MLB Player News

Holmes worked around three hits to deliver a scoreless ninth inning, earning the save in a 5-4 win over the Astros on Thursday.

It certainly appeared that Houston was poised to tie the game in the ninth after two of the first three batters reached safely off Holmes. However, Juan Soto threw out Mauricio Dubon at home for the second out to preserve the one-run lead, before Holmes coaxed a groundout off the bat of Alex Bregman to seal the victory. While Thursday's outing may have been more tenuous than Holmes would have liked, the 31-year-old right-hander appears to be locked into the closing job in New York. Holmes recorded 24 saves last season, pitching to a 2.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 71:23 K:BB across 63 innings.

Stephan underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. The Guardians placed him on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Though it's not clear if Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery or an internal bracing procedure on his elbow, he'll still be ticketed for a 12-to-16-month rehab and recovery. His move to the 60-day IL freed up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tyler Beede, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus.

Yarbrough picked up the save in Thursday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals, allowing just one hit while logging one strikeout over three scoreless innings.

After Tyler Glasnow held St. Louis to one run in the first six innings, Yarbrough held the Redbirds to a lone single over three efficient innings as he earned an unexpected Opening Day save. The 32-year-old left-hander isn't likely to see many save chances going forward in Los Angeles, as he's slated for a long-relief role. Yarbrough went 8-7 with a 4.52 ERA and 67:14 K:BB across 89.2 innings last season between the Dodgers and Rays.

Jackson suffered tightness in his lower back Thursday against San Diego and is being sent for an MRI, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Jackson entered the game in the seventh inning and allowed two singles and a walk to the Padres before being removed due to the injury. He suffered from a similar issue in 2023, a concerning development given this was the first game of the new campaign.

Lange did not appear in Thursday's 1-0 win over the White Sox, as Jason Foley recorded the final two outs to earn his first save of the season.

It's unclear whether Lange is injured or if he's fallen in the bullpen hierarchy -- to this point there has been no word of an injury. He last pitched March 24, striking out one batter in a scoreless inning against the Rays in Grapefruit League action. Lange led the team in saves by a good margin last season, recording 26 to Foley's seven, but Foley has the edge in terms of velocity. Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin bridged the gap from starter Tarik Skubal to Foley in the ninth.

Foley struck out the only two batters he faced Thursday against the White Sox to earn his first save of the season.

Lefty Andrew Chafin, after pitching a scoreless eighth inning, recorded the first out of the ninth before handing things over to Foley. The right-hander struck out Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert to preserve an Opening Day shutout while touching triple digits with his sinker. Alex Lange was the presumptive closer for the Tigers after leading the team in saves with 26 last season, but he did not appear in Thursday's game. There has been nothing yet to indicate Lange is injured, so perhaps Foley has simply leapfrogged Lange for the closer role in the eyes of manager A.J. Hinch.

Jackson left in the seventh inning of Thursday's game against the Padres with a back injury, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Jackson signalled for the trainer after throwing ball four to Jackson Merrill, and Ryan Walker came in to close out the seventh. Jackson noted after the game that he felt his back tighten after his second to last pitch to Merrill, and the right-hander will undergo an MRI on Thursday night, per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Giants placed Hjelle (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Hjelle has resumed throwing off the mound since being shut down earlier this month with a mild right elbow sprain, but he's still likely to face an uphill battle to make it back from the 15-day injured list April 9 when first eligible. At this stage, Alex Cobb (hip) seems to be ahead of Hjelle in his throwing progression, as Cobb threw 40 pitches in a minor-league spring training game last weekend. If Cobb beats Hjelle back from the IL, the latter would likely have to settle for a long-relief role or a rotation spot at Triple-A Sacramento upon being activated.

The Cubs placed Kilian (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Kilian was diagnosed in early March with a teres major strain in his right shoulder. The team noted at the time that it's an injury that can have a wide range of timelines, but the righty is likely to be out at least until around the All-Star break.

The Giants placed Small (oblique) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Small sustained a Grade 2 right oblique strain just under two weeks ago and will now spend the first two months of the regular season rehabbing and recovering from the injury after landing on the 60-day IL. The 27-year-old lefty had served as a starter for most of his professional career but made the full-time move to the bullpen last season while he was in the Milwaukee organization.