MLB Player News

Hudson struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning and earned a save over St. Louis on Sunday.

Hudson made quick work of the Cardinals with 16 pitches, including five whiffs. The veteran righty was given the shot in the ninth inning after Evan Phillips pitched both Friday and Saturday. Hudson has tossed three scoreless frames with four punchouts to begin the year.

Jimenez (1-0) picked up the win Sunday against Cleveland, giving up one hit and one walk in one scoreless inning. He didn't log a strikeout.

Jimenez was in contention for the closing role throughout the spring, but it appeared as though Mason Miller would be the first to get high-leverage ninth-inning duties. However, after Miller gave up two runs in one inning of work Saturday, Jimenez was handed the ball Sunday and took the A's home for their first win of the campaign. Considering the fluid closing situation and the lack of overall save chances, fantasy managers should be hesitant to rely upon any of Oakland's arms for save production.

Hader (0-1) took the loss against the Yankees on Sunday, yielding one run on two hits and no walks during one inning. He struck out two.

Hader took the mound in the ninth during a 3-3 tie but was unable to get through the inning unscathed. He surrendered back-to-back singles to Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto, with Soto's knock plating Torres after Torres stole second. Sunday's outing was Hader's first blemish of 2024 after giving up no hits and fanning five in his first two appearances covering two innings.

Bednar (1-0) earned the victory and blew a save against Miami on Sunday, allowing one run on one hit in his lone inning of work. He struck out two.

Bednar came into the game with a one-run lead looking to earn his first save of the season but allowed a game-tying pinch-hit home run to Nick Gordon. The Pirates then scored twice in the 10th to secure the victory for Bednar. The Pirates' closer did not pitch in the first two games of the series after coming out of spring training with a lat injury, but he worked back-to-back days Saturday and Sunday, which is a great sign for his status moving forward.

Slaten struck out one batter over 2.1 perfect frames and earned a save over the Mariners on Sunday.

In his second career MLB appearance, Slaten needed just 15 pitches to record seven outs and close out the 5-1 win. Kenley Jansen is dealing with a back issue, so the Red Sox's bullpen is shortened. Slaten likely won't see many save opportunities throughout the year.

Holmes earned a save Sunday against the Astros, allowing no runs on two hits and no walks across one inning. He didn't record a strikeout.

Holmes cashed in on his third save opportunity of the season, finishing the Yankees' first series with saves in three of four games. While he hasn't logged a strikeout in his three innings of work, he's also refrained from allowing a runner to score. Holmes is already one-eighth of the way to matching his 2023 save total and is one of five closers with multiple saves this season.

Whitlock (1-0) allowed one run on three hits over five innings Sunday, striking out eight and earning a win over the Mariners.

The one run and three hits against Whitlock all came in the second inning, but he was nearly perfect otherwise. The 27-year-old righty looked terrific this spring and carried that momentum into his first appearance of the regular season. Whitlock's innings totals over the past three seasons have all been in the 70s, but he's in line for a full run in Boston's rotation in 2024.

Martinez did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Nationals, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out three.

Martinez enters 2024 with a full-time spot in the Reds rotation after bouncing between around as a starter and reliever for the Padres last year. He did not look particularly sharp against a weak Nationals lineup, as he managed to generate only nine whiffs on his 90 pitches. However, if Martinez can come anywhere close to his production as starter last year, when he had a 2.32 ERA in 42.2 innings over nine starts, he can be useful in plenty of fantasy leagues. His next outing is scheduled to be against the Mets at home.

Finnegan (0-1) blew the save and took the loss Sunday against the Reds. He allowed three runs on three hits and no walks with no strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning.

Finnegan began his outing Sunday by promptly generating two outs via lineouts and looked well on his way to a second save in as many days. However, the Reds lineup had a different idea as the next three batters each produced an extra-base hit. Finnegan yielded a double to Jonathan India, a game-tying homer to Will Benson and a walk-off homer to Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Finnegan didn't have the strongest grip on the Nationals' closer job before this game, so keep an eye on this bullpen, as Hunter Harvey could easily enter the discussion for saves in Washington.

Hurt was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Hurt opened the 2024 campaign on the major-league roster, appearing in two contests prior to being sent down Sunday. The right hander allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings, and he'll likely earn another shot with the Dodgers relatively soon. In a corresponding move, Nabil Crismatt will replace Hurt in the team's bullpen for the time being.