MLB Player News

Megill (elbow) threw a perfect inning while striking out three Saturday against the White Sox.

Megill appeared in the seventh inning in a tied game. Megill was struck on the right elbow by a comebacker in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs. X-rays came back negative, but he still needed a few days off. It looks like he's back to full speed and should step back into the closer mix despite appearing earlier in the game Saturday.

Phillips pitched a perfect inning and struck out one to earn the save in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Rockies.

This was Phillips' first appearance in nearly a month due to a hamstring strain. He looked rust-free, throwing 11 pitches (seven strikes) to set down the bottom of the Rockies' order for his ninth save of the season. Phillips has a 0.61 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB over 14.2 innings, and he's yet to take a blown save this year. It doesn't appear he'll be eased into the closer role again, not that he needs to be handled with kid gloves considering his track record in high-leverage spots over the last two years.

Kopech (1-5) allowed one run (none earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out two to take the loss Saturday against the Brewers.

Kopech entered the game in the 10th inning with the game tied at three. He intentionally walked the first batter he faced to put a pair of runners on base before throwing a wild pitch and allowing an infield single to take the loss. Kopech has had an inconsistent season, though he did turn in scoreless efforts in eight of his nine appearances in May. The White Sox haven't converted a save since May 15, but he should be considered the team's primary closer for the time being.

Hader picked up a save against the Twins on Saturday, striking out one batter over a scoreless inning.

It was a relatively easy save chance for Hader, as he entered with a three-run lead. The southpaw had worked in a non-save situation in each of his previous three appearances, though he's clearly still in control of Houston's closer role. Hader has had a few rough outings this season but is 8-for-9 in save chances and has allowed just three earned runs and struck out 33 batters over his past 19.1 innings.

Poche (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Poche's last documented activity was May 22, when he threw a 15-pitch bullpen session. He'll likely only need a couple of appearances in Durham before being activated.

Smith has allowed two runs over nine innings since the start of May.

Smith doesn't have the best control, having allowed six hits and three walks with just five strikeouts in that span. He's also picked up two of his four holds in that stretch, though manager Matt Quatraro has mostly kept Smith out of high-leverage situations since early April. The left-hander's season-long numbers remain poor (6.38 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 12:8 K:BB), but he's been less volatile recently. With James McArthur, John Schreiber and Chris Stratton all pitching at a mediocre level in May, there could eventually be a path to high-leverage chances for Smith if he can keep performing well.

Clase earned a save against the Nationals on Saturday, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

Tasked with preserving a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning, Clase needed only eight pitches to secure his 18th save of the season. The save tied him with Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals for the league lead, and he now boasts a ridiculous 0.31 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 29:2 K:BB over 29.1 innings.

Trivino (elbow) hasn't resumed throwing since being shut down in early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

It was reported May 12 that Trivino was in the midst of a 3-to-4 week shutdown period, and although it's been three weeks since the announcement, the 30-year-old has yet to start throwing again. At this time, there's no timeline for Trivino's throwing program to begin, but it's safe to assume he'll be out until at least the All-Star break.

Jimenez earned the save in Saturday's 11-9 win over Atlanta, allowing one hit while logging a strikeout in the ninth inning.

Atlanta made things interesting after Matt Olson led off the ninth with a double. However, Jimenez, making his first appearance in the majors following his demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas in early May, was able to set down the next three batters in order, earning his first save of the campaign. Mason Miller, the A's regular closer, was likely unavailable Saturday after pitching two innings Thursday. However, Jimenez could find himself slotted back into a high-leverage role due to Lucas Erceg (forearm) being placed on the IL. Overall, the 30-year-old Jimenez sports a 3.45 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP and 12:13 K:BB across 15.2 innings this year.

Ginkel is day-to-day after X-rays on his left knee came back negative following Saturday's 10-5 win over the Mets, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Ginkel took a 98.3 mile-per-hour comebacker to the inside of his left knee during his relief appearance in the sixth inning and was immediately lifted from the contest. Fortunately for Ginkel, he seems to be dealing with nothing more than bruising to his leg, and he disclosed after the game that he's already feeling better. Manager Torey Lovullo expressed optimism that Ginkel could be available out of the bullpen as soon as Sunday's series finale with the Mets, though the Diamondbacks may prefer to stay away from him for another day or two to afford him additional healing time.