MLB Player News

Stephenson (4-5) was saddled with the loss Tuesday in St. Louis after allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts over three innings.

A lack of command was Stephenson's downfall as usual, with this effort raising his BB/9 to an astronomical 6.1. The constant free passes have limited the 24-year-old righty's ability to work deep into games, as he's lasted just 41 innings in his eight starts this season. Even with a favorable home matchup against the Pirates on tap, Stephenson makes for a risky play in his next start Sunday.

Suter allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out three over three innings in Tuesday's win over the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision.

With Jimmy Nelson (shoulder) out for the rest of the season, Suter was called upon to eat up a few innings Tuesday in what was a scheduled bullpen game. The southpaw wasn't overly effective in his three innings of work, but he did just enough to help his team establish an early lead, as the Brewers were able to put up a four-spot against Gerrit Cole in the third inning to take the 28-year-old out of the loss column. Suter is tentatively scheduled to make his next start Sunday against the Marlins, though that could change, as manager Craig Counsell has been mixing things up in the rotation recently.

Melancon (forearm) successfully underwent pronator surgery Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Melancon's season was cut short when he decided to undergo to repair an issue which plagued him throughout the campaign. His rehab timeline is only 6-to-8 weeks, so he should be ready to go when spring training rolls around next season. Sam Dyson will close out the season as the Giants' ninth-inning arm.

Nelson (shoulder) will get a second opinion to determine if and when he will have surgery, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

He was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain and partial anterior labrum tear. On the bright side, it's not a full tear, but it may still require surgery. Shoulder injuries are always tricky with regard to determining rehab time and effectiveness upon return, but so far it sounds like he could be ready for spring training. More information should be forthcoming following the second opinion.

The Phillies will purchase Arano's contract from Double-A Reading ahead of Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

The 22-year-old had been limited to just 32 appearances with Reading this season due to an elbow injury, which may have contributed to a downturn in performance after a strong 2016 campaign. The Phillies still view Arano as a high-upside relief prospect, and even amid what was a disappointing campaign with Reading, he still struck out a batter per inning while saving nine games. It's not expected that he'll be deployed in a setup role over the final few weeks of the season with the big club, but if Arano thrives in lower-leverage work, he could have a claim to a more meaningful role with Philadelphia in 2018.

Curtis was claimed off waivers by the Phillies on Monday.

Curtis will join the Phillies after being designated for assignment by the Mariners last week. The 25-year-old southpaw only appeared in three games for Seattle this season, but he compiled a fine 3.51 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 51.1 innings with Double-A Arkansas. Curtis should offer low-leverage bullpen depth for Philadelphia down the stretch.

Hernandez worked around a base hit to turn in a scoreless eighth inning en route to his 17th hold of the season in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Padres.

Hernandez has been on a roll lately, turning in scoreless outings in 10 of his last 11 appearances. He worked as the primary setup man to Archie Bradley on Sunday with closer Fernando Rodney receiving the afternoon off, but when all three players are available, Hernandez probably ranks third on the bullpen depth chart.

Rodney was not used in the Diamondbacks' Sunday save situation because manager Torey Lovullo wanted to give him a day off, Jack Magruder of FanRagSports.com reports.

The right-hander just broke a streak of 15 straight save conversions with a Saturday gaffe, but Lovullo still considers Rodney his stopper. Bradley struck out the side to wrap up Sunday's victory but will resume his setup role when Rodney plays again.

Iglesias threw two scoreless innings Sunday, working around two hits and striking out a pair to register his 26th save of the season.

Iglesias spun his eighth save of two innings on the season, which has made him a valuable asset not only for his game-ending proclivities but also to stabilize a shaky bullpen. The right-hander likely would have an even bigger fantasy stock if he pitched for a better club, but his ratio boosts with these outings of more than one frame help his owners just fine.

Runzler's contract was purchased from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Runzler had a solid season with Indianapolis, as he built a 3.05 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 40 games (41.1 innings). The 32-year-old has some MLB experience but last appeared in the show in 2012 while on the Giants. He'll likely be used by Pittsburgh in low-leverage situations.