MLB Player News

The Rangers added some bullpen depth Wednesday, receiving left-handed reliever Chris Rearick on a waiver claim from the Padres and assigning him to their Triple-A team, per the Dallas Morning News. 

Rearick made his MLB debut and appeared in five games with the Padres this season, allowing four runs in three innings. He was 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 37 games with Triple-A El Paso. 

Marlins left-hander Brad Hand was terrific in his start against the Pirates on Tuesday. Hand limited the Pirates to two runs on nine hits over eight-plus innings in the 5-2 victory.

Hand (4-3, 4.23 ERA) allowed a first-inning run on an RBI single by Aramis Ramirez. He kept the Pirates off the board after that. He began the ninth inning by allowing the first two men to reach safely. He was pulled for a reliever, who allowed one of those runs to score.

Hand is now 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA over his last five starts.

Three pitches, three outs. Such was the tidy mound work of Pirates closer Mark Melancon in Miami on Monday night.

Melancon arrived with two on and none out in the ninth. He induced two groundouts, including one double play, to notch his league-leading 40th save. He's on pace for 52 this season.

Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino will eventually give up a run. But opposing batters must be wondering when.

Vizcaino continued his tremendous roll Monday by shutting down Colorado for his fourth save since assuming the closer job. He retired the Rockies in order in the ninth.

The right-hander has not been scored upon over his last 13 2/3 innings covering 14 appearances. His ERA has shrunk to a microscopic 0.48.

The Dodgers announced Monday they have optioned reliever Yimi Garcia to Triple-A Oklahoma City and expect to activate pitcher Juan Nicasio upon the completion of his 15-day disabled list stint. 

Garcia is 3-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 46 appearances this season, including one save and one start. Nicasio is 1-3 with one save and a 3.06 ERA in 38 games. 

Pirates closer Mark Melancon arrived on the mound Sunday with a three-run lead.

Game over.

Arguably the best closer in the sport notched his league-high 39th save in 41 opportunities by shutting down the Giants with no problems in the ninth. He retired them in order and finished with a flourish on a strikeout of Marlon Byrd.

Melancon, who had struggled a bit in early August, has strung together five straight scoreless appearances.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen had been lights-out for most of the season, going into Sunday with a streak of 17 straight saves, but was victimized by a game-tying RBI single in the ninth inning of the team's eventual loss to the Astros. 

Jansen, who suffered just his second blown save of the season, allowed a leadoff single to Carlos Correa, who then stole second base. With two outs in the inning, Marwin Gonzalez singled to right to tie the game. 

Jansen has allowed 10 earned runs in 35 appearances this season, with four of them getting charged to his ledger over the past 10 games. 

Reds rookie starter Raisel Iglesias had electric stuff Sunday, striking out 13 batters, but it wasn't enough to prevent him from picking up a defeat in his team's 4-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. 

Iglesias fell just two strikeouts short of the franchise record and had the most by a Reds rookie pitcher since 1967, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Reds from dropping their ninth straight contest. 

Over his seven innings of work, Iglesias gave up just three hits and two runs (one earned), but fell to 3-5 on the season. He did lower his ERA to 3.93, however. 

Phillies closer Ken Giles closed out his team's tight win over the Marlins with a perfect inning Sunday, to pick up his 10th save of the season. 

Giles retired the side in order, with one strikeout, for his third straight 1-2-3 frame. He remains perfect on save opportunities this season and has lowered his ERA to 1.63. 

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who is nursing a shoulder injury, threw with good velocity in a pregame session on Saturday, per Cincinnati.com.

“He’s day-to-day,” manager Bryan Price said. “It’s impossible for me to say if he’s available (Saturday). We’re always kicking the tires. It’s one of those things that doesn’t necessitate a (disabled list move). It’s one of those things where we’re going to eventually say he’s ready for the game today.”