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Sam Moll RP | CIN
Rockies' Sam Moll: DFA'd by Rockies
Moll was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Friday.
Moll was previously added to the 40-man roster to provide left-handed organizational depth for the bullpen, but hasn't impressed with Triple-A Albuquerque this season, posting a 4.18 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP over 44 relief appearances. The 25-year-old will likely stay in the organization, unless another team decides to take a flyer.
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Mark Leiter RP | ATH
Phillies' Mark Leiter: Impressive in relief Thursday
Leiter allowed one run on four hits over five innings of relief Thursday after starter Vince Velasquez left the game early with a finger injury. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
That makes back-to-back impressive long-relief outings for Leiter, who allowed two hits while striking out nine over 4.1 scoreless innings last Saturday. The 2013 22nd-round pick could be an option to join the Phillies' rotation if Velasquez can't make his next start.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Dodgers' Kenley Jansen: Needs just seven pitches for 30th save
Jansen picked up his 30th save with a clean ninth inning Thursday in Arizona.
Jansen made quick work of the dangerous Arizona lineup with a two-run lead, needing only seven pitches to get three outs. He has walked just one batter in four hitless August innings and still has eight strikeouts over that span despite failing to get one here.
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Anthony Banda RP | MIN
Diamondbacks' Anthony Banda: Lasts just four innings Thursday
Banda (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts over four innings in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers.
Banda found out the difference between a bottom-five offense and a top-five unit firsthand, crashing back down to earth here after pitching six innings of one-run ball against the Giants last time out. The rookie southpaw has shown the ability to put hitters away with 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings through three starts, but likely hasn't done enough to stay in the rotation with Robbie Ray (concussion) due back from the DL soon.
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Phil Maton RP | CHC
Padres' Phil Maton: Continues to get hit hard
Maton was shelled to the tune of three runs (two home runs) in an inning of work against the Reds on Thursday.
Ouch. The rookie has now given up six runs off of four homers over his previous three appearances, watching his ERA balloon from 2.78 to 4.68 in the process. It wasn't that long ago that Maton's name was mentioned by manager Andy Green as a potential replacement closer post-trade deadline, but with his recent string of poor outings and the retention of Brad Hand, the 24-year-old's fantasy value has reached an all-time low.
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Matt Bowman RP | MIN
Cardinals' Matt Bowman: Nabs third victory Wednesday
Bowman (3-4) fired a scoreless sixth inning in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Royals, allowing two hits and recording a strikeout.
Bowman needed only 15 pitches to get through his frame despite giving up a pair of hits, posting his sixth straight scoreless effort in the process. The 26-year-old right-hander has lowered his ERA from 3.83 to 3.52 during that stretch and remains a viable fantasy asset in all formats due to his 19 holds, solid 1.11 WHIP and brisk workload.
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Brad Hand RP | ATL
Padres' Brad Hand: Serves up two homers in non-save situation
Hand gave up three runs on a pair of home runs and a walk in two-thirds of an inning against the Reds on Thursday.
Called upon to replace Kirby Yates in the seventh inning with the Padres clinging to a one-run lead, Hand walked Joey Votto and then allowed a grand slam to Scooter Gennett. With that, Hand's nearly two-month long scoreless streak was snapped, and he promptly gave up another long ball to Eugenio Suarez. Hand has been excellent throughout most of the year and it's clear he's the preferred ninth-inning option, but manager Andy Green seems comfortable using Hand earlier in the game if he feels the situation warrants it.
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Josh Fields RP | MIL
Dodgers' Josh Fields: Tallies eighth hold Wednesday
Fields tossed two scoreless innings while striking out one and converting his eighth hold in Wednesday's victory over Arizona.
The 31-year-old continues to roll since returning to the majors at the beginning of July, posting a 1.88 ERA and 8.2 K/9 in 13 appearances. He has also tallied two wins and five of his eight holds during that stretch, putting him back in the conversation in leagues that value holds. While the numbers that count look nice on paper, we would be doing a disservice by not pointing out Fields' 4.17 FIP, which is well over a run higher than his current 2.61 ERA, hinting at a likely regression at some point down the stretch.
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Dinelson Lamet RP | LAD
Padres' Dinelson Lamet: Strikes out five in no-decision
Lamet gave up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings in a no-decision against the Reds on Thursday.
The right-hander left the game in line for the win, but the Padres' bullpen imploded for eight runs over the final three frames. Lamet has been on a strong run of late, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts, good for a 2.31 ERA over that span. He lines up for two starts next week, and while Lamet draws the Nationals in the second half of that two-step, he at least gets them at home.
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Robert Stephenson RP | LAA
Reds' Robert Stephenson: Could return for Sunday start
Stephenson (shoulder) could be activated from the 10-day DL prior to Sunday's game against the Brewers, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.
Stephenson suffered a right shoulder contusion during his previous start against the Pirates on Aug. 2, and was placed on the DL just a few days later. Although he's eligible for reinstatement Sunday, the club may choose to give him a little more time to recover and grant Sal Romano another opportunity on the mound. More importantly, Stephenson's arm feels fine and he should return to the field in the immediate future.