MLB Player News

Pirates closer Mark Melancon suffered his first blown save and first loss of the season in a ninth-inning meltdown on Tuesday. 

Melancon started the ninth inning, nursing an 8-6 lead. The first four batters he faced reached base, on a walk and three hits. Melancon gave up three runs on three hits, including a double. He walked two, struck out one and saw his ERA swell to 8.53.

"He never threw the curve for a strike," Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro said. "(We had to) be ready for the cutter and the fastball.''

Diamondbacks pitcher David Hernandez is expected to throw in an extended spring training game on Saturday, reports FOX Sports Arizona. The 29-year-old missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He remains hopeful of a return in May.

As expected, the Mets promoted catcher prospect Kevin Plawecki and reliever Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. 

The Mets also added catcher Travis d'Arnaud (finger) and reliever Jerry Blevins (arm) to the 15-day disabled list, while moving Zack Wheeler (elbow) from the 15-day to 60-day disabled list.

The Mets will promote catcher Kevin Plawecki and reliever Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, the team announced Monday. The team will also transfer Zack Wheeler (elbow) to the 60-day disabled list.

Plawecki and Robles are being called up due to injuries to Travis d'Arnaud and Jerry Blevins. D'Arnaud is expected to miss at least a month due to a metacarpal fracture of the little finger of his right hand. Blevins has a distal radius fracture of the left arm and will miss more than six weeks.

Plawecki is considered the 63rd-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com and Baseball America. He is batting .216 (8 for 37) with one triple, two doubles and six RBI in nine games for Triple-A Las Vegas. 

Robles is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in five relief outings for Las Vegas. He has 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.

Mets pitcher Vic Black has been diagnosed with a small disk herniation in the right side of his neck, the team announced Monday.

The injury is causing triceps muscle weakness in the pitcher, who has been sidelined since mid-March due to a shoulder injury. Despite the additional injury, the Mets say that he has improved since his previous exam. He'll undergo therapy and be re-examined in one week.

Rafael Betancourt has appeared in six games for the Rockies this season. In five of them, he pitched the eighth inning. 

Betancourt appeared to be getting a chance to close, when he earned a save on April 13, but since then, he's appeared twice, both times in the eighth inning. More importantly, since then, Adam Ottavino has earned two saves. 

The Mets recalled reliever Hansel Robles Sunday night to provide relief to a bullpen that took a major blow when Jerry Blevins broke his forearm in Sunday's victory over the Marlins, per the New York Post. 

Robles allowed six hits in 7 2/3 innings of work thus far in Triple-A Las Vegas, posting an 0.00 ERA while striking out 10 batters. 

Not only are the Mets dealing with Blevins' injury, but also issues with Vic Black (shoulder), Josh Edgin (Tommy John surgery) and Jennry Mejia (suspension). 

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said that pitchers Patrick Corbin and David Hernandez are scheduled to throw live batting practice on Tuesday, reports AZCentral.com.

It'll be the first time either pitcher will face real hitters since their Tommy John surgeries.

Mets pitcher Vic Black will undergo an MRI due to continued soreness in the shoulder and neck region, The Star-Ledger reports.

General manager Sandy Alderson indicated that Black is also dealing with another issue he can't pinpoint, so the team will turn to more testing to try and discover the issue. Black had been on a Class A rehab assignment but appears to be headed for a longer time on the disabled list than previously believed.

Pirates closer Mark Melancon picked up his second save Sunday, giving up one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to finish off his team's 5-2 win over the Brewers.

"I know … strange, huh?" Melancon said to MLB.com. "But there really isn't an adjustment to make because every time I go in there, I treat it as a save situation, no matter what the score is."

Melancon has had his issues over the first two weeks, but he was able to work quickly Sunday, picking up a save after throwing just eight pitches.

"I don't really pay a whole lot of attention to velocity," said Melancon. "It's more about location and results. Velocity isn't something I'm worried about. It's early in the season. Generally, in the past my speed has been slower early -- then it climbs throughout the year."

He owns a 5.06 ERA and 3:1 K:BB ratio in 5 1/3 innings.