MLB Player News

Blach (6-5) held the Tigers to three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two in a winning effort Wednesday.

Despite failing to miss many bats, as usual, Blach managed to meet the minimum requirements for a quality start. With his unhelpful rate stats (4.60 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), the rookie is only useful in formats where his low-strikeout ways and tendency for pitching deep into games give him some degree of value.

Vizcaino was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right index finger strain.

It's unclear when VIzcaino injured himself -- as the 26-year-old was able to lock down a save in his last appearance for the Braves -- but the ailment is apparently serious enough to warrant a trip to the disabled list. Matt Wisler was recalled from Triple-A to take his place in the bullpen for the time being, while the move is retroactive to July 3, making him eligible to return shortly after the All-Star break if he's ready. With a 2.38 ERA and 39 strikeouts across 34 innings this season, a healthy Vizcaino would likely be the leading candidate to earn saves later in the season if Jim Johnson gets traded.

Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.

Mere days after being sent back to the minors, Hernandez will return to bolster the Reds' bullpen once more. The 25-year-old has a high-octane arm and plenty of strikeouts to his name, although it is notable that he allowed a home run in each of his previous two appearances in the big leagues. He'll fill the roster spot of Devin Mesoraco (shoulder), who was placed on the disabled list.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he is unsure what Leiter's role will be once Jared Eickhoff (back) returns from the disabled list, Tom Dougherty of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Eickhoff appears to be on track for a return from the disabled list on Sunday, which will bump Leiter from the rotation. Mackanin said he would like to keep Leiter in the bullpen unless GM Matt Klentak wants to keep him stretched out at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Jansen allowed a home run, a walk and struck out one batter while recording the final two outs of Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks to earn his 19th save of the season.

The Dodgers entered the ninth inning with a four-run lead, but Jansen was called upon to record the final two outs of the game after Brandon Morrow allowed two Diamondbacks to reach base. Jansen retired his first batter faced before serving up a three-run homer to Daniel Descalso. With the D-Backs pulling within one run, he walked Jake Lamb before ultimately striking out Chris Herrmann to end things. The shaky performance is just a small blip in Jansen's otherwise masterful 2017 campaign.

Maurer struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to pick up his 17th save of the season in a 1-0 win over Cleveland.

He's still prone to occasional bad outings but Maurer has now converted 12 straight save opportunities dating back to May 28, and Tuesday's performance brought his ERA back under 6.00 -- 5.94, to be precise. As long as he keeps getting the job done he'll hold onto his spot as San Diego's closer, but his leash remains a short one.

Leiter (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks across 5.1 innings in Tuesday's loss to the Pirates. He struck out five.

Leiter cruised through five innings, allowing his only run on a wild double play in the third, but was removed after yielding a solo home run to Andrew McCutchen with one out in the sixth. Unfortunately, his offense was unable to get anything going against Jameson Taillon, sticking Leiter to his first loss of the season despite a solid effort. He has posted a 3.31 ERA with a 16:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings in his last three starts, and he appears to be gaining a grasp on his spot in the rotation. He's not currently scheduled to make another start before the All-Star break, but it would not be surprising to see him given a longer look when the second half commences.

Nelson (7-4) allowed an unearned run on six hits while striking out eight over seven innings in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Orioles.

The Brewers bats supplied plenty of fireworks on July 4 with four homers, giving Nelson more than enough offense to cruise to an easy victory. The right-hander has now won five of his last six decisions and delivered quality starts in eight of his last 11 outings, and he'll take a 3.20 ERA into his final start before the All-Star break Sunday on the road against the Yankees.

Taylor was the victim of an attempted robbery Saturday in Salt Lake City and sustained a concussion during the incident, Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. He was later placed on the 7-day disabled list at Triple-A Las Vegas.

According to the police report, Taylor was approached by a homeless man carrying a tire iron and a sock full rocks and was struck in the back of the head after refusing to hand over his wallet. Taylor was fortunate to avoid a more serious injury in the incident, but did require a trip to the hospital and required six or seven staples in the back of his head to seal a gash. The 25-year-old has since received clearance to travel with the team, but he'll have to pass through all steps of the concussion protocol before appearing in games again. Taylor has posted a 3.96 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 38.2 innings in relief this season.

Hoffman (5-1) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts over seven innings and took home the victory Monday against the Reds.

Hoffman has been steady for the Rockies, having allowed more than three runs in a start just once in eight tries, back on June 21 against Arizona (3.2 innings, nine earned runs). Even with the two home runs he allowed Monday night, Hoffman has allowed just five over his first eight starts in the Rockies' rotation. If he can maintain a homer rate like that going forward, he'll be a success in Colorado.