MLB Player News

Palencia earned a save against the Rockies on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.

Palencia entered for the ninth inning with Chicago hanging onto a one-run lead, and he set the side down in order on 14 pitches (10 strikes) to secure a Cubs win. The right-hander had no saves midway through May, but since Porter Hodge (oblique) went on the IL on May 20, Palencia has racked up four saves in four chances while registering a 5:0 K:BB over four scoreless innings. Considering his success so far in the closer role, Palencia can be expected to get most of Chicago's save opportunities for at least as long as Hodge is on the shelf, which could be a while longer since manager Craig Counsell said Monday that Hodge isn't making much progress in his recovery.

Holderman (thumb) received a cortisone injection Wednesday and will not throw for at least one week, MLB.com reports.

Holderman was placed on the injured list May 20 due to inflammation in his thumb. Given that he won't throw until early June, he isn't likely to return for several more weeks.

Vodnik allowed one walk in a scoreless eighth inning Wednesday against the Cubs.

Vodnik was activated from the injured list Tuesday after a five-week absence due to a shoulder injury. Wednesday marked his first appearance since being reinstated, and he entered the game in the eighth inning with the Rockies down by one run. Vodnik has held opponents scoreless in seven of his 10 appearances, but he has a poor 8:7 K:BB and isn't likely to factor into the closer picture in Colorado until his performance improves.

Lauer didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Rangers after allowing no hits and two walks in 3.1 scoreless innings. He struck out four.

Piggybacking off opener Paxton Schultz, Lauer delivered his second outing of the season with at least three innings while yielding one hit or less. Lauer hasn't worked as a traditional starter for the Blue Jays, as he's made two starts and four relief appearances, but Toronto will likely need the veteran left-hander to help eat innings one way or another until Max Scherzer (thumb) re-enters the rotation. Lauer owns a strong 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB over 19.2 innings, but he'll have limited fantasy appeal if he's deployed as a bulk reliever his next time out versus a red-hot Phillies offense that's averaging 5.4 runs over their last 28 games.

Webb (2-3) took the loss in Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Toronto after allowing two runs on two hits in the ninth inning.

Webb was tasked with keeping the game tied in the ninth frame but served up a two-run home run to Bo Bichette (back), who came off the bench as a pinch hitter. Robert Garcia was brought on to handle Anthony Santander, Vladimir Guerrero and George Springer in the eighth, which was likely viewed by manager Bruce Bochy as the higher-leverage situation. Webb may have hurt his chances at seeing future ninth-inning work in Texas' bullpen, and he now owns a 5.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB over 24.2 frames.

Hoffman picked up the save in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Rangers after throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out one.

It was Hoffman's fourth spotless outing in his last five appearances, as he continues to recover from several implosions in May. His ERA still stands at 13.00 in nine innings this month, but the hard-throwing right-hander does sport a 13:5 K:BB during this stretch and continues to operate as Toronto's clear-cut closer despite his struggles. With Yimi Garcia (shoulder) and Nick Sandlin (lat) both on the injured list, the Blue Jays are depending on Hoffman even more for ninth-inning work.

Estevez notched the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Reds after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two.

It was just the third time this season that Estevez worked more than one inning, and he was able to turn in his 12th scoreless outing in his last 13 appearances. The 32-year-old right-hander has successfully converted each of his 10 save chances during this span, boasting a 0.68 ERA and 13:1 K:BB over his last 13.1 innings. Estevez continues to solidify his grip on Kansas City's closing job, as he's now second in the American League with 15 saves in 2025.

Erceg was unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Reds due to an illness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Erceg's illness helps explain why he hasn't pitched since Saturday, especially since the Royals led by only two runs entering the eighth inning of Wednesday's contest but turned to John Schreiber rather than Erceg. The 30-year-old righty will have an extra day to recover during Kansas City's day off Thursday and could be back in action for the start of the weekend series against Detroit.

Cruz (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Cruz said afterward that his mound session went well, and he's expected to begin facing live hitters Saturday. Assuming he doesn't experience any setbacks over the next several days, he seems to be on track to return when eligible Tuesday.

Helsley allowed two hits in a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 12th save in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Orioles. He did not strike out or walk a batter

Helsley faced the top of the Orioles' order and worked around two singles to secure the victory. The 30-year-old has converted all eight of his save chances in May, though he's allowed at least one hit in eight of 10 appearances this month. On the year, he's 12-for-14 in save opportunities and owns a 3.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB across 20 innings.