MLB Player News

Jansen walked one and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 1-0 win over the White Sox.

The veteran closer fired 11 of 19 pitches for strikes as he picked up his first save as an Angel. Jansen topped out at 94.9 mph with his cutter Saturday, but weak contact rather than elite velocity has always been his calling card. Jansen needs 30 more saves to tie Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third on the all-time list with 478, but it's a mark he hasn't reached in a season since 2022.

Halvorsen was perfect Saturday, striking out one without allowing a baserunner to secure a four-out save against the Rays.

Halvorsen averaged 99 mph on both his fastball and sinker, needing just 14 pitches to secure the Rockies' first save opportunity of the season. The 25-year-old impressed late in 2024 with a 1.46 ERA in 12.1 innings and made a strong case for more save chances with his sharp 2025 debut.

Santillan pitched the seventh inning Saturday to get his second hold in as many games. Emilio Pagan later got the save.

Santillan was brilliant Thursday in getting his first hold, striking out two batters. In this outing he gave up a single and didn't strike any batters out, but got out of the inning by inducing a double-play grounder. He's in the mix for saves with Alexis Diaz (hamstring) sidelined, but Emilio Pagan may be the top fill-in option after securing the save Saturday.

Pagan pitched a perfect ninth inning Saturday against the Giants to get the save in a 3-2 victory.

Pagan didn't strike out any Giants batters, and as a matter of fact the Giants only struck out once as a team. It's noteworthy that Tony Santillan pitched the seventh and Graham Ashcraft pitched the eighth to set up the save chance for Pagan.

The Orioles acquired Poteet from the Cubs on Sunday in exchange for cash and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Poteet was DFA'd by Chicago on Thursday but will reclaim a 40-man roster spot upon joining the Orioles. The 30-year-old righty made five appearances (four starts) for the Yankees last season, during which he posted a 2.22 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with a 16:8 K:BB across 24.1 innings. He'll begin his tenure with the O's in the minors, but the number of injuries in Baltimore's pitching staff keeps the door open for Poteet to make a spot start down the line.

Phillips (shoulder) faced live hitters at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Friday marked the fourth time Phillips has pitched to hitters after he got a late start to spring training while battling a shoulder injury that kept him out of the World Series last year. The veteran reliever is currently on the injured list, but given his progress, he could be ready to join the big-league bullpen when first eligible April 11. Phillips led the Dodgers in saves during each of the past two regular seasons but is unlikely to receive more than an occasional save chance this year with Tanner Scott now in the fold and Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech (shoulder) and Blake Treinen all having experience pitching in the ninth inning as well.

Hamilton will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Hamilton started the season on the injured list due to an illness that put him significantly behind schedule during spring training. He's now set to continue ramping up in Triple-A games and should be able to return to the Yankees when eligible April 8.

Sterner didn't allow a hit but gave up two walks while striking out one over two-thirds of a scoreless inning Friday against the Mariners.

Sterner will pitch in middle relief after he was claimed by the A's off waivers from the Rays in the offseason. Sterner had strong strikeout rates in the minors, including a 31.4 K% at Triple-A last season. He's been prone to giving up home runs (1.36 HR/9 at Triple-A) and doesn't have great velocity (93.5 mph average fastball in the majors last season), so his upside may also be limited at age 28. Still, he could be a productive reliever for a team desperate for bullpen arms.

Scott was charged with a blown save in Friday's 8-5 extra-inning win over the Tigers, giving up a run on three hits in an inning of work.

Called in to protect a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Scott gave up an RBI single to Manuel Margot with two outs to tie the score, and then nearly served up a game-winning double to Riley Greene, only for Margot to stumble coming around third and get thrown out at the plate on a play that required video review. Scott has been handed two of the Dodgers' first four save chances of the season, with Blake Treinen getting Thursday's opportunity after Alex Vesia closed out Game 2 of the Tokyo Series.

Brieske (0-1) blew the save and took the loss in Friday's 8-5 extra-inning loss to the Dodgers, coughing up five runs (four earned) on four hits while recording just one out.

Dillon Dingler gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead in the top of the 10th inning with a two-run triple, setting the stage for Brieske's first save chance of the season. The right-hander instead melted down in spectacular fashion, giving up a leadoff double to Michael Conforto and a game-tying single to pinch hitter Will Smith before Mookie Betts walked it off with a three-run blast. Given his lack of a track record in the ninth-inning role, Brieske's leash is likely short -- even with Jason Foley beginning the season in Triple-A, the Tigers could turn to Tyler Holton, Tommy Kahnle or Will Vest to protect a late lead if Brieske continues to falter.