MLB Player News

The Reds designated Kelly for assignment Thursday.

Kelly had one terrific outing and one poor one with the Reds in his first major-league action since 2018. He's being sent out in favor of a much-needed fresh arm in Brandon Leibrandt.

Bednar (3-7) was charged with the loss and a blown save after he allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks across 0.2 innings Wednesday against the Cubs.

Bednar was tasked with protecting a two-run lead to begin the ninth inning. He allowed a trio of singles, the final of which was a two-run knock with the bases loaded. Since the start of August, Bednar has allowed at least one earned run in seven of his 11 appearances and a total of 13 earned runs across 10.2 frames. Aroldis Chapman was also hit hard Wednesday but has pitched better than Bednar in the second half, and he could be in line for save chances in the final month of the regular season.

Kopech picked up the save over the Orioles on Wednesday, striking out two over a perfect ninth inning.

Kopech entered the contest with a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth and retired the first two batters on strikes before getting Adley Rutschman to pop out to second for the final out of the game. The save was the right-hander's 12th of the season and the third in his last six appearances. Kopech has only allowed one run in 12.1 innings (12 appearances) this month, posting a 0.76 ERA in August to go along with a 16:3 K:BB. He's also recorded two strikeouts in back-to-back appearances and in three of his last four overall.

Martinez picked up the save over the Mets on Wednesday, pitching a perfect ninth inning while striking out one.

Martinez entered the contest in the top of the ninth, right after Arizona had just taken a three-run lead on an eighth-inning rally. He then needed just nine pitches to retire the side and secure his seventh save of the campaign. The right-handed reliever has now converted each of his last seven save opportunities, all of which have come in August. Martinez has also recorded at least one strikeout in six-consecutive outings and in 11 of 12 appearances this month.

Diaz (5-3) blew the save and was charged with the loss against Arizona on Wednesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on one hit and two walks over one-third of an inning.

Diaz took over for Phil Maton with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth and proceeded to walk the first two batters before surrendering a grand slam to Corbin Carroll. This would put Arizona on top 8-5, leading to the right-hander suffering a second loss in his last two appearances. It marked Diaz's sixth blown save of the season and his first since July 7 against the Pirates. He's now allowed a home run in back-to-back outings and currently holds a 6.75 ERA in August to go along with an 11:3 K:BB over 6.2 frames.

Finnegan earned a save against the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in one inning.

Finnegan was called upon in the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead. He started the frame in shaky fashion, allowing a single and a walk to the first two batters he faced to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. However, Finnegan bounced back to retire the next three batters without allowing a run to score. The save was his third in the past four days and his 34th of the season, third most in the majors.

Williams (shoulder) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Giants.

Williams hadn't pitched in a week due to shoulder soreness. His last outing was a blown save last Wednesday versus the Cardinals that saw him walk three batters. For the year, Williams is at a 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB with six saves in seven chances across 9.2 innings. Barring any additional injury concerns, Williams is poised to be the Brewers' full-time closer over the final month of the season.

Nunez wasn't available for Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Diamondbacks due to forearm tightness, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Nunez returned from the injured list Friday after spending nearly a month on the shelf due to a right forearm strain. He went 1.2 innings and struck out three batters during his first appearance back Saturday, but manager Carlos Mendoza said the 28-year-old reliever hasn't recovered properly from the outing and is once again experiencing forearm problems. He's considered day-to-day for now, though the Mets will likely want to take a closer look at him to determine if he'll need to make another trip to the IL.

Suarez (8-2) allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Wednesday versus the Cardinals.

It wasn't a blown save -- Suarez was called upon to keep the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he couldn't get the job done. Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off single to hand Suarez his first loss since June 18. With five runs allowed over his last 8.2 innings, Suarez is amidst one of his shakiest stretches of the season, though he's converted all five of his save chances in that span. He's now at a 2.04 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB through 53 innings while racking up 29 saves in 32 chances this year.

Helsley (6-4) earned the win Wednesday over the Padres, allowing a hit and striking out two over a scoreless inning.

Helsley kept the game tied at 3-3 in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals walked it off with a Nolan Arenado single in the bottom of the frame. This was Helsley's seventh scoreless outing in a row, a span in which he's allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's at a 2.43 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 62:22 K:BB through 55.2 innings overall, and he's the only pitcher in the majors at the 40-save mark this year, which is impressive given the Cardinals are 66-67 after Wednesday's win.