MLB Player News

Anderson (3-0) picked up the win Thursday over the Phillies, striking out two in a perfect eighth inning.

The right-hander fanned J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm before Atlanta broke open a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the eighth. Anderson has been able to stay healthy this season and has held down a high-leverage role, posting eight holds and a save over 21 appearances in addition to his three wins while sporting a 3.63 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 27:3 K:BB. The clean inning was his first over his last three appearances, but overall he's been a big asset for the Atlanta relief corps.

Brazoban (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Rockies. He allowed a run on a hit and three walks over one-third of an inning.

After the Marlins scored four runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6, Brazoban walked three of the first four batters he faced in the bottom half before Ezequiel Tovar ended the game with a walk-off base hit. It's been a struggle for Brazoban recently -- he's allowed at least one run in each of his last four appearances, getting tagged for seven earned runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings in that span. The 33-year-old right-hander now sports a 4.05 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB across 26.2 innings this season.

Cano earned a save against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter over one inning.

Felix Bautista was presumably unavailable after pitching each of the previous two days, so Cano was called upon to close out the contest with Baltimore up 3-0 in the ninth. The right-hander uncharacteristically allowed a run to score but nonetheless managed to finish off the win. The run was just the second Cano has allowed over 26.2 innings on the campaign, and he also issued his first free pass of the season, so this was one of the few times he's looked mortal in what has been a dominant effort thus far. Bautista has been outstanding as well as the Orioles' closer, thus Cano's save chances will likely continue to be limited to instances when Bautista is unavailable.

Iglesias earned a save against the Phillies on Thursday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning.

Iglesias got the ball with Atlanta holding a three-run ninth-inning lead, and he needed just eight pitches -- seven of which were strikes -- to retire the side in order. This was the fifth straight scoreless appearance for the veteran, and he's allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters over five innings during that stretch. Iglesias still has a subpar 4.32 ERA on the season as a result of a pair of poor outings in the middle of the month.

Lovelady (0-3) allowed one earned run on a walk and no hits while striking out one across 0.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Mariners.

Lovelady entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score knotted at 2-2. He retired two of the three batters he faced but was pulled for Garrett Acton, who was on the mound when the winning run crossed the plate. Lovelady began the season in the minors, but he has pitched well since being recalled, turning in 13 scoreless outings in 16 appearances. It's difficult to decipher the Athletics bullpen due to their lack of wins and standout talent, but Lovelady could see some save chances moving forward -- particularly while Zach Jackson (elbow) is sidelined.

Sewald struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Athletics.

Sewald has saves in each of his last two outings after a nearly three-week gap between opportunities. He's kept runs off the board in four of his last five outings, lowering his ERA to 3.18 with a 0.88 WHIP and 30:5 K:BB over 22.2 innings overall. He's 11-for-11 in save chances as the Mariners' top closer with Andres Munoz (shoulder) out for a majority of the campaign so far.

Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following Thursday's game against the Orioles.

Ramirez was recalled May 17 and has made three appearances since, allowing no earned runs across 2.2 frames. He pitched both Wednesday and Thursday, so this could be a move to ensure the team has enough arms in its bullpen to get through its weekend series against the Padres.

Johnson allowed four earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two across 0.2 innings Thursday against the Marlins.

Johnson entered the game in the top of the ninth inning with a four-run lead and served up a pair of two-run homers to blow the lead. He was ultimately bailed out by his offense in the bottom of the same frame, though the performance continued a shaky stretch for Johnson. Across his last 12 appearances, he's allowed at least one earned run on six occasions. On the other hand, he has tallied seven saves in that span and there is no sign that the Rockies are looking to move away from him as the closer at this point.

Junis (3-2) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four over 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday over the Brewers.

Six pitchers combined for the shutout, and Junis led the way by getting seven outs. He hasn't given up a run over his last 6.1 innings, posting a 10:2 K:BB with four hits allowed in that span. The right-hander has a 4.13 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB over 28.1 innings through 14 relief appearances this season. The Giants continue to use Junis in a swingman role -- he and Sean Manaea, who had a hold with 1.1 scoreless innings Thursday, are options to serve as primary pitchers whenever manager Gabe Kapler opts for a bullpen day.

Harvey (2-2) blew the save and took the loss in Thursday's 8-6 defeat against the Padres. He allowed three runs on three hits while striking out two over one inning.

After Kyle Finnegan worked the eighth inning to protect a 6-5 lead, Harvey allowed a pair of singles to start the ninth. He'd strike out the next two batters before Rougned Odor launched a three-run homer, handing Harvey his fourth blown save of the year. The right-hander had been pitching well prior to Thursday's outing, holding opponents scoreless in 11 of his previous 13 appearances. Harvey's ERA is up to 3.86 with a 0.99 WHIP and 28:7 K:BB over 23.1 innings this season. The Nationals are making an effort to try and ease the 28-year-old into a share of the closing duties, but it hasn't gone well -- Harvey is just 2-for-6 in converting save chances in May, and Finnegan remains the clear top option in the bullpen.