MLB Player News

Romano earned a save against the Orioles on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.

Toronto starter Alek Manoah was dominant in eight frames, and he turned it over to Romano in the ninth inning to hold a three-run lead. The All-Star closer did so easily, throwing 12 of 16 pitches for strikes and punching out a pair of batters en route to his 31st save of the campaign. That puts him into a tie for second place in the category, one behind Atlanta's Kenley Jansen.

Brogdon earned a save against the Marlins on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one batter over one inning.

Brogdon entered in the ninth inning with Philadelphia up by two runs and immediately allowed the lead to be halved on a Jacob Stallings solo homer. He surrendered a single to the next batter but rebounded to retire the next three Marlins and secure the save. Seranthony Dominguez (triceps) is on the injured list and David Robertson threw 65 pitches over the past three days, which explains why Brogdon -- who had only one save coming into Wednesday -- was called upon to close. He isn't likely to see many more save opportunities moving forward.

Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Wednesday's doubleheader sweep over the Twins.

Garcia was called up ahead of the twin bill and will return to the minors without seeing game action. The 23-year-old has yet to see big-league action this year and has a 9.11 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 22:17 K:BB over 26.2 frames at Triple-A.

Hader pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Hader was solid, retiring the side on nine pitches against the Diamondbacks' two most productive hitters of the night -- Daulton Varsho and Corbin Carroll -- as well as pinch hitter Carson Kelly. The save was Hader's second in his last three appearances, though he's allowed one run in three innings in that span in the non-save opportunity. Notably, Nick Martinez pitched the eighth inning Wednesday, earning a hold. Hader's at a 6.26 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 68:20 K:BB through 41.2 innings this year between the Brewers and the Padres. For now, the Padres' bullpen looks like a committee, though it's clear Hader's in the mix for save chances.

Clase (2-4) took the loss and a blown save Wednesday versus the Royals, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks over two-thirds of an inning.

Clase's blown save was his first since May 9, and the earned runs he gave up were his first since Aug. 6. MJ Melendez accounted for the tying run with an RBI single, and Salvador Perez followed up with a sacrifice fly to walk it off. It's important to keep in mind this was Clase's fourth appearance in the last five days, so some slight fatigue may have played a role in the poor result. Clase has had few hiccups this year, as evidenced by his 1.39 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 59:10 K:BB through 58.1 innings. He's now 31-for-34 in save chances.

Morris allowed three hits and a walk while striking out two over four scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Royals.

The Guardians were expected to have more of a bullpen game, but Morris was able to throw 61 pitches (36 strikes) in a decent second career outing. It was an improvement over his debut, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) over two innings to the Mariners. Morris may not approach a full starter's workload as the Guardians tread carefully with the high-end prospect, but the right-hander should continue to see regular work with Zach Plesac (hand) and Aaron Civale (forearm) out. Morris lines up for a home outing versus the Angels next week, though it's unclear if he'll be able to build up his pitch count enough to realistically have a chance to qualify for a potential win.

Barlow (6-4) pitched a perfect inning and earned the win Wednesday over the Guardians.

Barlow kept the deficit at one run in the top of the ninth inning, and he didn't issue a walk or record a strikeout. The Royals then rallied for two runs to make him the winning pitcher. Barlow has allowed five runs in 17.1 innings since the start of August, though he's kept runs off the board in his last three appearances. The 29-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.49 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 65:17 K:BB through 65 innings while adding 21 saves and six holds as the Royals' primary closer this year.

Finnegan (5-3) allowed five runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Wednesday versus the Cardinals.

With a four-run lead, manager Davey Martinez elected to bring Finnegan in for a non-save situation. The move backfired spectacularly, as the Cardinals rallied for five runs and a walkoff win. This ended Finnegan's 9.1-inning scoreless streak, which dated back to Aug. 13, though he hadn't pitched since Sept. 1 entering this appearance. The meltdown raised his ERA to 3.79 with a 1.23 WHIP and 57:21 K:BB through 54.2 innings. He's added eight saves and 13 holds this year, and it's unlikely one blunder will see Finnegan removed from a high-leverage role.

Abbott allowed a run on five hits and no walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Abbott was solid, but Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run to account for the lone run on the right-hander's line. Abbott pitched two scoreless innings of relief over two appearances since the start of the month, most recently Sept. 4; therefore, he was likely to face at least some restrictions. He still threw 88 pitches (56 strikes) and fared well against a division-leading club. Abbott carries a 4.06 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 29:13 K:BB through 31 innings into his next outing, which tentatively projects as a home start versus the Orioles next week if he remains in the rotation.

Assad (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits across 5.1 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Reds. He walked one and struck out six.

Assad pitched decently but served up two solo home runs, which were the first long balls he's allowed at the MLB level. This was the 25-year-old's third start for the Cubs and the first time he's allowed any runs across those appearances, leaving him with a strong 2.93 ERA through his first 15 innings in the majors. Assad has likely pitched well enough to stick in the rotation, and he's currently penciled in to take the mound again Tuesday against the Mets.