MLB Player News

Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning Monday to earn is first save of the season in Cincinnati's 5-2 win over the Pirates Monday.

Chapman struck out the first two hitters he faced, the first on just three pitches, before forcing a pop out to right field to end the game.

Phillies pitcher Jake Diekman had an afternoon to forget during Monday's 8-0 loss to the Red Sox. 

Diekman came in relief during the ninth inning with the Phillies trailing 4-0. He then gave up a single to Allen Craig and walked Mookie Betts before striking out Dustin Pedroia for his lone out of the inning. 

Diekman then walked Mike Napoli to load the bases. Hanley Ramirez then hit a grand slam in the next at-bat. Diekman was then replaced by Cesar Jimenez. 

"I felt good," Diekman said, via MLB.com. "But when pitches are belt high, they're going to hit them no matter what. I just need to get the ball down more. I mean, everything was up. That slider was pretty much right where it needed to be for a homer. It was hung really, really bad."

Since Diekman only pitched one-third of an inning, his ERA is a monstrous 108.00 to start the season. 

Mets reliever Rafael Montero will initially fill a long relief role, manager Terry Collins said Monday. Montero, who was up for a rotation spot this spring, will not pitch in high-leverage or late-inning situations at the outset of the season.

“Right now, I think we need to get his feet wet first,” Collins said, per ESPN. “So I think we’ll put him in somewhat of that longer role of where if you needed two innings, he certainly has the capability of doing it. They tried to do that a long time ago with some young pitchers throughout baseball. Once they get their feet wet and they start to get confidence, you can put them wherever you want and you can get outs.”

The Mets placed four pitchers on the 15-day disabled list Sunday including: Vic Black (shoulder), Josh Edgin (Tommy John), Bobby Parnell (Tommy John) and Zack Wheeler (Tommy John), retro to March 27, the team announced.

Wheeler and Edgin underwent Tommy John surgery last month and are expected to miss the 2015 season while recovering from the injury.

The Dodgers placed pitchers Kenley Jansen, Hyun-Jin Ryu  and Brandon League on the 15-day disabled list to begin the season, according to SB Nation's True Blue LA. 

Jansen is recovering from foot surgery on Feb. 17, Ryu has left shoulder inflammation and League has right shoulder inflammation. League is the most likely of the three to endure a longer recovery period. 

Ryu is hoping to come back in late April and Jansen is expecting to return in early May. 

The Padres have optioned pitchers Brandon Maurer and Kevin Quackenbush to Triple-A El Paso, the team announced Sunday.

Quackenbush was competing for a role in the bullpen, but San Diego acquired closer Craig Kimbrel Sunday, forcing an arm out of the selection. He posted a 3.72 ERA with nine strikeouts and two walks in 10 appearances this spring. Maurer posted a 3.86 ERA with five strikeouts and one walk in seven spring training appearances.

The Padres and Braves have an agreement in place for a trade that would send closer Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton to San Diego for Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin, Matt Wisler, Jordan Paroubeck and the No. 41 overall pick in next year's draft, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. The teams later confirmed the report.

Kimbrel led the league in saves in 2014 with 47 and a 1.61 ERA in 61 2/3 innings pitched. Upton will join his brother, Justin, in San Diego. He hit .208 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 519 at-bats in 2014.

The Braves are also expected to designate Quentin for assignment after the trade, according to Heyman. Quentin hit .177 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 130 at-bats in 2014.

The Giants have included infielder Matt Duffy and pitchers Jean Machi and George Kontos on the Opening Day roster, the team announced Sunday.

Machi and Kontos could eventually be battling for the same bullpen spot, but the team has decided to carry 13 pitchers at the beginning of the season. Duffy earns a bench spot over Ehire Adrianza after hitting .361/.400/.639 with three home runs in 61 spring at-bats.

Adrianza was designated for assignment Sunday.

The Dodgers announced their final roster moves Saturday with Paco Rodriguez, Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez all earning spots in Los Angeles' bullpen, according to the L.A. Times.

Rodriguez did not allow a run in 10 2/3 innings pitched this spring with 13 strikeouts and zero walks. Garcia posted a 0.79 ERA with 15 strikeouts and two walks in 11 1/3 innings pitched while Baez posted a 5.40 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.

The Diamondbacks have placed pitcher Patrick Corbin (elbow), pitcher David Hernandez (elbow), catcher Oscar Hernandez (wrist), pitcher Matt Stites (elbow) and pitcher Bronson Arroyo (elbow) on the disabled list, the team announced Saturday.