MLB Player News

Phillips (2-0) was charged with a blown save and earned the win against Milwaukee on Saturday. He allowed one run on one hit while striking out one batter over one inning.

With the Dodgers up 3-2 in the top of the eighth frame, manager Dave Roberts elected to call upon Phillips to face the heart of the Brewers order. The right-hander couldn't protect the lead, giving up a one-out solo homer to Christian Yelich. Phillips did get credited for the win, however, as a result of Los Angeles tallying two runs in the bottom of the frame and Alex Vesia closing things out in the ninth. This was the second time in the past two weeks that Roberts has called upon Phillips before the ninth inning in a high-leverage situation, so it's clear that the team is comfortable using him in that way. Phillips should still get the vast majority of save chances for the Dodgers, though Vesia has five saves on the campaign and is probably the leading candidate for ninth-inning duties when Phillips is either unavailable or deployed earlier in a contest.

Vodnik picked up the save over the Royals on Saturday, allowing one hit and one walk over one inning while striking out one.

Vodnik entered the contest with a two-run lead in the ninth and got Salvador Perez to go down on strikes before allowing two of the next three men to reach. The right-handed reliever was able to escape the jam, however, and secure his first save of the campaign. Vodnik had blown each of his previous two save attempts this season coming in but has now recorded a win and a save in his last two appearances. He's also recorded at least one strikeout in seven consecutive outings.

Diaz struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his eighth save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Seeing his first action since serving a 10-game suspension for use of a foreign substance, Diaz hit Oneil Cruz with a pitch to begin the frame but escaped the minor jam by striking out Rowdy Tellez and getting Andrew McCutchen to ground into a double play. Diaz has had a turbulent campaign in his return from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2023 season, but he had been showing signs of turning things around prior to the suspension -- he's allowed only one run in his last six innings with a 7:0 K:BB.

Smyly allowed a walk and a solo home run over two innings of relief in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Angels. He struck out one.

Starter Kyle Hendricks left the game after two innings due to back tightness, which forced the Cubs to use five relievers, including Smyly. The veteran lefty has been solid this year with a 3.48 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 31 innings of relief work. While he's been used exclusively out of the bullpen so far in 2024, Smyly did make 23 starts for the team last season, and he could be an option for the rotation in the short term if Hendricks has to miss any time.

Vesia picked up the save over the Brewers on Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning while striking out one.

Vesia entered the contest with a two-run lead and went 1-2-3 through the back end of Milwaukee's lineup to earn his fifth save of the campaign. It was the lefty's first save opportunity since blowing one against the Giants on June 29, and he's now recorded a strikeout in each of his last three appearances. Vesia also hasn't allowed a hit in either of his last two outings. Primary closer Evan Phillips was deployed to face the heart of the Brewers order in the eighth inning Saturday and remains in line to receive the bulk of the save chances for Los Angeles.

Cruz (3-6) picked up Saturday's loss, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk over one-third of an inning against Detroit. He was also charged with a blown save.

Cruz was part of a bullpen effort that spoiled starter Hunter Greene's seven shutout innings. The usually reliable Cruz retired the first batter he faced before permitting a double, a home run and a walk, and the recipient of the free pass came around to score after Cruz was removed. The reliever had allowed just five runs over his last 18 innings coming into Saturday.

Rogers (shoulder) is rehabbing at the team's training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.

Rogers has resumed throwing and is expected to begin a rehab assignment within a week or two. The team hasn't provided an exact timeline, but he could return at some point in July.

Bird (groin) resumed throwing Friday, MLB.com reports.

Bird had been shut down since June 23, with Friday marking his first known progress since being placed on the injured list. Manager Bud Black noted that Bird is close to returning to the mound, but he did not provide a timeline for Bird to be activated from the injured list.

Scott struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the White Sox.

Scott is on a 10-inning scoreless streak, during which he's maintained an 11:3 K:BB with five saves and a win. The closer continues to excel for the Marlins, though the team's poor performance has limited him to 13 saves this year. He's posted a 1.42 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 42:23 K:BB through 38 innings, though he's made progress to cut back on walks during his recent strong stretch.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that there is a "zero percent chance" Jameson (elbow) pitches for the Diamondbacks this season, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Jameson wasn't expected to return in 2024 and Lovullo's comments cement Jameson's status as out for the season. The 26-year-old completed a bullpen session Friday and has been making strides since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September, but Arizona won't try to rush him back.