MLB Player News

Padres closer Craig Kimbrel struck out two batters and allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 38th save in a 3-0 win over Arizona on Saturday.

It's amazing that Kimbrel has 38 saves on such a bad team, but it shows you how valuable he can be. He now ranks in the top-five of saves and strikeouts for all closers. Kimbrel has also been a bit unlucky this year, as his 14 percent home run-to-flyball rate is a career high. Not many closers are as reliable as Kimbrel and it makes him a great draft pick year after year.

Rockies hurler Miguel Castro (back) is not expected to pitch again this season, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports.

Manager Walt Weiss revealed Saturday that Castro has been nursing a back injury, which explains why the 20-year-old hasn't appeared in a game since Sept. 14. The Rockies will likely just shut Castro down for the year and hope he can go through a normal offseason routine. Castro struggled as a starter with Triple-A Buffalo before being traded to Colorado in the Troy Tulowitzki deal, but the Rockies have not publicly shut the door on returning him to a starting role in the spring.

Diamondbacks starter Rubby De La Rosa (14-8) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks across 5 2/3 innings in a win over the Padres on Friday. He struck out just two.

What made De La Rosa so appealing early in the season were his impressive strikeout totals, but that's disappeared as of late. Since the beginning of July, De La Rosa has 49 strikeouts in 15 starts. Before that, he recorded 94 strikeouts in his first 16 starts. It's tough to see why this is the case, but results have not changed much despite the strange strikeout trends. If he can find some consistency with the strikeout form he had in the first three months, De La Rosa could become must own next season.

Braves starter Ryan Weber (0-2) was touched up for seven runs on nine hits and a walk over two innings in Friday's loss to Miami.

The nine hits Weber surrendered on Friday were just two shy of the total he had given up in his first three starts combined. Though limiting baserunners had been Weber's game coming into Friday, strikeouts continue not to be. After not registering a strikeout on Friday, Weber now possesses a 3.80 K/9 rate. He shouldn't be on your fantasy radar.

Pirates closer Mark Melancon allowed one run on two hits, striking out three in his inning of work to record his 51st save of the 2015 season.

He came on with a two-run lead, but allowed a double and a run-scoring triple before finishing off the 3-2 victory over the Cubs. Melancon has been money all season converting 51-of-53 save chances while compiling a tidy 1.95 ERA.

Mark Melancon continued to lay claim to the distinction of being the finest closer in the game Thursday by nailing down his 50th save in 52 tries. He retired Colorado in order and fanned two in the ninth to complete a key victory for the Pirates. He is the second National League closer to reach 50 over the last 12 years.

Pittsburgh clawed back from a 4-2 deficit entering the eighth inning to afford Melancon his second save opportunity of the series. Though he doesn't possess the swing-and-miss stuff of some of the league's other top-tier closers, Melancon's reliability with the game on the line has been unparalleled this season.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out one batter across a perfect ninth inning Thursday en route to his 34th save in a 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Jansen has been fantastic this season and might be the best closer in the league right now. Not only does he hold a minuscule 0.77 WHIP, he also has 78 strikeouts in just 49 1/3 innings.

With how rocky the rest of the Dodgers bullpen has been, they might need to rely on their starters going deep into games once the playoffs begin and hand the ball to Jansen in the ninth to have success.

Rockies pitcher John Axford was lit up for four runs on three hits and a walk while recording just one out in Wednesday's 13-7 loss to the Pirates. 

Axford entered the top of the ninth inning with the Rockies facing a 7-6 deficit, but quickly squandered any chance of a comeback by allowing a bases-clearing double to Sean Rodriguez.

The ugly outing was a rare misstep for Axford in the last few weeks, as he had given up only two runs over his previous 14 2/3 innings.

Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen secured his 33rd save Wednesday, allowing one hit over a scoreless inning en route to a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Jansen allowed an infield single to Ender Inciarte to begin his frame, but retired the next three hitters to quash the potential rally. The Dodgers closer hasn't recorded any strikeouts over his last two outings, but fantasy owners can hardly complain; Jansen boasts a 14.54 K/9 on the season.

Padres pitcher Craig Kimbrel (3-2) absorbed a blown save, but earned a win Wednesday night, giving up one earned run on a hit while striking out two in a 5-4 win over the Giants. 

Kimbrel's blown save came on a wild pitch, allowing Buster Posey to score and tie the game. The Padres would ultimately win on a walk-off Jedd Gyorko RBI single, awarding Kimbrel a victory as the pitcher of record.

Kimbrel's outings have come less frequently of late, making just six appearances thus far in September. The 27-year-old closer has pitched to a career-worst 2.72 ERA, but maintained an encouraging 13.01 K/9.