MLB Player News

Diamondbacks pitcher Rubby De La Rosa served up home runs to Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford, but still managed to escape with a win despite a rough outing against the Giants on Tuesday.

De La Rosa, who made his season debut, was shelled for six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five over 5 1/3 innings of a 7-6 victory. Of his 92 pitches, 56 were strikes. He starts the year with a 10.13 ERA.

De La Rosa will make his second start of the year Monday at San Diego. He went 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA last season away from home as a member of the Red Sox.

Padres closer Craig Kimbrel acknowledged he was caught off guard on Sunday when he was traded from Atlanta to San Diego before Opening Day, per MLB.com.

"It did catch me a little off-guard," Kimbrel said. "It was shocking that it was a day before Opening Day, and it wasn't something you are expecting.

"You can tell this organization is going after it, it's not a few-years deal, it's right now. As a player, that's exciting," Kimbrel said. "You don't know how long you're going to play this game.
"[Being here] you could tell everyone is excited ... from the front office to the players. That gets me excited. I'm ready to get the ball and get started."

Last year, Kimbrel joined Trevor Hoffman (1998-2001, 2004-07) and Francisco Rodriguez (2005-08) as the only pitchers to secure 40-plus saves in four consecutive seasons. No closer has reached 40-plus saves in five straight seasons.

"What he's done in his career, the last four years, speaks for itself. He's a legitimate ninth-inning guy. A four-time All-Star, a big arm, an impact bullpen guy. ... He makes us better," manager Bud Black said. "When it first came to pass, it jars you a little bit. You feel good about it and you feel good about it for the team. It's a big lift to us in a lot of ways."

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is making progress in his recovery from foot surgery. 

Jansen underwent surgery to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot in mid-February. He was in a walking boot for part of spring training. 

Jansen told reporters on Tuesday that he was pain free and might be able to throw a bullpen session in two weeks, per MLB.com.

He expects to be able to pitch in a game again by mid-May, per the Los Angeles Times.

The Mets transferred pitcher Josh Edgin to the 60-day disabled list Monday. Edgin will miss the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Mets normal closer Jenrry Mejia dealing with an elbow injury, the door may be open to Jeurys Familia as the team's new closer, manager Terry Collins said Monday per ESPN.com.

Mejia felt stiffness in his elbow while warming up Monday and was unable to enter the game.

"He couldn't get it loose," Collins said. "With what we've seen right now, and with what he's had in the past, we had to shut him down."

Familia would slide into the closer's role with Carlos Torrestaking over the set up role in the eighth. Familia posted a 2-5 record in 2014 with five saves and a 2.21 ERA in 77 1/3 innings.

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.