MLB Player News

Diekman (2-2) allowed a run on one hit and one walk while striking out two over an inning as he was handed the loss against the Mariners on Friday.

Diekman pitched the seventh inning for the A's and could not preserve a 3-3 tie. He allowed the go-ahead run to reach on an infield single and would end up giving the Mariners the lead on his second wild pitch of the frame. The left-hander took the loss and now owns a 3.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 51:22 BB:K over 37.2 innings.

Hoffman will shift to a bullpen role going forward, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Hoffman returned from a shoulder injury to start Wednesday's game against the Mets, but he gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. The right-hander struggled with command during his start and only threw 44 of his 82 pitches for strikes. Vladimir Gutierrez will take his place in the rotation starting Tuesday against the Cubs.

Gilbreath struck out a batter in a perfect 10th inning Friday to record the save against the Dodgers.

Gilbreath earned the first save of his young career after Daniel Bard blew the save chance in the ninth. The 25-year-old had a quick 1-2-3 outing and struck out Zach McKinstry in the process. He now owns a 6.62 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 18:11 K:BB over 17.2 innings and likely won't be considered for many saves in the future with such poor numbers.

Bard (5-5) blew a save chance Friday but ended up earning the win after allowing a run on two hits and two walks while striking out three over an inning against the Dodgers.

Bard entered in the ninth trying to protect a one-run lead. He allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases before walking Justin Turner to knot the game up. The right-hander would then go on to strike out the next three batters to get out of the jam and extend the game. The Rockies went on to score three runs in the 10th, giving Bard his fifth win of the year. The 36-year-old owns a 3.98 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 53:20 K:BB and has 15 saves over 40.2 innings this year.

Raley (COVID-19 protocols) threw live batting practice Friday, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Raley, who was placed on the injured list for health and safety protocols July 8, had made one rehab appearance this past Tuesday for Triple-A Sugar Land before engaging in Friday's session. The Astros did not have an update on his next step.

Melancon gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 30th save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Marlins.

The veteran closer continues to thrive in San Diego. Melancon leads the majors in saves by a wide margin, as Liam Hendriks and Alex Reyes are tied for second with 23, and he's blown just one of his last 12 chances. On the season, Melancon carries a 2.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 36:16 K:BB through 43 innings.

Diaz struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 20th save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Blue Jays.

The right-hander was dialed in, firing nine of 10 pitches for strikes while carving up the heart of the Toronto order. The performance was a far cry from Diaz's previous few efforts as he'd blown three straight save chances coming into Friday, but Mets manager Luis Rojas doesn't seem ready to yank him from the closer spot quite yet.

Iglesias (6-4) allowed a run on two hits in one inning, taking a blown save and the loss versus Minnesota on Friday.

Tony Watson walked Miguel Sano to start the inning, and Iglesias allowed the inherited runner to score. An error by catcher Kurt Suzuki on Ryan Jeffers' single also allowed the go-ahead run, charged to Iglesias, to score. The right-hander is now 20-for-24 in save chances with a 3.45 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 66:8 K:BB across 44.1 innings this season. With a lack of other effective closing options this year, manager Joe Maddon is unlikely to let one hiccup from Iglesias lead to a role change.

Lopez allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out three in 4.2 innings in Friday's win over the Nationals. He didn't factor into the decision.

Lopez had some issues with command and only threw 45 of his 82 pitches for strikes, but he was able to limit Washington's run production. However, he fell just short of qualifying for the win since he was removed from the game with two outs in the fourth inning. The right-hander had been charged with six consecutive losses leading up to the All-Star break, but he's now settled for no-decisions in each of his last two outings. Lopez tentatively lines up to make his next start on the road against Detroit on Thursday.

Rogers allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 5-4 win over the Angels.

Minnesota trailed for much of the game but finally pulled ahead in the eighth inning, and Rogers was able to make the one-run lead stand. It's his second straight scoreless outing after he allowed six runs (five earned) across his previous two appearances. Rogers is now 9-for-13 in save chances with a 3.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 59:8 K:BB across 40.1 innings. He's added eight holds while mainly sharing the closer role with Hansel Robles this year.