MLB Player News

Casparius is in line to serve as the bulk reliever for the Dodgers on Monday in Miami behind opening pitcher Jack Dreyer, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Casparius hasn't pitched in more than a week, having struck out five over 3.2 scoreless innings on April 27 against the Pirates. He threw a season-high 54 pitches in that outing but has been used primarily as a starter throughout his minor-league career. Casparius could earn additional bulk relief outings and/or traditional starts as the Dodgers navigate injuries to Clayton Kershaw (toe), Blake Snell (shoulder), and Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) and continue to wait on Shohei Ohtani being available to pitch.

Dreyer will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher in Monday's game against the Marlins, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ben Casparius is expected to eat the bulk of the innings in relief, but he'll be preceded by Dreyer. The left-handed Dreyer has been excellent on the whole this season but has struggled lately, allowing six runs over his last four appearances.

The Cardinals recalled Graceffo from Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Graceffo registered his first major-league win last week, when he tossed five innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds. He will be available in long relief again for the Cardinals on Monday as the club opens its series with the Pirates.

The Mets promoted McLean from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, John Sparaco of SI.com reports.

Selected as a two-way player with the No. 91 overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, McLean has been focusing exclusively on pitching since the middle of the 2024 season. He's solidified himself as one of the top prospects in the Mets organization after getting hot a hot start to the 2025 campaign, having compiled a 1.37 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 30:12 K:BB over 26.1 innings with Binghamton. McLean will be part of a talented Syracuse rotation that also includes buzzy prospects in Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell, the latter of whom made his MLB debut Sunday before being optioned back to Triple-A.

Finnegan struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Sunday to record his 11th save of the season in a win over the Reds.

The right-hander had trouble protecting a 4-1 lead, fanning Gavin Lux and Jose Trevino to end the game. Finnegan has been his usual reliable self as closer despite not re-signing with the Nationals until late February, converting 11-of-13 save chances with a 2.63 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB through 13.2 innings to begin the season.

The Cardinals will recall Graceffo from Triple-A Memphis prior to Monday's game against the Pirates, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Presumably, he will take the roster spot of Michael McGreevy, who is expected to be sent back down to Memphis. Graceffo picked up a win out of the bullpen last week in Cincinnati with five innings of one-run ball and is eligible to be recalled because he was the 27th man for a doubleheader that day. He will serve in a long relief role.

Montas (lat) remains on track to return from the 60-day injured list to make his Mets debut in early June, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.

Signed to a one-year deal by the Mets in December, Montas didn't make it out of spring training before suffering a high-grade right lat strain. The 32-year-old has yet to begin a rehab assignment, but he's thrown two bullpen sessions thus far and could soon be ready to face live hitters.

Bender (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the A's, giving up a run on two hits in an inning of relief. He struck out two.

Entering a 2-2 tie to begin the ninth inning, Bender served up a one-out triple to rookie Nick Kurtz before Tyler Soderstrom ripped an RBI single back up the middle. Jesus Tinoco worked a scoreless seventh inning and Calvin Faucher a clean eighth, and while it's encouraging the manager Clayton McCullough held Bender back for a potential save situation in the ninth, the right-hander's performance of late hasn't warranted that trust. Bender's been tagged for a run in four of his last nine appearances, posting a 4.15 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 8:5 K:BB in 8.2 innings over that stretch with two losses and two blown saves against zero saves and just one hold.

Romero averaged 95.3 mph during a scoreless appearance Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader versus the Mets, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Romero was called upon in the eighth inning with two runners on, the Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead and Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo due up. After walking Soto to load the bases, Romero struck out Alonso looking and then got Nimmo to fly out to end the frame. The left-hander has spent extra time in the weight room recently in hopes of regaining some velocity and swing-and-miss, and he's now turned in three straight scoreless appearances while striking out three of nine batters faced.

Johnson struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings Sunday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Dodgers.

The right-hander was expected to be one of Atlanta's top setup men this season, but a bumpy beginning to 2025 moved him down the bullpen hierarchy -- Johnson entered the game in the sixth inning Sunday. He appears to have turned things around however, delivering six straight scoreless appearances with a win, two holds and a 7:0 K:BB.