MLB Player News

Leiter (1-1) allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk while retiring just one batter to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays.

Long balls did in Leiter, as he allowed two-run home runs to both Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri. The righty still has a solid 2.78 ERA and should remain in the mix to close games with Brad Boxberger (forearm) out, though Adbert Alzolay recorded the save in Tuesday's win and could be moving up the bullpen pecking order, particularly following this rough outing by Leiter. The latter's increased fantasy value due to Boxberger's injury may be waning.

Vest (2-0) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win Wednesday against the Rangers. He struck out one.

Starter Joey Wentz covered 4.1 innings before giving way to Vest. The latter has been a strong relief option this year, as he now has a 2.84 ERA and has struck out 20 batters in 19 innings. Alex Lange has locked down the closer job with his own stellar play, but Vest has carved out an important role in the Detroit bullpen.

Lange pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Rangers. He walked one and struck out two.

Lange continues to roll along, as he now has 10 saves in 11 chances along with a sparkling 1.16 ERA. The righty has also struck out 32 batters in 23.1 innings. With this strong start to the season, Lange has firmly established himself as Detroit's closer, and he's been one of the better relief options in the entire league to this point.

Kahnle (biceps) is headed to Los Angeles to join the Yankees for their weekend series against the Dodgers, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Kahnle joins Josh Donaldson (hamstring) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) as Yankees expected to return from the injured list this weekend. The reliever has been out all year with right biceps tendinitis but has looked sharp on his rehab assignment, yielding one run with a 6:3 K:BB over five frames.

Iglesias picked up the save in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Oakland, tossing a perfect ninth in which he recorded one strikeout.

Iglesias had a rocky performance Tuesday during a non-save situation, but he bounced back Thursday with a perfect outing en route to his fifth save of the year. The veteran right-hander missed the first month of the season with a shoulder strain, but he's been Atlanta's go-to closer since. A.J. Minter is 7-for-10 in save opportunities, which currently leads the team, but the majority of those chances came before Iglesias was activated.

Beeks picked up the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cubs, striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.

Beeks entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, striking out Miles Mastrobuoni before coaxing a flyout from Yan Gomes to end the game. It's the first save of the year for Beeks, who's pitched to a 1.74 ERA over his last seven outings (10.1 innings) while striking out 14 in that span. The 29-year-old left-hander lowered his ERA to 4.45 with a 1.24 WHIP and 27:14 K:BB through 28.1 innings this season. Beeks could continue to have a higher-leverage role while Pete Fairbanks (hip) is sidelined, though Jason Adam is still most likely the preferred ninth-inning option.

Alvarado (elbow) threw 13 pitches of live batting practice Wednesday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

As long as there are no complications in the aftermath of the workout, Alvarado could be cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of the week. He had pitched to a stellar 0.63 ERA and 24:0 K:BB across 14.1 innings this year for the Phillies prior to going on the injured list May 10 with left elbow inflammation. He should be in the mix for saves again once he returns to full health.

Barria (2-2) earned the win Wednesday, allowing a run on four hits and three walks over five innings against the White Sox. He struck out six.

Barria has now won both of his starts this season, allowing just one run on six hits over 10 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander sports a sparkling 1.59 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB across 34 innings this season. Barria has certainly made a case to remain in the rotation moving forward. He's currently lined up to face the Cubs at home in his next outing.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that Puk (elbow) will make back-to-back rehab appearances before being activated, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Puk tossed a scoreless inning on 15 pitches in his rehab debut Tuesday with Double-A Pensacola, but the Marlins want him to fully test his left elbow before they return him to a high-leverage bullpen role. Those back-to-back appearances could come Thursday and Friday, though the timeline is not firm. The 28-year-old southpaw has been on the shelf since May 14 because of elbow nerve irritation.

Colorado reinstated Lamet (back) off the 15-day injured list to start against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Lamet ended up missing close to a month after being placed on the 15-day injured list May 4 with stiffness in his lower back. The right-hander was operating out of the bullpen at the time, but he was stretched out during his minor-league rehab assignment and will now get a chance to give the Rockies' rotation an added boost. Lamet showed flashes of brilliance as a starter when he was a member of the Padres, but he's struggled to be able to stick on the mound with a litany of injuries from 2017 through 2021. He's an intriguing speculative add, and one that makes more sense to have in a fantasy lineup when he's not pitching in the unfriendly confines of Coors Field. One of those opportunities for Lamet comes Wednesday in his outing against Arizona.