MLB Player News

The Pirates need super closer Mark Melancon to be on a super roll heading into the playoffs. And maybe he has emerged from a mini-slump he had fallen into in recent games.

Melancon retired the Brewers in order Friday night, striking out two in the process for the first time since Aug. 19 and earning his 45th save.

The right-hander allowed five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings in two appearances before blanking Cincinnati and Milwaukee in his last two.

Both the loss total and ERA are heading up for Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson. He sent them both in the wrong direction Friday night in Pittsburgh.

Nelson suffered through his third poor outing in the last four by allowing four runs on four hits in five innings with three walks and two strikeouts. He blew a 2-0 lead in the process.

All was well through three - he even retired seven batters in a row at one point. But he struggled the second time through the lineup, giving up two walks and three singles in the fourth, including a two-run job by Chris Stewart.

Nelson is now 11-12 with an ERA of 3.95, its highest point since July 24.

Another start, another winless outing for Braves pitcher Shelby Miller. Miller has now gone 21 straight starts without a win, with his last win coming back on May 17.

On Thursday, Miller (5-14) allowed three runs on seven hits over six gutsy innings in the 7-2 loss to the Mets. Miller walked two and struck out five, throwing 71 of his 109 pitches for strikes.

Miller has now lost 13 consecutive starts, which ties a franchise record--and is the longest such streak in team history since 1935.

Despite the lack of wins, Miller has been one of the better pitchers in the National League this season. His 2.86 ERA currently ranks sixth in the league.

Braves pitcher Ryan Weber will make his second career start Sunday against the Mets, reports MLB.com.

Weber received a loss after allowing two runs over six innings in his first start Tuesday. He was recently recalled from Triple-A.

Mets pitcher Hansel Robles had to travel to the Dominican Republic to deal with a death in the family, reports ESPNNewYork.com.

Robles will not be available during Thursday's contest and there is no date for his return. He has a 3.50 ERA over 46 1/3 innings.

Padres relief pitcher Brandon Maurer will receive more treatment on his injured shoulder after he didn't feel strong during a catch session last week, according to MLB.com.

Mets reliever Carlos Torres, who pulled up lame with a calf injury trying to field a ball Monday against Washington, will miss multiple games, according to ESPN.

Terry Collins has already conceded that the team will require help from Triple-A Las Vegas to compensate for his loss.

The good news for Torres is that he at least performed better than he had recently. He hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings before going down after having allowed six runs on seven hits over his previous 1 2/3 innings.

Mets relief pitcher Carlos Torres was forced to leave Monday's game against the Nationals with what the team is calling a strained right calf, per MLB.com. 

Torres injured himself while running to field a ground ball. After recording the out, the Mets training staff immediately came onto the field and Torres was removed from the contest after tossing 1 1/3 innings of two-hit relief. 

Cardinals pitcher Matt Belisle recently threw a live batting practice session and is expected to throw another session in the next few days, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. An elbow injury has kept him out since late June.

Meanwhile, first baseman Matt Adams was able to conduct sprints close to full speed Saturday. He recently suffered a setback from his quad injury, but is expected to return in mid-September.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen needed just 10 pitches to retire the Padres in order, preserving the 2-0 win on Saturday. Jansen struck out a batter, en route to his 29th save of the season. 

Jansen hasn't allowed a run in seven consecutive appearances, and has just one blown save on the year.