MLB Player News

Crowe allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over five innings in Sunday's loss to the Brewers. He struck out eight and did not factor in the decision.

After allowing an RBI double to Daniel Vogelbach in the first inning, Crowe settled in for a solid outing. He later walked the leadoff batter in the sixth inning and was charged with a run when that batter scored against David Bednar. The 26-year-old struck out a career-high eight batters and allowed fewer than three runs in an outing for the first time since May 8. Crowe now owns a 6.75 ERA and 36:18 K:BB in nine appearances this season.

Betances (shoulder) began a rehab assignment at Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday, tossing a scoreless inning in a 21-pitch appearance. He gave up no hits and one walk and struck out two.

According to Jacob Resnick of SNY.tv, Betances' fastball topped out at 94 miles per hour, roughly in line with his average velocity during his 15 appearances in 2020. The rehab outing was Betances' first game action since April 7, so he'll likely complete several more appearances at multiple affiliates before the Mets consider bringing him back from the 60-day injured list.

Smith struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Sunday's 6-4 win over Miami.

Smith hadn't pitched since his first blown save of the year Wednesday, when he allowed two runs versus Philadelphia. His return to action was a clean inning to protect a two-run lead. He's now 12-for-13 in save chances with a 4.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB across 25.2 innings. The footing hasn't always been smooth, but the 31-year-old remains Atlanta's preferred closer.

Zimmermann allowed three runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 5.2 innings, taking the loss versus Tampa Bay on Sunday.

The southpaw was solid but not spectacular, throwing just 56 of his 95 pitches for strikes. Zimmermann allowed a decisive two-RBI single to Taylor Walls in the fourth inning, and Baltimore's offense didn't get him off the hook. For the season, Zimmermann has a 4.83 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB across 59.2 innings. He projects to make his next start versus Toronto during next weekend's series.

Fleming (6-4) allowed only one walk and struck out three over four scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday over Baltimore.

Michael Wacha opened the game, allowing a run in two innings before Fleming took over on the mound. That arrangement worked out well, as Tampa Bay took over the lead on Fleming's watch, and he was able to pick up his sixth win of the season. The southpaw has a 3.20 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 33:13 K:BB across 56.1 innings this season. He's started five of his 11 appearances, and he's tentatively scheduled to make his next outing in Seattle during next weekend's series. It's unclear if he'll work as a traditional starter or behind an opener.

Lakins was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk following Sunday's loss to the Rays, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Lakins was recalled to the Orioles on June 4. He'll now return to Norfolk after allowing four runs across four innings in his latest stint with the big club. Despite his demotion Sunday, the right-hander should be a candidate to return to the Baltimore bullpen later this summer.

Graveman, reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list earlier in the day, allowed an earned run on a solo home run and surrendered an additional hit over one inning in a loss to Cleveland on Saturday.

Graveman was seeing his first game action since May 16, so some rustiness was to be expected. The right-hander allowed a solo home run to Cesar Hernandez during his one frame, a round tripper that opened the scoring for Cleveland and kickstarted their comeback. Now that he's back in the fold, Graveman is likely to return to his usual high-leverage role, one that's netted five saves and four holds across 15 appearances.

Reyes fired a scoreless seventh inning during which he issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts in a loss to the Cubs on Saturday.

The talented closer had logged only two appearances since June 1, so manager Mike Shildt opted to get him some work in a non-save situation Saturday. Reyes' fantasy value has been hurt by a lack of save opportunities recently, but he's still sporting an elite 0.87 ERA and 32.8 percent strikeout rate across 29 appearances.

Weathers will move to the bullpen during the upcoming week with the Padres set to scale back their rotation from six to five starters, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Weathers has fared well in a starting role this season, posting a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings. However, he has taken a small step back over his past two starts, allowing seven earned runs across 10 frames. In addition, the southpaw has yet to reach 100 innings in a professional season, so the move out of the rotation for now may help him contribute more later in the campaign.

McHugh, who recorded five strikeouts while allowing just one hit over two scoreless innings in a win over the Orioles on Saturday, now has three straight multi-inning appearances during which he's forged a 13:1 K:BB.

The long-time starter appears to have truly found his niche in manager Kevin Cash's eclectic relief corps, with McHugh's season ERA now sitting at an impressive 2.70 across 23.1 innings. He also boasts a 37.1 percent strikeout rate that qualifies as a career high, and his 5.1 K-BB% is one of the best in MLB. While his usage has netted only one win and three holds thus far, McHugh's ability to miss bats at an elite clip and frequent deployment should lead to more decisions and hold opportunities as the season unfolds.