MLB Player News

Munoz earned a save Sunday against the Astros after striking out the side in the ninth inning.

The right-hander set down Jake Meyers, Trey Cabbage and Joey Loperfido on strikes to end the ballgame and bring the Mariners back to level with the Astros in the standings. Munoz has struck out six over his last 3.1 innings and is working on a 7.1-inning scoreless streak. The 25-year-old is up to 16 saves on the season and has been one of the more dominant closers in the game with a 1.37 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 49:18 K:BB in 39.1 innings.

Yates struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning and earned a save over Baltimore on Sunday.

Yates made quick work of the Orioles with just 13 pitches to finish off the 3-2 win. He's now converted each of his 17 save chances on the year and lowered his ERA to an incredible 1.02 through 35.1 frames. Yates has given up one earned run while posting a 19:5 K:BB over his last 12 innings.

Slaten (elbow) played catch Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Slaten came out of the session feeling good and will continue to throw from flat ground for now. The Red Sox hope he won't require an extensive ramp-up period after that. The right-hander has been a key bullpen piece for Boston this season, and the team could have used him after being swept by the Dodgers over the weekend.

Sborz allowed one hit and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Orioles.

Sborz made his fourth appearance since coming back from a shoulder injury. He hasn't issued a walk in six innings since coming off the IL and has hurled five consecutive scoreless frames. When healthy, Sborz is used as a high-leverage arm in the bullpen. He has a 2.38 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three walks over 11.1 innings this season.

Martinez allowed one run on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning Sunday, blowing the save in a 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.

With closer Paul Sewald unavailable to protect a ninth-inning lead after having being deployed the previous two days, manager Torey Lovullo turned to Martinez, who was also used Friday and Saturday but had thrown fewer pitches (25) than Sewald (33). Martinez, facing the same group of hitters he shut down Saturday, allowed a double to Nico Hoerner and a single to Seiya Suzuki, permitting the lead to slip away. The rookie right-hander has worked his way into a high-leverage role this season and could eventually become a late-game staple.

Sewald was unavailable to pitch in Sunday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.

The Diamondbacks carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning, but Sewald had been used the previous two games and thrown 33 pitches. Justin Martinez, who had also pitched Friday and Saturday, was unable to secure the save. Since a rough stretch earlier in July, Sewald has converted four straight save chances and tossed five straight scoreless appearances.

Estevez picked up his 18th save of the season in Sunday's 8-5 win over the Athletics, tossing a scoreless ninth inning while allowing a walk.

Estevez made things interesting by issuing a leadoff walk to Lawrence Butler but went on to retire the next three batters in order to shut the door. He's now converted each of his last 12 saves and hasn't given up an earned run since May 20, a span of 18 appearances. Estevez's name has been swirling in trade talks, and if he is dealt at the deadline there's no guarantee he'd still be the closer for his new team. The 31-year-old owns a 2.53 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 31:5 K:BB in 32 innings.

Fulmer allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings Sunday against the Athletics. He did not factor into the decision.

Fulmer was clean through two innings, but the Athletics would put up two runs against him in the third on a pair of doubles. He later allowed a solo home run to Miguel Andujar in the fifth, the last batter he would face on the afternoon. Fulmer wasn't nearly as effective as he'd been in his last start, but he managed to reach 77 pitches once again while registering eight swings and misses. The Angels haven't revealed a long-term plan for the veteran right-hander yet, but it's likely he sticks in the rotation for at least another turn, which is expected to come against the Athletics again. Fulmer now sports a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 52:25 K:BB in 51.2 innings.

Phillips (2-0) picked up the win Sunday against Pittsburgh, allowing four hits and a walk with three strikeouts over six scoreless innings.

Phillips was outstanding in his second career start, keeping the Pirates without an extra-base hit and generating his first quality start. The 26-year-old has been a worthy stand-in fifth starter for the Phillies and boasts a 2.81 ERA and a 15:1 K:BB across 16.0 innings in three big-league appearances. With Taijuan Walker (finger) not expected back until August, Phillips is lined up for another start, which should come during a three-game series against the Guardians next weekend.

Green picked up a save Sunday against Detroit, throwing 1.2 perfect innings with no strikeouts.

Even with Yimi Garcia off the injured list, it was Green who received the first save opportunity coming out of the All-Star break. Sunday's result is a positive sign for fantasy managers who banked on Green to retain closing duties after being thrust into the role due to injuries. However, Sunday's save doesn't indicate that Green will be the Blue Jays' primary ninth-inning option moving forward. Garcia pitched the ninth inning of Saturday's loss, and it's possible that the team didn't want to pitch Garcia in back-to-back games because of his recent injury. Additionally, Toronto could opt to split save opportunities until one of the two emerges as the clear option. Overall, managers should have cautious optimism about Green's closing chances.