MLB Player News

Rodriguez earned a save against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, allowing two hits and striking out two batters over two scoreless innings.

Rodriguez entered in the eighth inning and quickly got into trouble by allowing back-to-back singles to start the frame, but he recovered by retiring the next three batters without letting any runs cross the plate. With primary closer Mason Miller unavailable after having pitched each of the previous two days, Rodriguez returned for the ninth inning and had a much smoother go, retiring the side in order on 12 pitches. The save was Rodriguez's second of the season, both of which have come over his past five appearances. With those two saves and four holds over his past 12 outings -- and a minuscule 0.63 ERA along with a 19:1 K:BB across 14.1 frames during that span -- it's clear that Rodriguez has become a trusted high-leverage arm in the Padres' bullpen. However, Miller is immensely secure in his closer role, so any future save opportunities Rodriguez receives will likely be dependent on Miller being unavailable.

Graceffo will draw the start Thursday against the Orioles in what's expected to be a bullpen game for the Cardinals, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Graceffo is a former starting pitcher, but he's been a full-time reliever in 2026 and hasn't thrown more than 28 pitches in any of his last eight appearances. Once Graceffo exits the game after likely pitching the first inning or two, the Cardinals will lean on a collection of relievers as they aim to avoid a series sweep.

The Cardinals placed Strzelecki on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right forearm extensor inflammation.

Strzelecki has been worked hard by the Cardinals this month, throwing 30-plus pitches in all six of his appearances, so it's not terribly surprising he's now hurt. It's unclear how much time the reliever will miss.

The Cardinals selected Winquest's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

Winquest made the Yankees' Opening Day roster as a Rule 5 pick, but he was returned to the Cardinals before making an appearance. The 26-year-old right-hander got off to a slow start this season and missed some time with an undisclosed injury, but he's been locked in since the calendar flipped to August, tossing 10.1 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and a 17:5 K:BB. Winquest will be making his major-league debut when he enters a game.

Ashcraft (elbow) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

Ashcraft opened a rehab assignment and is scheduled to pitch at least two more games for the Bats on Friday and Sunday, per MLB.com. The right-hander has been out of action since May 29, when he suffered a right UCL strain.

Scott (1-5) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning.

Scott entered the ninth inning of a tie game and retired the first two batters before Lane Thomas doubled to put the winning run in scoring position. Los Angeles elected to intentionally walk Austin Riley before Ha-Seong Kim ended the game with a walk-off RBI single. It marked Scott's second consecutive loss after he also surrendered the winning run Tuesday. Outside of those two appearances, he has allowed just two runs across 13.2 innings in the second half. Scott owns a 2.50 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 65:12 K:BB across 54 innings this season while recording 19 saves and 12 holds

Gordon (1-4) earned the win Wednesday, striking out five batters and allowing one earned run on six hits and no walks across seven innings against the Nationals.

Making his second straight turn through the rotation after a nearly month-long stint in the bullpen, Gordon delivered his best performance of the season for his first win. The 28-year-old fired a season-high seven frames after he was promoted back to being a starter last week after Colorado released Michael Lorenzen. Gordon now has a 2.68 ERA over 40.1 innings away from Coors Field this year, though his next start lines up to come at home versus Baltimore.

Fairbanks received injections to alleviate nerve irritation in his right hand after visiting a specialist Tuesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Fairbanks will head to the Marlins' facility in Jupiter, Fla. to conduct his rehab after he landed on the injured list Tuesday for the second time this season due to nerve-related issues. He'll wait a few days for the injections to take effect before being re-evaluated, at which point he could be cleared to start throwing again. While Fairbanks is on the shelf, the Marlins will likely take a committee approach to the ninth inning, with Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher representing two potential candidates to receive save chances.

Pagan gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his 17th save of the season in a 10-9 win over the Giants.

It looked like the veteran right-hander would get the afternoon off as the Reds headed into the ninth down 9-3, but a shocking seven-run rally created a save situation for Pagan, which he breezed through on 16 pitches (11 strikes). Pagan has been scored upon just once in his last 14 appearances, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 15:1 K:BB in 14 innings over that stretch while converting all 10 of his save opportunities and picking up three wins along the way.

Banks (forearm) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Banks is ready to take the next step in his recovery from a strained left forearm. The Phillies will presumably have the southpaw make a handful of appearances in the minors before considering reinstating him from the injured list. Banks has been shelved since early July but is on track to rejoin Philadelphia's bullpen at some point in mid-to-late September.