hand, getting Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon to fly out to begin the frame, but Juan Soto's double into the right-field corner opened the door for Zimmerman's heroics. Dominguez has now blown three of his last five save opportunities, giving up homers each time, and Phillies manager Gabe Kapler may have to start considering other ninth-inning options once again.

Stephenson fell to 0-2 on the season after allowing four runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings Wednesday against the Brewers, striking out four.

It certainly wasn't a good game for Stephenson, but by some measures it was his best of the season, as he lasted just four and 1.2 innings in his first two starts for the big-league team. Wednesday's start also marked the first time he struck out more batters than he walked this year. Still, it's hard to feel positive about an outing in which the 25-year-old had a WHIP of 2.40. Assuming he's still in the rotation, his next chance to impress will come next Wednesday against the Brewers.

Loup (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for two more weeks, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

The timeline could be adjusted depending on how his arm is doing, but the expectation is that Loup will avoid throwing for three weeks from the date on which he initially suffered his flexor strain. That would leave Loup in line to return sometime in mid-September, as he'll still have to build his arm strength back up and likely make a few rehab appearances before rejoining the Phillies.

Hernandez will make a spot start Thursday against the Braves, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins need an extra starter with Jose Urena serving a suspension for throwing at Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna. Hernandez has started five times for the Marlins this season and has appeared 21 times out of the bullpen, struggling to 5.08 ERA in 56.2 innings overall. His 9.1 percent walk rate is only slightly worse than average, but he doesn't strike out many batters (16.1 percent) and generates very few groundballs (26.3 percent).