MLB Player News

Soto picked up the save Wednesday against San Francisco. He struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Eric Haase gave the Tigers the lead with a two-run homer in the sixth, and Soto was able to nail down the win for starting pitcher Rony Garcia. Soto retired the side in order on 10 pitches (eight strikes). Much was made of Soto's command and control issues, but he has handed out a total of four free passes in his last 18 appearances to solidify his hold on the closer job in Detroit.

Hader allowed a hit and a walk during a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win at Tampa Bay. He did not strike out a batter.

The left-hander certainly wasn't at his best Wednesday as he allowed the first two batters to reach via a single and a walk, but he retired the next three hitters to lock down the win. It was only the fourth time in 26 outings this year he's failed to record a strikeout. Hader is 24-for-25 in save opportunities and has a 1.09 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 41:7 K:BB across 24.2 innings.

Voth (0-1) took the loss Wednesday, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk over three innings against the Mariners. He struck out two.

Voth was pressed into starting duty recently and pitched well enough in his prior two outings to remain in the rotation. He's not stretched out enough to provide much length, however, and he still has a 7.34 ERA for the season even with this decent run of late. Voth could transition back to the bullpen when Kyle Bradish (shoulder) is ready to return.

Martinez picked up the save Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. He allowed two hits and one walk without a strikeout over three scoreless innings.

Martinez has earned his first two MLB saves in his last two appearances, both of the three-inning variety. While the right-hander's return stateside hasn't been overly impressive from a statistical standpoint (4.55 ERA and 1.46 WHIP entering Wednesday's contest), he can spot start for the club and mop up where necessary. The volume and team context keep him relevant in some deeper formats.

Beeks didn't factor in the decision after allowing one run on three hits over two innings during Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Brewers. He had four strikeouts and zero walks.

The 29-year-old delivered a scoreless first inning but returned for a second frame and gave up a run on two hits and a hit-by-pitch. It was Beeks' fourth time working as an opener this season, and he's given up three runs over 7.2 frames in that role. Overall he has a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 41:11 K:BB across 33.1 innings.

Raley will be placed on the restricted list and won't travel with the Rays for the upcoming five-game series against the Blue Jays, which begins Thursday, due to Canada's vaccination requirement, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Raley didn't allow a hit over two scoreless innings during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, and he won't be able to travel with the team to Toronto since he's apparently unvaccinated. The 34-year-old has four saves and seven holds with a 2.42 ERA this season, so his absence will be significant for the Tampa Bay bullpen. The Rays have five relievers with at least two saves this season, with Colin Poche and Jason Adam set to be the top options for the five-game set versus the Blue Jays.

White is scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Padres in Los Angeles, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

He'll be getting a second straight turn through the rotation while Andrew Heaney (shoulder) remains on the injured list. White hasn't covered more than five innings in any of his five starts with the Dodgers this season, and manager Dave Roberts' reluctance to let the right-hander work deep into outings could hurt his chances of picking up wins even though he'll be backed by one of baseball's top lineups.

Norris (finger) was able to play catch off flat ground Wednesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Norris has started up his throwing program after landing on the 15-day injured list just under a week ago with a left index finger strain. He doesn't look like he'll be in store for a long-term absence, though the Cubs may not have much urgency to rush him back. The lefty has been handling a low-leverage role out of the bullpen all season and has submitted a 7.24 ERA over his 24 appearances.

Hoffman (undisclosed) was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday.

Hoffman landed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday, but his quick return likely means that he didn't test positive for the virus. He should be available out of the bullpen Wednesday against the Cubs after right-hander Jared Solomon was sent down.

Matzek (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Matzek began his rehab stint at Single-A Augusta on Monday but didn't make any appearances, and he'll progress to the Triple-A level several days later. While the southpaw seems to be closing in on a return, it's not yet clear which day he'll be able to rejoin the major-league club.