MLB Player News

Fleming (elbow) allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two across 2.1 innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham on Thursday.

Fleming has been out since late May but has now made two rehab appearances. He threw 43 pitches in his latest outing and will still likely require a couple more appearances before potentially being activated. There is no formal timeline for Fleming's return, but a decision on his status will be required by mid-August.

Barlow allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over one inning, taking a blown save in Friday's 8-5 extra-inning win over the Twins.

Barlow couldn't protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning, and the Twins would take the lead in the 10th before Bobby Witt's walk-off grand slam won it for the Royals. Barlow has been bad over his last 10 appearances, a span in which he's allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in 10 innings while taking two of his three blown saves on the year. He's now at a 5.50 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 45:22 K:BB with 12 saves in 15 chances over 37.2 innings. Barlow may not stay with the Royals beyond the trade deadline, and he would likely have to settle for a setup or committee role at best with any contender if he is traded.

Clarke (2-4) allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one in one inning to earn the win in Friday's extra-inning victory over the Twins.

Clarke didn't do all that well in the 10th inning, allowing the go-ahead run to score on a Kyle Farmer single. The Royals were able to bounce back, rallying against Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran before winning on Bobby Witt's walk-off grand slam. Clarke has steadied himself lately, giving up just the unearned run from Friday over his last 4.2 innings. He's at a poor 5.73 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 48:19 K:BB with 10 holds and two blown saves over 44 innings this season.

Bautista (6-1) struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the win Friday over the Yankees.

Offense was at a premium after a rain delay Friday, with the first run being Anthony Santander's walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning. Bautista had pitched the top of the ninth to keep the game scoreless. The closer has an active 14.1-inning scoreless streak, during which he's given up just six hits with a 27:2 K:BB. For the season, Bautista is at a 0.90 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 98:19 K:BB through 50 innings while closing out games for the American League's top team. He's added 28 saves in 33 chances.

Iglesias struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 19th save of the season in a 10-7 win over the Brewers.

He converted his 10th straight save chance without much difficulty, needing 15 pitches (11 strikes) to dispatch Milwaukee's 2-3-4 hitters. Iglesias' overall performance this season has taken a step backwards after three straight years with sub-1.00 WHIPs and four straight campaigns with strikeout rates north of 30 percent, but he's only blown two saves to go with his 3.82 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 29.5 percent strikeout rate.

Garcia recorded the final out of Friday's 4-1 win over the Angels to collect his third save of the season.

Jordan Romano started the ninth inning but loaded the bases with two outs before being lifted after his lower back locked up, and Garcia was able to retire Mickey Moniak to preserve the win. An MRI on Romano's back after the All-Star break didn't reveal any structural issues, but the Blue Jays will likely send their closer for further testing to try and determine the cause of the recurring trouble. Garcia is the next man up in the bullpen -- all three of his saves on the season have come in July, and he has a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 11:1 K:BB through 10 innings on the month.

Young allowed one hit and struck out one over one inning to earn a hold in Friday's 6-5 win over the Dodgers.

Situations don't get much more high leverage than the seventh-inning spot in which manager David Bell called for the left-handed Young. The Dodgers had plated three runs, cutting Cincinnati's lead to 6-5, and the bases were loaded with lefty-hitting Max Muncy due up. Young induced a flyout, then got two more outs in the eighth before closer Alexis Diaz finished it off. The only lefty in the Reds' bullpen, Young has not allowed a run over his last 14 appearances and sports a 2.20 ERA for the season. The 29-year-old journeyman reliever has embraced a new changeup grip this season, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, which helped make him a trusted bullpen arm. That's the pitch he throws most often at 37.5 percent, and opponents are batting just .159 against it.

Puk picked up the save in Friday's 6-5 victory over the Tigers, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three over one inning. He didn't record a walk.

Puk allowed two hits and a run before ultimately earning his 16th save by striking out the side in the ninth. The left-hander had secured just one of his last four save chances and had given up nine runs over his last seven outings (6.1 innings), so while Friday's performance wasn't perfect, it was still a step in the right direction. Despite the bounce-back night, Puk is likely out of the closer role moving forward, as Miami made a splash ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring veteran closer David Robertson from the Mets.

Kimbrel picked up the save Friday against Pittsburgh, allowing one walk over a scoreless ninth inning. He didn't record a strikeout.

Kimbrel blew a save and suffered a loss this week, but he's bounced back with two straight scoreless outings. Thursday's performance wasn't perfect, as the right-hander walked just his second batter over his past six appearances, but Kimbrel still got the job done and is now 17-for-18 in save chances this season with a 3.27 ERA and 64:18 K:BB.

Duran (2-5) took the blown save and the loss Friday against Kansas City. He allowed two walks and a walk-off grand slam to Bobby Witt after retiring the first batter he faced in the 10th inning.

This was one to forget for the normally reliable Duran. It marked just his second time allowing multiple earned runs through 38 appearances this season. Given how well he's pitched overall (2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), it seems likely that this will end up being just a blip for Minnesota's primary closer.