MLB Player News

The Mets announced starting pitcher Bartolo Colon was a late scratch for Monday's start against the Cubs, as he left the team to be with his critically ill mother. The team announced Carlos Torres would start in Colon's absence Monday.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel made quick work of the A's on Sunday for the save. He struck out two and needed only nine pitches to close out a perfect ninth inning for a 4-3 win. He has converted 37 of 41 save chances, with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP over 50 innings of relief.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman had a nightmare of an outing, coughing up four runs on no hits and four walks in the ninth against the Rockies in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday.

Chapman walked the bases loaded before leaving the game. J.J. Hoover came in for the closer and coughed up three more runs, which was charged to Chapman. A trainer came to check on Chapman, but he appeared to be fine, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Chapman owns a 2.82 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over 38 1/3 innings of relief.

Mets rookie starting pitcher Rafael Montero had one of the best starts of his young MLB career Sunday against the Cubs. However, he walked away with a no-decision as he got little run support in a 2-1 win for Chicago.

Montero allowed just one run on five hits and two walks in 7 1/3 innings. The only run he gave up was on a two-out single to Luis Valbuena in the fourth inning. He finished with six strikeouts.

He was on the hook for the loss until New York tied the game in the eighth inning. Chicago won the game with a solo home run from Starlin Castro in the ninth.

Montero is winless in his first six MLB starts. He's allowed one run twice. As of now, Montero's next start is lined up for for Saturday against the Dodgers. However, he could be skipped due to Thursday's off-day or bumped from the rotation with Jacob deGrom close to coming off the disabled list.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller didn't factor into the decision Saturday, giving up four earned runs on four hits and six walks in six innings and striking out five in his team's 9-5 loss to the Padres.

Miller had been doing a better job with his control in recent starts, walking only three batters in his last four outings combined. He set a season-high in walks Saturday but was still in line for a win until the bullpen surrendered a grand slam in the seventh inning. Miller owns a 4.25 ERA and 95:64 K:BB ratio in 139 2/3 innings. He's scheduled to face the Phillies Friday.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel picked up his 36th save Saturday, issuing a walk in a scoreless ninth inning to finish off his team's 4-3 win over the A's.

Kimbrel failed to strike out a batter in the inning, making it his first appearance with no strikeouts since June 29. He owns a 1.84 ERA and 80:22 K:BB ratio in 49 innings.

Pirates pitcher Justin Wilson was stuck with a walkoff loss Saturday, giving up one hit and one walk in his team's 4-3 defeat against the Nationals.

Wilson (3-3) walked the first batter he faced, and the runner moved to second on a wild pitch. The reliever then surrendered a game-ending ground-rule double to right field to the next batter, ending his night without recording an out. Wilson owns a 4.75 ERA and 48:26 K:BB ratio in 47 1/3 innings.

The return to the rotation of Henderson Alvarez for the Marlins means that rookie Brad Hand or veteran Brad Penny will be out. The decision as to which Brad will be dispatched to the bullpen has yet to be made.

Off-days will allow Mike Redmond to stall and use both in relief for a while.

"Probably just a feel thing I guess," Redmond told the Miami Herald when asked about his potential choice. "Gives us a couple days to think about it. I was hoping for one of them to really make a clear and easy decision. So do we go with a guy that has experience, or a young guy?"

Hand has performed bettery, though Penny has had just two starts. The latter yielded four runs in five innings in the second of those two outings while Hand has pitched will over his last six starts aside from a clunker on Aug. 10.

Jimmy Nelson tossed a strong start Friday against the Dodgers.

Nelson allowed two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked one during the outing. Yasiel Puig proved to be a thorn in his side throughout the night. He singled in a run in the first inning, giving the Dodgers the lead. Puig would do the same thing in the fifth inning, driving in another run.

The Brewers mounted a comeback in the eighth inning to take the lead, giving Nelson a no-decision. He fell to 2-4. Nelson will take on the Pirates in his next start.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman picked up his 26th save Friday.

Chapman entered with a one-run lead, and managed to make things interesting. With one out, Chapman put the tying run on via the walk. He managed to escape a possible jam by inducing an inning-ending lineout.