MLB Player News

Finnegan earned a save against the Reds on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Finnegan earned a save in Washington's first game of the second half Friday, and he was back on the mound one day later to close things out again. The right-hander did so without much stress, retiring the side in order on 15 pitches. Finnegan is up to 27 saves on the campaign, third most in the majors and one short of the career-high mark he established last season.

Sewald allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.

Sewald hasn't allowed a run in his last five innings after opening July with three shaky appearances, all of which ended in blown saves. It appears he's gotten his troubles under control, and he's now 15-for-18 in save chances this season. Sewald has added a strong 3.09 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB through 23.1 innings.

Leahy is with the Cardinals and will be the team's 27th player for the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Leahy will give the Cardinals and additional bullpen arm for Game 2 after St. Louis lost 3-2 in 10 innings during the matinee. Leahy has thrown 30.1 big-league innings with a 4.15 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He'll likely be sent back to Memphis following the contest.

Williams (back) will appear in a rehab game at Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Williams was outstanding in his first rehab appearance, striking out all three batters he faced last Saturday at High-A Wisconsin. He'll now move up to Nashville in order to face some tougher competition, and he may return to the Brewers' bullpen before the end of the month if he continues to dominate.

Garrett (elbow) began a throwing progression Saturday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Garrett landed on the 15-day injured list July 10 due to right elbow inflammation, and Saturday marks the first time he has done any sort of throwing since then. The 31-year-old said he's hoping for a quick ramp-up process, though it remains unclear if he'll be able to pitch again before the end of July.

Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Little (lat) is likely out for the rest of the season, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Little landed on the injured list last Saturday due to what was labeled a left shoulder strain, though the results of his MRI on Friday confirmed the strain is in his left lat. It doesn't seem that he'll require surgery, but the Cubs will still keep the southpaw shut down for now. Should he miss the rest of the season, he'll finish with a 3.46 ERA and 1.27 WHIP alongside a 28:18 K:BB across 26 innings.

The Cubs recalled Bigge from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Bigge was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, but he'll now head back to Chicago in order to replace the injured Hayden Wesneski (forearm) in the Cubs' bullpen. Bigge owns a minuscule 0.77 ERA through 11.2 innings with Iowa, and he allowed one earned run in 2.1 frames over three appearances during his previous stint in the majors.

The Cubs placed Wesneski on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wesneski pitched 1.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen during Friday's loss to Arizona, though he appears to have come away from his latest appearance with an injury. He'll be held out of action until at least Aug. 4, and the Cubs will recall Hunter Bigge from Triple-A Iowa to fill the opening in their bullpen.

Phillips wasn't used in the ninth inning with the Dodgers holding a 4-1 lead over Boston on Friday, and Daniel Hudson instead closed out the contest to earn a save.

Phillips entered Friday having squandered his last two save opportunities and holding a 7.50 ERA over his past six appearances dating back to June 30. He's been seeing more work outside the ninth inning over the past month, though those instances have largely been in high-leverage situations in which Phillips faced the opponent's top hitters. It's important to note, however, that the right-hander has struggled against lefties this season -- they've posted a .961 OPS against him, and all four of the homers Phillips has given up have come against left-handed hitters. That likely explains Phillips' absence in the ninth Friday, as all three of Boston's batters in the frame were lefties. Phillips should still be considered the top closing option for Los Angeles, but it's becoming increasingly clear that other relievers will also get save chances for the team depending on the situation.

The Phillies recalled Marte from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Although Marte owns a 6.92 ERA and 2.23 WHIP in Triple-A, he's been much more effective in the majors with a 3.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP through 16.1 frames. He'll now rejoin the Phillies to give their bullpen a fresh arm, taking the place of Michael Mercado.