MLB Player News

Bednar (2-2) didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win Saturday against the Rockies.

Bednar entered in the ninth inning of a scoreless game and held the Rockies in check. It was a needed positive outing, as he entered Saturday having given up runs in each of his last three appearances. Bednar has an ugly 10.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 12 frames for the season, though there is no indication that he's in danger of losing the closer role.

Kopech (1-3) threw a scoreless ninth inning while allowing one walk and striking out one to earn the win Saturday against the Cardinals.

Kopech entered the game in the ninth inning with the score tied 5-5. He struggled with his control -- he hit a batter in addition to the free pass he issued -- but ultimately escaped for this third scoreless effort in his last four appearances. Despite a shaky start to the season, Kopech remains the White Sox's primary option in the highest leverage situations, often including save chances.

Maton picked up the save over the Mets on Saturday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning while issuing one walk.

Maton entered the contest with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and needed six pitches to retire the leadoff batter before surrendering a walk to Harrison Bader. However, the right-hander was able to record the final two outs following the free pass to secure his first save of the season. Maton has now pitched two scoreless innings over his last two appearances after being tagged with the loss against the White Sox a week ago. However, he also needed 19 pitches to get through each of those two outings.

Topa (knee) reached 94 mph during a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A St. Paul and will make another appearance May 5, MLB.com reports. He's given up two runs in three innings with five strikeouts and no walks in three rehab outings.

Topa began the season on the shelf with left patellar tendinitis and it's taken him longer than initially expected to return. He had lower-than-usual velocity in his first two outings, so he may finally be ready to be activated from the injured list in a few days.

Neris allowed one run on two hits and one walk but recorded the final three outs of Saturday's game against the Brewers to earn his sixth save of the season. He struck out one batter.

Neris put the tying run in scoring position with just one out, but he then buckled down and retired Tyler Black and Willy Adames to preserve the win for starter Jameson Taillon. With six saves in as many attempts since April 20, and with Adbert Alzolay struggling to get on track in lower-leverage situations, Neris appears to be shoring up his spot in the ninth inning under manager Craig Counsell.

Myers (0-2) took the loss to the Cubs on Saturday, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks over three innings. He struck out two batters.

Nico Hoerner and Christopher Morel touched Myers up for homers, sending the right-hander to his second loss in three starts. Walks had not been an issue for Myers in his first two turns, as he walked only one batter in his first 10 innings, but he couldn't find the strike zone and/or didn't trust his stuff enough on this particular day to fill up the zone. While it was a step backward, Myers projects to remain in the rotation for the time being with DL Hall (knee) and Jakob Junis (shoulder) still without definitive timetables.

Atlanta selected Stephens' contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday.

Stephens has posted a 3.86 ERA and 13:2 K:BB over 9.1 innings with Gwinnett this season. He pitched in five games for Atlanta last season, yielding four runs over 12 frames. Stephens will operate in low-leverage situations.

Alexander (ribs) started Single-A Stockton's loss to Visalia on Friday, allowing an earned run on two hits over one inning. He struck out one.

Alexander located 12 of his 16 pitches for strikes and came away from his first game action in nearly two months feeling good, per MLB.com. The veteran left-hander is due for another rehab appearance with the Ports on Tuesday against San Jose, and if he remains free of setbacks, his rehab assignment will move to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Banks struck out the only batter he faced to record the final out of Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Cardinals and collect his first save of the season.

The 32-year-old southpaw faced Ivan Herrera with the bases loaded and two outs after a rain delay that lasted over three hours interrupted the 10th inning, and Banks got the job done on four pitches. John Brebbia had originally gotten the call in the save situation before the delay, while Michael Kopech pitched the ninth, so Banks' usage was more due to the unusual circumstances than his prominence in the White Sox bullpen. On the season, Banks has a 5.65 ERA and 1.88 WHIP through 14.1 innings, but his 18:4 K:BB suggests he's been unlucky so far.

The Blue Jays acquired Kuhnel from the Astros on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Kuhnel had been designated for assignment by the Astros and now finds himself in a new organization. The big righty holds a career 6.30 ERA at the major-league level and will head to Triple-A Buffalo where he'll give the Jays experienced relief depth.