MLB Player News

Johnson (3-3) picked up the win Thursday over the Marlins, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless seventh inning.

The right-hander held Miami in check with Atlanta down 6-5 and was rewarded when his squad took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh. Johnson may have missed a chance to audition as the closer down the stretch when Raisel Iglesias didn't get traded, but Johnson remains a key high-leverage option for Atlanta. He's been scored upon just once since June 13, posting a 0.48 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB over his last 19 appearances (18.2 innings) with two wins and five holds.

Gage will serve as the Giants' opener for Friday's game against Washington, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gage will likely handle the first inning or two of Friday's contest, with Kai-Wei Teng as the top candidate to serve as a bulk reliever. In seven appearances with the Giants this season, Gage hasn't allowed a run and owns an 8:3 K:BB across 9.1 innings.

Iglesias earned the save Thursday against the Marlins, working a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.

Called on to protect a two-run lead, Iglesias shut down the top of the Marlins order with ease. Over his last eight appearances, the veteran right-hander has posted a 1.13 ERA while allowing just five total baserunners. He's up to 15 saves on the season and should remain locked into the closer role after Atlanta refrained from moving him at the trade deadline.

Alverado (suspension) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

Alvarado was handed an 80-game PED suspension in mid-May and is now closing in on his return. The reliever is eligible to be activated Aug. 19 and will make some appearances with Lehigh Valley to get back up to speed. However, the southpaw will not reclaim the closer role for the Phillies, who acquired Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline.

The Cardinals claimed Alcala off waivers from the Red Sox on Thursday.

Alcala has split time between the Twins and Red Sox this season, posting a 6.64 ERA and 46:23 K:BB over 40.2 frames. The 30-year-old reliever cannot be optioned to the minors, so he will go onto to the Cardinals' active roster. St. Louis will have to make a corresponding transaction once Alcala officially reports to the club.

The Brewers sent Zastryzny (ribs) to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment.

Zastryzny was pulled off his initial rehab assignment in late July following a setback with his rib stress reaction, but he's been cleared for game action again. The lefty reliever should be ready to rejoin the Brewers bullpen around mid-August if he can avoid another setback.

The Brewers optioned McGee to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.

McGee's most recent stint in the big-league bullpen wasn't fruitful, as he yielded seven runs over four frames covering two appearances. The Brewers will announce a corresponding move prior to Friday's game against the Mets, and it could be Shelby Miller (forearm) returning from the 15-day injured list.

Ferrer (3-3) picked up the win Wednesday over the A's, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

The southpaw got the call to protect a 1-1 tie in the ninth and dispatched the bottom of the A's order on 12 pitches (10 strikes). Ferrer was then rewarded for his efforts when CJ Abrams walked it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. The Nationals haven't had a save situation since Kyle Finnegan was traded to the Tigers, but Ferrer's usage Wednesday suggests he'll be first in line to handle closing duties when needed. Since the beginning of July, Ferrer's posted a 3.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB over 10.1 innings.

Walker (4-4) threw a scoreless inning and picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates, allowing two hits while striking out three.

Walker entered the game in the eighth and struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a pair of singles. However, he escaped the inning with his season-high-tying third strikeout, marking his first three-strikeout performance in a single inning. The right-hander now owns a 4.05 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 46:14 K:BB across 46.2 innings in 50 outings.

Butto threw a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Pirates.

Butto entered the game in the seventh inning, retiring the side in order and throwing seven of his 12 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old has yet to give up a run in three appearances since being acquired as part of the package from the Mets in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Butto has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over 3.1 innings with San Francisco. Overall, he now owns a 3.40 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 44:23 K:BB across 50.1 innings in 37 games between the Giants and Mets.