MLB Player News
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Ryne Nelson SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Steady in return to rotation
Nelson allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Nelson made his second start of the year and kept a dangerous offense mostly in check, outside of allowing an RBI double to Will Smith in the fourth inning. With Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) on the injured list, Nelson appears to have a chance to reclaim a starting role for a while. He threw 71 pitches (40 strikes) in this start and will need to stretch out after spending much of the early part of the season in a long-relief role. Nelson has mustered a 4.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB across 31.1 innings over 11 appearances this season. He is tentatively projected for a favorable home start versus the Pirates early next week.
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Tanner Scott RP | LAD
Dodgers' Tanner Scott: Blows save Tuesday
Scott allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out two over 1.2 innings, taking a blown save in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Diamondbacks.
Scott was called on to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning but surrendered a one-out solo shot to Gabriel Moreno. Despite that hiccup, Scott stayed in to begin the 10th and promptly allowed a two-run blast to Corbin Carroll. Luckily for Scott, the Dodgers were able to rally in their half of the 10th to help him avoid the loss. This ended his 7.2-inning scoreless streak. He's now 9-for-12 in save chances while adding four holds with a 2.42 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 23:1 K:BB over 22.1 innings this season. Scott has been the Dodgers' primary closer for much of the season, but manager Dave Roberts doesn't hesitate to utilize the southpaw earlier to protect a lead.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Angels' Kenley Jansen: Earns 10th save
Jansen allowed a run on two hits and struck out two over one inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Athletics.
Jansen gave up a run in a save situation for the first time this season, but he had a three-run cushion to work with. He's had a heavy workload of late, pitching four of the last five days, which may explain his struggles Tuesday. The 37-year-old is up to 10 saves while adding a 5.28 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB across 15.1 innings. Should a save situation arise Wednesday, Ryan Zeferjahn, Brock Burke or Hector Neris could be options to step in, as it's unlikely Jansen will be asked to pitch three days in a row.
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Dennis Santana RP | PIT
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Works in setup role
Santana didn't allow a baserunner or record a strikeout in one scoreless inning to record a hold Tuesday against the Reds.
The Pirates have had very few save chances of late, as they've gone 4-14 in May. Despite the limited opportunities, Santana seemed to have the upper hand over David Bednar for the closer role, but he entered Tuesday's game in the eighth inning to face the bottom of Cincinnati's order while ceding the ninth to Bednar. Positively, Santana managed to work his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance, though he doesn't appear to be in line to earn every save chance in Pittsburgh for the time being.
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Ryan Walker RP | SF
Giants' Ryan Walker: Secures ninth save
Walker pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Royals.
Walker has recorded the Giants' last two saves, so he's currently doing a decent job of fending off Camilo Doval's challenge for the closer role. Walker has also pitched four consecutive scoreless and hitless innings, though he has a 1:2 K:BB in that span. The right-hander is at a 5.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 16:7 K:BB with nine saves in 11 chances over 18 innings this season.
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Hayden Birdsong P | SF
Giants' Hayden Birdsong: Looks good in first start of season
Birdsong (2-0) allowed one unearned run on five hits and struck out four without walking a batter over five innings to earn the win over the Royals on Tuesday.
Birdsong's strong start to the year out of the bullpen earned him a chance to replace Jordan Hicks in the Giants' rotation. This outing was a good first look for Birdsong, who wasn't asked to do too much with 80 pitches (54 strikes) while facing a low-scoring offense. He had been tagged for eight runs (four earned) over 7.2 innings across four relief outings in May before his promotion to the rotation. Birdsong is sporting a 1.91 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB across 28.1 innings this season. He is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Tigers, which is a much more intimidating matchup.
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Abner Uribe RP | MIL
Brewers' Abner Uribe: Strikes out side for rare save
Uribe picked up the save in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Orioles after striking out the side in the ninth inning.
Closer Trevor Megill and setup man Nick Mears had both worked the prior two days, paving the way for Uribe to receive his first save opportunity of the year. Uribe hasn't given up a run in any of his last 13 appearances, and he boasts a 1.19 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB over 22.2 innings this season. The 24-year-old right-hander is unlikely to see save chances when most of Milwaukee's high-leverage arms are available, but Uribe is tied for the National League lead with 12 holds.
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Brant Hurter RP | DET
Tigers' Brant Hurter: Getting start in bullpen game
Hurter will start Wednesday against the Cardinals in what's expected to be a bullpen game for the Tigers, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Hurter frequently served as a bulk reliever for the Tigers in the second half of 2024, but he's occupied a more traditional relief role through the first two months of this season after missing out on a spot in the Opening Day rotation. The 26-year-old southpaw has pitched well over his 13 appearances, compiling a 2.35 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across 23 frames. He hasn't tossed more than 30 pitches in an appearance since April 26, so Hurter may not be asked to work deep enough into Wednesday's start to qualify for a win.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | MIN
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Sharp while securing 10th save
Hoffman earned the save Tuesday against the Padres after throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out one.
Hoffman was sharp, making quick work of the heart of San Diego's batting order while hurling eight of his nine pitches for strikes. Tuesday marked a second consecutive scoreless outing for the hard-throwing right-hander, who had yielded 11 runs over his previous three innings of work. The Blue Jays have shown trust in Hoffman as their closer after signing him to a three-year contract this past offseason, and the 32-year-old righty carries a 1.13 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB while converting 10 of his 12 save opportunities despite a shaky 5.48 ERA across 21.1 innings in 2025.
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Luke Weaver RP | PIT
Yankees' Luke Weaver: Collects one-out save
Weaver earned the save in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers after recording the final out of the ninth inning.
The Yankees entered the ninth inning up 5-0, but Weaver was brought in to close things out after Ian Hamilton gave up a two-run home run to Jonah Heim. Weaver was able to make quick work of Josh Smith, needing just two pitches to record the final out and earn the save. It's the second outing in a row in which Weaver has tallied a one-out save, and he is up to six saves on the season with a 0.44 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB across 20.2 innings.