MLB Player News

Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth inning in Los Angeles' 1-0 win over the Rockies on Sunday.

Jansen needed 12 pitches to get through the inning, including a 3-pitch strikeout of Wilin Rosario to end the game.

"I felt pumped up, both times out," Jansen said to MLB.com. "Today, it was my first time in the ninth, with a one-run lead, when you can't make a mistake. I felt great, felt pumped up, and did my job."

Jansen, who was named the team's closer by manager Don Mattingly earlier in the week, maintained his perfect 0.00 ERA in two innings of work.

"It's nice to have Kenley [for the ninth]. He's established, one of the tops in the league. You have that rock at the end of the game," Mattingly said.

Pirates reliever Mark Melancon (S, 9) allowed one hit and nothing else Sunday, nailing down the save against the Cubs.

Melancon did not walk a batter in the outing, now allowing five free passes in 18 1/3 innings of work this season.

Left-handed reliever Will Smith has been posting some interesting splits this season, dominating right-handed batters while being average against lefties, reports MLB.com.

Entering Sunday, Smith has held righties to an .087 batting average (2 for 23) and lefties to .286 (6 for 21). 

"I'll take Will Smith against any left-hander in the league, and that hasn't changed," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Maybe I'll try to extend him a little bit and give him full innings instead of trying to match him up so much. He's certainly capable of it." 

Smith pitched one inning in Sunday's loss to the Mets, retiring two lefties and one righty while not allowing a hit.

Braves starting pitcher Shelby Miller (5-1) did not allow a hit through 8 2/3 innings Sunday before the Marlins' Justin Bour smacked a single up the middle with two outs in the ninth to ruin the no-hit bid.

"He put a good swing on it," Miller said. "I wish it would have finished differently."

Miller had faced the minimum before Bour's hit. The right hander had walked Marcell Ozuna to lead off the second inning, but the centerfielder was erased on a double play.

"Obviously things didn't finish as we wanted to, but at the same time we got a sweep," Miller said. "In the end I had a lot of fun."

It appeared that the Marlins had a hit in the third inning when pitcher Henderson Alvarez initally beat out an infield chopper, but the call was overturned by replay.

Dee Gordon followed Bour with an infield hit before Miller got the final out -- ending the day with a two-hit shutout victory.

Miller fanned four and tossed 94 pitches in the gem. 

In his last three starts, Miller has allowed one run in 25 innings (0.36 ERA).

The last Braves' no-hitter was in April 1994 when Kent Mercker threw one in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Miller's next turn in the rotation is set for Saturday against the Brewers.

Diamondbacks pitcher David Hernandez (elbow) began a rehab assignment with high Class A Visalia Saturday, tossing a scoreless inning and striking out one.

Manager Chip Hale said Sunday that Hernandez's fastball ranged from 93 to 95 mph in the rehab debut, the Arizona Republic reports. The pitcher is slated to make three more appearances in the minors, including pitching on consecutive days, before being reassessed. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2013 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen impressed the coaching staff on Friday in his return to the mound. So much so, manager Don Mattingly thinks he will return to the closer very soon, according to MLB.com.

"He didn't look very rusty," Mattingly said. "That's a good feeling for him, a good feeling for us, and a good feeling for the club, too."

Jansen was expected to be eased into the closer role as he is working his way back from foot surgery.

"He's always been our closer," Mattingly said. "I don't know about tonight. We'll have a discussion. I want to talk to him and see if it was just as comfortable for him [Friday] as it looked to us."

Mets pitcher Vic Black allowed one run on two hits in one inning of work for Class A St. Lucie on Saturday.

Black, who is currently on the 15-day DL with a shoulder/neck injury, struggled with his command a bit, allowing a walk with a wild pitch on 21 pitches in his inning of work.

Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen, who was activated from the disabled list, struck out four -- including Carlos Gonzalez who reached on a passed ball -- and did not allow a hit in a scoreless eighth inning during Friday night's 6-4 win over the Rockies.

"It's nice to get one of the top of the closers in baseball back," manager Don Mattingly said, per the Los Angeles Times.

Mattingly revealed after the game that he wanted to get Jansen on the mound a few times in non-save situations before reinstating him as the closer.

Phillies reliever Luis Garcia pitched the final two innings for his first career save in Friday's win over Arizona. 

Garcia allowed one hit and struck out two, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to get a two-inning save since Ryan Madson, on September 29, 2009. 

The Dodgers have activated reliever Kenley Jansen from the 15-day disabled list, the team announced on Friday. Jansen has been out all season after undergoing surgery on his foot during the offseason. Manager Don Mattingly has already said he would ease Jansen back into the closer's role.

Reliever Daniel Coulombe was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Jansen on the 25-man roster.