MLB Player News

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was called on to get Johnny Cueto out of a jam late Friday, in a 6-2 win over the Giants.

Chapman entered the game with one out in the ninth and runners on first and second, but was able to extricate himself from the problem quickly. He retired the first batter on a fielder's choice, and then ended the game with a strikeout, for his 16th save of the season.

Chapman needed just nine pitches to end the game, a good sign as he was working for the third straight day. He is now 16 for 17 on save chances, with a 2.38 ERA in 22 2/3 innings. 

The Cardinals are cautiously optimistic that Shelby Miller will be able to return to the mound Sunday against the Dodgers, but a final decision will likely wait until Saturday.

Miller tossed a bullpen session Friday in Los Angeles, and did not report any issues with the back injury that forced him out of his last outing. Still, the injury is not completely gone, which is why manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com he will wait to see how Miller responds Saturday before confirming him for the start Sunday.

"We've been very optimistic as to how he's progressing, but we'll continue to watch," Matheny said. "We're going to need him to feel pretty good in order to move in the direction that we're going to be able to have him start. We'll just see what he says, see how that's interpreted by the medical team, and then make a decision."

Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly tossed 41 pitches in his first minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis Friday.

Kelly threw 21 of those pitches for strikes across his two-inning start, as he begins to work his way back from a hamstring injury. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks,w hile striking out three batters in the game.

He will likely need multiple outings, as he has not pitched since mid-April. Kelly told the Memphis Commercial appeal (via MLB.com) that he did not feel the injury while pitching, but admitted his stamina is not where he wants it to be.

"Grade it about a 'C'," he said. "I could pass for those two innings. Wasn't where I wanted it to be."

Pirates closer Mark Melancon bounced back from a pair of subpar outings with an easy ninth inning Thursday, in a 5-2 win over the Mets.

Melancon retired the Mets' hitters in order on just seven pitches, though he did not strike out a single batter for the second straight appearance. He is now 14 for 17 on save chances, with a 2.41 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 37 1/3 innings.  

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen closed out a 1-0 win over the Cardinals with little drama Thursday.  

Though Jansen did allow a one-out single to Matt Adams, pinch-hitter Peter Bourjos ran Jansen out of trouble with a caught stealing. Jansen closed the game out one batter later, finishing the inning with one strikeout on nine pitches thrown.

Jansen has had his struggles this season, but still ranks second in the National League with 24 saves. He has a 4.01 ERA in 33 2/3 innings of work, with 56 strikeouts and 11 walks. 

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman closed out a 3-1 win over the Giants Thursday.

Chapman closed out the game on just 10 pitches, as he tossed a scoreless ninth despite allowing one hit. He struck out one batter and ended the game without issue for his 15th save.

Chapman has allowed six runs in 22 innings, while striking out 44 batters, and is now 15 for 16 on save attempts. 

The Mets grew frustrated with pitcher Rafael Montero 's approach in the majors, according to the New York Daily News.

Montero was known for his strong command in the minors, but that didn't come out in his brief major-league stint. Some team officials were disappointed he tried to nibble on the corners, which led to his demotion. "We’re trying to figure out what the hell that was all about," one Mets person said. "We were shocked."

Montero posted a 5.40 ERA over 20 innings in the majors prior to his demotion.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman closed out a 4-1 win over the Cubs with little drama Wednesday.

Chapman allowed a two-out double to Justin Ruggiano, but the big lead meant he didn't have much to worry about. He fanned the final batter he faced to finish out the save.

Chapman is 13 for 14 in save opportunities this season, with a 2.57 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 21 innings. 

I've held out as long as I could knowing the upside and the weight of my investment, but enough is enough: Shelby Miller no longer has a place on my mixed-league rosters.

I thought he was making progress. I thought he had tweaked his arsenal enough that the improved control we saw during a five-start stretch from May 17 to June 7, culminating in a complete-game shutout at Toronto, would bring him back to his former dominance, short-lived as it was.

But in three starts since, he has issued 12 walks over 16 innings, striking out just 13.

Granted, the last one -- which was also the worst -- came at Colorado, and pitchers usually get a pass there, but five walks in 2 2/3 innings is unacceptable regardless of the environment. And it only validated the concerns I had about his previous two starts.

As always for posts like this one, I feel the need to clarify that giving up on Miller now isn't the same as giving up on him forever. He's still young and talented and blah, blah, blah. But with this latest start, I think we've finally reached the point where if you drop Miller, you either won't miss him or you'll have another shot at him later. If the point of a bench spot is to protect what you fear losing to someone else, he's undeserving of one.

Nationals pitcher Blake Treinen is expected to start one of the team's games Saturday, according to MLB.com.

The club has a double-header against the Cubs, and will call up Treinen for the start. He's posted a 2.08 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the majors this year.