MLB Player News

Romano picked up the save in Sunday's 6-4 victory over the Mets, striking out one in a perfect inning.

Romano has converted his last five save chances, allowing one run through five innings in that span. The 30-year-old right-hander is now 15-for-18 in save opportunities this season with a 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB through 24 innings.

Lange (3-1) allowed four runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in one-third of an inning, taking the loss Sunday versus the White Sox.

Lange had allowed just three runs all season entering Sunday, but that changed in a sloppy outing that culminated in Jake Burger's walk-off grand slam. While the end result is an ugly one, Lange has still pitched well enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. He's now at a 2.55 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 35:13 K:BB with 10 saves in 11 chances over 24.2 innings this season. Lange's 4.7 BB/9 makes outings like Sunday's a potential pitfall, but he's shown a solid ability to pitch around traffic so far.

Mayers is expected to serve as the primary pitcher behind opener Carlos Hernandez during Monday's game against the Marlins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mayers also worked behind an opener during last Monday's matchup in St. Louis, and he picked up his first win of the season by striking out three in six scoreless innings. The right-hander should be available for his normal workload despite operating as a primary pitcher again.

Hernandez (thumb) will start Monday's game against the Marlins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez exited Friday's game after a callus on his thumb opened up, but he'll return to the mound Monday in Miami to serve as Kansas City's opener. The 26-year-old has a 4.76 ERA across 28.1 innings this season and should cover a frame or two before giving way to bulk pitcher Mike Mayers.

Hendriks (1-0) pitched a perfect inning and struck out two, earning the win Sunday over the Tigers.

Hendriks had some trouble in his season debut, but he's pitched perfect innings on consecutive days during the weekend series against Detroit. The 34-year-old appears to be settling in, and his usage in the ninth inning of a 2-2 game Sunday is a strong sign for him getting into high-leverage spots. He remains in search of his first save after returning from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks will likely remain in a closer committee for a while longer -- Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly are also part of the White Sox's late-inning mix.

Alvarado (elbow) is expected to continue his minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Reading before potentially being activated from the 15-day injured list, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The veteran left-hander made his first rehab outing Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and fired a scoreless inning. Alvarado will require at least one more appearance in the minors, and if all goes well Tuesday he could be back with the Phillies by the end of the week.

Bednar picked up the save in Sunday's 2-1 victory over St. Louis, tossing a scoreless ninth in which he allowed one hit and zero walks while striking out one.

Bednar locked down the ninth inning for a second consecutive night and is now 13-for-14 in save opportunities this season. He's given up runs in just two of his 24 appearances and sports a 1.13 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 30:1 K:BB across 24 innings. The right-hander is just six saves away from tying his career-best mark, which he set last year during his first full season as a closer.

Murfee (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Murfee has been on the shelf for just over a month with right elbow inflammation, so the Mariners may want to see him make more than one appearance in the minors before bringing him back from the 15-day injured list. Before he was sidelined with the injury, Murfee had posted a 1.38 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB in 13 innings out of the Seattle bullpen while gathering one win and one hold.

Munoz (shoulder) fired a scoreless fourth inning during which he issued a walk and recorded a strikeout in Triple-A Tacoma's loss to Sacramento on Friday.

Munoz's second rehab appearance saw him fire eight of 15 pitches for strikes and put together another scoreless outing. Rainiers play-by-play broadcaster Mike Curto reports the right-hander threw 10 sliders and five fastballs, with the heater sitting between 97 and 99 miles per hour. Munoz's velocity is clearly in formidable shape, lending credence to the notion he may need only a couple more outings at most on the farm before being deemed ready for activation.

Tarnok (shoulder) threw a live batting practice session Saturday, the team's official site reports.

Tarnok is seemingly trending in the right direction, as he also threw a 20-pitch bullpen session May 26 and faced hitters in a simulated game Tuesday. The promising right-hander may be inching closer to a rehab assignment if he doesn't experience any residual effects from Saturday's activity.