MLB Player News

Diaz struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his 12th save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Padres.

The Mets closer needed only 10 pitches (seven strikes) to get the job done. Diaz has been locked in lately, posting a 0.87 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB over his last 10 appearances and 10.1 innings, but after pitching in each of the last two games, he'll likely be unavailable Sunday as New York looks for the series sweep.

Sewald (2-2) failed to record an out and was tagged with the loss Saturday against Cleveland after giving up a run and a walk.

Sewald entered the bottom of the 10th inning with a 4-4 tie and an automatic runner in second base, and his outing didn't boost Seattle's chances of earning the victory -- he allowed a single to Amed Rosario and walked Jose Ramirez to load the bases with no outs. An error from Sewald himself allowed Harold Ramirez to score on a fielder's choice. As a result of his woeful outing, Sewald ended a streak of four straight scoreless appearances.

Karinchak (3-2) earned the win in relief Saturday against the Mariners after tossing a scoreless inning, fanning two.

Karinchak entered the game in the 10th inning after Cleveland scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, and he carried that momentum into the mound -- he tossed eight of his 13 pitches for strikes and retired the side in order despite having a runner at second the whole time due to the new extra-inning rule. The right-hander has posted three straight scoreless outings and lowered his ERA to 2.67 in the process.

Richards (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk while striking out four over two scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday versus Pittsburgh.

Richards has now logged five scoreless innings across four appearances in June. He got off to a rocky start after he was traded from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee. The right-hander has a 4.15 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 28:4 K:BB across 21.2 innings this season. He remains an option in the middle innings for Milwaukee.

Hader pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 7-4 win over Pittsburgh.

Hader locked down his 16th save of the year with just 10 pitches while retiring the No. 3 through 5 hitters in Pittsburgh's lineup. The southpaw remains a dominant closer with a 0.70 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 43:8 K:BB across 25.2 innings. He's also collected three wins this year.

Hand picked up the save in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, striking out two in a perfect seventh inning.

It marked the southpaw's first save since June 4th and his 11th overall on the season. Hand has a 3.42 ERA and 1.27 WHIP to go along with a 25:11 K:BB in 23.2 innings this season, and should continue to be Davey Martinez's top option to close ballgames going forward.

Romano (forearm) struck out one in a perfect ninth inning during Saturday's win over the Red Sox.

Romano was deemed unavailable for Friday's game with forearm tightness, but the issue appears to have been minor. Although he didn't pick up a save Saturday, Romano figures to continue seeing plenty of opportunities in the closer role going forward. On the season, the right-hander has compiled a tidy 1.66 ERA and 1.06 WHIP to go along with a 28:12 K:BB across 21.2 innings.

Kowar (0-2) was tagged with the loss Saturday against the Athletics after allowing four runs on five hits and three walks across 1.1 innings. He struck out one.

It was another rough outing for Kowar and even though he was able to get out of the first inning this time, he didn't make a substantial improvement compared to his debut and once again delivered a below-average outing. It remains to be seen how patient the Royals will be with their star prospect. Right now, it's not entirely clear that he'll get another shot in the rotation any time soon.

Alexander (shoulder) threw live batting practice Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Alexander was placed on the 10-day injured list in early May with left shoulder inflammation and was later transferred to the 60-day IL on June 9. Throwing to hitters Saturday marks a big step forward in his recovery as he continues to eye a return to the Dodgers' bullpen when he becomes eligible to be activated July 5.

Hudson (elbow) is attempting to return by the end of the year, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery in late September last year. The procedure carries a recovery timeline of at least 12 months but frequently takes around 15. The Cardinals haven't ruled out that Hudson could return this year, though it's unlikely he'd be built up for anything other than a relief role if he is indeed able to make it back by the end of the year.