MLB Player News

Funny the way things change.

When Jason Grilli hurt his forearm midway through last season, it was something just short of a disaster in Fantasy. He was the darling late-rounder whose rapid rise was as surprising as the Pirates' as a whole, giving him numbers on par with -- or perhaps better than -- Joe Nathan, Aroldis Chapman and even Craig Kimbrel.

Granted, Mark Melancon thrived in his absence, recording 14 saves with a 1.99 ERA in 23 appearances from the time Grilli went down to the time he returned, but he didn't quite dominate the way Grilli did and was, at that time, considered inferior.

Flash forward nearly a year, and Fantasy owners couldn't be more excited to see Melancon back in the role. Grilli just hasn't been the same since the forearm injury -- Fantasy owners came to realize it well before the Pirates did -- and once again, Melancon is thriving with a 1.89 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He even got 10 saves earlier this year when Grilli missed time with a strained oblique, eliminating any shred of doubt he could handle the role.

While most every reliever who inherits the closer role midseason brings some measure of uncertainty to it, Melancon looks like a safe bet. Make him a priority off the waiver wire.

Clint Hurdle has announced that Mark Melancon is the new closer for the Pirates. He is the logical candidate with experience in that role. Jason Grilli has been ousted.

"We're very comfortable with what (he) can do in (the ninth inning)," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Melancon locked down 10 of 12 save chances through May before Grilli returned from injury. He has continued his effectiveness in a late-inning role, having pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings on just one hit and fanning nine.

Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly is hoping to begin a rehab assignment next week, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Kelly is coming back from a hamstring issue. He said he probably won't run at 100 percent the rest of the season. Kelly threw a bullpen session Wednesday. He'll head to the minors as a starter in order to build up his arm. 

Diamondbacks pitcher Daniel Hudson has been moved to the 60-day disabled list.

Hudson had Tommy John surgery last season, and has been rehabbing. There's some hope he can return to the majors before the end of the season. Hudson hasn't pitched since 2012 due to having two separate Tommy John surgeries. 

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel shut the door on his 21st save Thursday, in a 3-0 win over the Nationals.

Kimbrel allowed one base runner by way of a walk, but was never in much trouble. He struck out two batters for the win, his fifth straight successful save.

Kimbrel has 21 saves in 24 chances on the season, to go with 52 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings of work.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller was not at his best Thursday night against the Phillies, dropping to 7-6 on the year. The right-hander permitted four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over 6 2/3 innings of a 4-1 defeat.

Over his last three starts covering 22 1/3 innings, Miller has allowed only five earned runs. He owns a 3.56 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP through 15 starts (91 innings). He will make his next start Tuesday at Colorado.

Cardinals starting pitcher Joe Kelly told MLB.com that he hopes to go on a Minor League rehab assignment as early as next week. Kelly also threw another side session Thursday without any reported issues.

Kelly has been sidelined since mid-April while recovering from a hamstring injury, and he'll likely need multiple rehab appearances before returning to the major-league team. He could be back in the majors in approximately two to three weeks.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen secured his 20th save Tuesday, giving up two hits and striking out two in his team's 4-2 win over the Rockies.

Jansen ran into trouble immediately, giving up singles to the first two batters he faced, but he was able to retire the next three batters to squash the potential rally, with the last two outs coming via strikeout. Jansen owns a 3.72 ERA and 49:11 K:BB ratio in 29 innings.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman earned his 12th save Tuesday after giving up one hit and one walk in a scoreless ninth inning and striking out two in his team's 6-5 win over the Pirates.

Chapman has been in a groove in June, giving up two hits and two walks in eight scoreless innings while racking up 17 strikeouts. He wasn't quite as good in May, but he still owns an excellent 1.06 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 33:5 K:BB ratio in 17 innings.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said starting pitcher Joe Kelly (hamstring) could be back in the majors in "two to three weeks," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kelly is expected to need a rehab assignment before returning.