MLB Player News

De Los Santos (1-0) picked up the win Friday over the Twins, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

The journeyman right-hander entered the game with Atlanta down 4-1, and he got rewarded for his strong effort when his offense erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. De Los Santos has looked good in middle relief to begin the season, posting a 3.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 11:1 K:BB through 8.1 innings, but he has yet to record a save or a hold.

The Twins optioned Funderburk to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Funderburk made two appearances for the Twins after joining the team last Saturday, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out five batters across four innings. He'll end up as the odd man out of a roster spot with Brock Stewart (hamstring) returning from the injured list but could return to the big leagues again if Minnesota's bullpen depth is tested later in the year.

The Twins reinstated Stewart (hamstring) from the injured list Saturday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Stewart has been on the injured list all season due to a left hamstring strain he suffered during spring training. He's made two rehab appearances in Single-A since then, pitching 1.2 innings and striking out every batter he faced. Now that he's fully healthy, the 33-year-old righty figures to immediately slide into a high-leverage role in Minnesota's bullpen. Kody Funderburk was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Marlins optioned Soriano to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday.

Soriano hasn't gotten off to a great start this season, giving up nine earned runs in just 11.2 innings while turning in a 10:5 K:BB. He'll now attempt to right the ship in the minors; meanwhile, Patrick Monteverde will come up from Jacksonville to fill the open spot in Miami's bullpen.

Pressly (2-1) worked around a hit to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win in Friday's 13-11 victory over the Diamondbacks.

The Cubs led 7-1 in this one, and then allowed 10 straight Arizona runs in the eighth inning before rallying back in the bottom of the frame for the wild win. While Pressly worked the ninth and preserved a two-run lead, the scorer credited him with a win rather than a save due to ineffective Chicago relief work in that eighth inning as the lead evaporated. The veteran righty had some hiccups earlier in the season, but he's now strung together seven straight scoreless appearances, and he's a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities.

Romero has just a 3:5 K:BB through his first 7.1 innings this season.

Romero boasted a 28.6 percent strikeout rate in his first full season with the Cardinals in 2023, but that number fell to 21 percent in 2024 and sits at just 10 percent through his first eight appearances in 2025. The southpaw still induces lots of grounders (54.5 percent this season) and remains manager Oliver Marmol's primary left-handed setup man ahead of closer Ryan Helsley, but Romero might see his responsibilities decrease if he can't rediscover some swing-and-miss.

Diaz struck out one over a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's 8-3 win over the Orioles.

Diaz needed 15 pitches (nine strikes) to retire the heart of Baltimore's order. It wasn't a save situation nor was it a close game, but it was the former closer's first time pitching in the ninth inning since being activated off the injured list. Diaz was used in the sixth and seventh innings in his first two appearances. This could be the first tentative steps by manager Terry Francona to get Diaz back into the closer's role.

Jansen worked a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fifth save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Giants. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

Three flyball outs got the job done for Jansen, who has begun the season going 5-for-5 in converting save chances and has yet to give up a run in seven innings. While he could be a candidate to get flipped at the trade deadline if the Angels fall out of contention, that hasn't been a concern in the early going -- the Halos sit second in the AL West with a 10-9 record.

Hader struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fifth save of the season in a 6-4 win over the Padres.

The southpaw closer needed 10 pitches (seven strikes) to mow down San Diego's 9-1-2 hitters. Hader has looked like his usual dominant self to begin 2025, converting all five of his save chances and posting a 0.90 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 10 innings.

Gusto (2-1) picked up the win in Friday's 6-4 victory over the Padres, giving up two runs on nine hits over five innings. He struck out two without walking a batter.

A two-homer game from rookie Cam Smith gave Gusto all the offense he needed, as the 26-year-old right-hander pounded the strike zone by tossing 51 of his 68 pitches for strikes before exiting. He's held his own in the big-league rotation, and through six appearances (two starts) on the season he's posted a 3.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB through 17 innings, but with Lance McCullers (forearm) potentially returning before the end of the month, Gusto could be headed back to the bullpen soon enough. If he gets one more turn, it would line up to come at home next week against the Blue Jays.