MLB Player News

Munoz (elbow) allowed two earned runs on a hit and a walk over one inning of relief in a win over the Athletics on Thursday.

Munoz was making his first appearance since Saturday after battling some elbow soreness, and he looked somewhat less than 100 percent while surrendering a two-run home run to Brent Rooker that cut the Mariners' four-run lead in half in the ninth inning. While the right-hander was subsequently able to strike out JJ Bleday to finish the game, it remains to be seen whether the rocky outing was more attributable to rust or lingering issues with the elbow.

Cruz is scheduled to serve as the Reds' opening pitcher for Friday's game against the Mets.

He'll be making his third straight appearance as an opener after thriving on the previous two occasions Aug. 28 and 31. He covered five innings in those outings while striking out 11 and allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk. Cruz threw 42 pitches in each of those appearances, so he could be able to push up into the 50-to-55-pitch range Friday if the Reds elect to turn him loose. Jakob Junis and Brandon Williamson are both available on four days' rest and could be options to work in bulk relief once Cruz exits the contest.

Strahm picked up the save Thursday, tossing a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout against the Marlins.

Strahm needed just 10 pitches to lock down his second save in three games and third of the season, getting the call Thursday with a couple of lefties due up for the Marlins. For the season, he maintains a 2.14 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 69 strikeouts through 54.2 innings.

Oller (1-2) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks over 5.1 innings against the Phillies. He struck out six.

Oller held the Phillies to just one run through five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing a solo home run to Bryson Stott before the next two batters reached base, both of whom scored after he was pulled from the game. Oller coughed up a season-high 10 baserunners, and he's walked 13 batters through 21.2 innings. While the walk rate is an issue for Oller, the 14 hits he's allowed this season are a major improvement over his previous big-league stints. His next start is set to come in a much more favorable matchup as he's slated to take on the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Yates picked up the save over the Angels on Thursday, striking out the side in a perfect ninth inning.

Yates made short work of the middle of the Angels lineup after taking over with a two-run lead in the ninth, getting all three batters to go down on swinging strikeouts to secure his 27th save of the campaign. The veteran reliever has converted each of his last six save opportunities, posting a 12:2 K:BB over that stretch.

Kinley struck out two over a perfect ninth inning to record the save over Atlanta on Thursday.

Kinley ran right through the middle of Atlanta's lineup after entering the contest with a two-run lead in the ninth, getting Jorge Soler and Marcell Ozuna to go down on strikes before producing a groundout for the final out. The right-hander has now recorded saves in three of his last four appearances, recording multiple strikeouts in each of those three outings. Thursday's save was his ninth of the campaign and his fourth since the start of August.

Chapman picked up the save Thursday, striking out one over 0.2 innings against the Nationals.

Chapman entered a five-run game in the ninth with the tying run on deck and needed just six pitches to close things out without allowing any further damage. It was the second save in as many opportunities for Chapman since replacing a struggling David Bednar in the closer role for the Pirates. Outside of a three-run blowup last week against the Cubs, Chapman has been unscored upon over his last 13 appearances, accumulating 21 strikeouts with a 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP one win, two saves and seven holds over 13 innings.

Holton worked around a hit to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and earn the save in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Padres.

Holton has been seeing more save opportunities lately, as this was his third since Aug. 26, and he now has seven saves for the season. Jason Foley leads the team with 20 saves, but Holton has clearly emerged as a co-closing option in Detroit. The lefty's fantasy stock appears to be on the rise.

Garabito is listed as the Rangers' starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Angels.

Garabito has bounced between Triple-A Round Rock and the majors this season, and he was recalled Tuesday. He threw two-thirds of an inning that the same day, but he has a few multi-inning appearances in the majors and has worked as a traditional starter in the minors. As a result, Garabito should be able to provide more length than a typical opening pitcher, though the Rangers could elect to Jose Urena or Chase Anderson in bulk relief, if needed.

The Pirates activated Wentz on Thursday after he was claimed off waivers Tuesday from the Tigers.

Wentz was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Friday, but finds himself back on an active roster Thursday. In his last seven appearances, he has pitched 10.1 innings and had shutout outings in all but one of them. The one blemish in the stretch was when he gave up four earned in one inning against the Cubs on Aug. 22. To make room for Wentz on the active roster, Domingo German was designated for assignment Thursday.