MLB Player News

Kimbrel earned a hold against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning.

With the Dodgers ahead by three runs entering the ninth inning, Kimbrel was brought in to secure the final three outs. He struck out Rafael Ortega and Nico Hoerner to begin the frame, but Chicago then had three straight batters reach base, and Kimbrel was removed in favor of Alex Vesia, who got the final out. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, manager Dave Roberts indicated that Kimbrel was pulled due to his high pitch count (31) and stressful nature of his throws on his second straight day of work, but it's nonetheless concerning that the veteran wasn't allowed to finish off the game, especially considering that he's blown two of his past three save chances and recently sat out a pair of games due to a back issue.

Diaz (biceps) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Diaz will make his return Friday as expected, rejoining the team after missing a little over three weeks while nursing a biceps injury. The reliever owns a 2.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 36 punchouts and two saves over 30 innings in 27 appearances this season. Diaz should work his way back into a high-leverage role pretty quickly, potentially contending for saves given Hunter Strickland's recent struggles.

Garcia (1-3) allowed an unearned run on two hits and an intentional walk without retiring a batter Thursday, taking an extra-inning loss versus the Padres.

Garcia walked Austin Nola in the bottom of the 10th inning, then allowed back-to-back singles to Trent Grisham and Jorge Alfaro to end the game. Since the start of June, Garcia has given up 10 runs (seven earned) in 12.1 innings, recording two losses, a blown save and a hold in that span. The southpaw retains a respectable 2.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 21:10 K:BB through 29.1 innings, but his 4.02 FIP indicates he's been lucky to perform so well through the first half of the year.

Gallegoes allowed a run on one hit and struck out two in one inning during Thursday's extra-innings win over Atlanta. He was charged with a blown save.

Gallegos pitched the seventh inning and allowed a game-tying solo shot to rookie Michael Harris. This was officially Gallegos' second blown save in his last five outings, though he's seen more of the closing duties given to Ryan Helsley lately. Gallegos has a 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 39:9 K:BB, nine saves, five holds and five blown saves through 32 innings this season. Both of the Cardinals' top relievers have had limited save opportunities lately with the team struggling through a 7-10 stretch.

Helsley (5-1) allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 2.1 innings to earn the extra-innings win over Atlanta on Thursday.

Helsley got out of a jam created by Junior Fernandez in the eighth inning and then worked two more frames. Helsley wasn't able to finish off the game in the 10th, as Matt Olson tagged him for a game-tying single, but the Cardinals took the lead in the 11th and Packy Naughton converted the save. In his last five outings, Helsley has picked up three wins, one loss, one save and one blown save, as the Cardinals' struggles of late have limited his closing opportunities. He has a 0.77 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 53:12 K:BB with six saves, five holds and three blown saves across 35 innings this year.

Naughton pitched a perfect 11th inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Naughton was shaky in his previous stints in the majors this year, but he's allowed just one run, two hits and three walks in seven innings across six appearances since his June 24 recall. With the Cardinals exhausting their top high-leverage arms earlier in Thursday's contest, Naughton got the call to protect a one-run lead, and he delivered. He now has a 3.98 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB across 20.1 innings, and he's added a hold and an 0-2 record through 15 appearances (three starts). The southpaw likely won't contend for many high-leverage chances, but he's building up some trust with his recent success.

Ortega was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Ortega's latest big-league stint lasted just over two weeks. He posted a 3.86 ERA in seven innings and recorded his first career save, but he also stumbled to a 2.00 WHIP. Reid Detmers was recalled in a corresponding move.

Adon (1-12) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks over four innings against the Phillies. He struck out five.

Adon was recalled from Triple-A Rochester ahead of Thursday's game and made his second start at the MLB level since June 7. However, the rookie right-hander continues to struggle and has allowed at least four runs in three consecutive starts. Across 64.2 innings in the majors, Adon sports a 7.10 ERA with a 55:39 K:BB.

Dominguez picked up the save in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Nationals. He allowed zero baserunners while striking out one over one inning.

Dominguez entered in the ninth with a two-run lead and retired Cesar Hernandez, Juan Soto and Josh Bell en route to his third save in four opportunities. The right-hander continues to split closing duties with Brad Hand, who operated in the eighth inning Thursday, but the fact that Dominguez was trusted to face a tough lefty like Soto may be a sign that he'll be the go-to guy moving forward.

Pressly picked up the save Thursday against the Royals. He allowed allowed zero baserunners while striking out one over one inning.

Pressly came on in the ninth with a three-run lead and retired Nicky Lopez, Ryan O'Hearn and Whit Merrifield to secure his 18th save. The veteran closer sports a 3.38 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP with a 24:8 K:BB across 24.0 innings this season.