MLB Player News

Manager Bob Melvin announced Doval as the Giants closer after Wednesday's loss to the Tigers, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Ryan Walker opened the season as the club's primary closer, but Doval overcame a bumpy start to work his way into the mix with five saves. The right-hander hasn't recorded any saves since April 24, though he's tallied two wins and six holds in that stretch while being unscored upon in his past 19 appearances. Before faltering with a 4.88 ERA in 2024 and being removed from the closer role, Doval was a reliable ninth-inning option for the Giants with a 2.77 ERA and 69 saves across his first three MLB campaigns.

Manager Bob Melvin announced after Wednesday's loss to the Tigers that Walker is being demoted from the closer role in favor of Camilo Doval, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Walker pitched a scoreless eighth inning during Wednesday's 4-3 defeat and has converted his past three save chances, but he'll now be dropped from the closer committee after opening the campaign with a solo grip on the job. The right-hander has gone 10-for-12 in save opportunities, but his 4.95 ERA and 1.30 WHIP are a far cry from the 1.91 ERA he posted in 2024. Doval, who has recorded 97 saves since debuting for San Francisco in 2021, has rebounded from a down year in 2024 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB across 23.1 innings this season.

Montas (lat) is scheduled to make a rehab start with High-A Brooklyn on Thursday, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.

The right-hander covered 1.1 frames in his first rehab start with Brooklyn over the weekend, and he's set to build up to 30-to-35 pitches Thursday. Montas has been sidelined since mid-February due to the lat strain, so he'll likely require at least a couple more rehab outings after Thursday before making his 2025 debut for the Mets.

The Padres optioned Cruz to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

Cruz got his first big-league call Sunday since being optioned to El Paso on April 5, but the left-hander didn't take the mound during his three-game stint in San Diego. He'll cede his spot on the 26-man roster to make room for Kyle Hart to start Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

Garrett walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings to record his second save of the season in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the White Sox.

Edwin Diaz worked the night before and had pitched in three of the Mets' prior four games, so Garrett got the call again in a save situation and got the job done. Should Diaz be out of the picture for any length of time, Garrett seems set as the next man up in the ninth inning for the Mets, and through 23.2 innings this season he's delivered a dazzling 0.76 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 26:13 K:BB while collecting a win and 11 holds.

Romano struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his seventh save of the season in a 2-0 win over Atlanta.

After getting tagged for three runs and failing to close out a win over the A's in his last appearance May 23, Romano bounced back with a sharp performance that saw him fire eight of 11 pitches for strikes. That prior outing was the only time in May the right-hander has been scored upon, and through 9.2 innings on the month Romano sports a 2.79 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB while converting all five of his save chances.

Flexen (3-0) allowed an unearned run on one hit across two innings of relief to earn the win in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-innings victory over Colorado. He struck out one.

Flexen worked the 10th and 11th innings, and outside of allowing an automatic runner to score in the 11th, he managed to keep the Rockies at bay. The veteran righty has still yet to allow an earned run through seven appearances this season, allowing him to build trust as a reliable long-relief option out of Chicago's bullpen. Flexen worked mostly as a starter last year with the White Sox, though he managed just a 3-15 record overall.

Ginkel (0-3) allowed five runs on four hits and one walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

Ginkel entered after seven strong innings from Corbin Burnes, and Ginkel simply didn't have it. This was the second time this season he's given up five runs in an appearance. The right-hander, who was on the injured list for the first month, initially had issues coming off the IL but appeared to have righted himself. Ginkel threw five consecutive scoreless outings before picking up losses in his last two appearances. He has a 12.60 ERA and 2.10 WHIP over 10 innings this season.

Bednar struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

Bednar has earned three saves over his last four appearances. He had allowed a baserunner in each of his last three outings before Tuesday's clean inning. The right-hander is still on shaky ground, as he's been scored on in four of his 11 appearances in May, allowing five runs over 9.2 innings with a 15:2 K:BB. Overall, he has a 4.86 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB through 16.2 innings in the majors this season, and he's added six saves and three holds.

Estrada allowed a hit and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save in Tuesday's 8-6 win over the Marlins.

The Padres' bullpen was a little thin, as all of Robert Suarez, Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon had pitched Sunday and Monday. Estrada took care of business in a rare chance to close out a game, earning his first save of the season to go with 10 holds and two blown saves. He's had a bit of a bumpy stretch in May, allowing five runs (three earned) over 6.2 innings across his last eight appearances. Overall, he has a 2.59 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 37:7 K:BB through 24.1 innings this season, making him a trusted part of the setup crew.