MLB Player News

Fluharty struck out two in 1.1 perfect innings of relief Friday to record his fourth hold of the season in a win over the Twins.

Entering the game with one out in the fifth inning and the Blue Jays ahead 4-3, the rookie southpaw closed out the frame before fanning Matt Wallner and Brooks Lee to begin the sixth. Fluharty isn't seeing consistent high-leverage work as the second lefty in the bullpen behind Brendon Little, but he's pitched well enough to get a more prominent spot in the pecking order. Through 26.2 innings this season, he's delivered a 3.04 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 29:8 K:BB.

Nelson is slated to start Saturday's game against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Nelson will pick up his fourth start of the season Saturday and could have an opportunity to stick around in the rotation for the remainder of 2025 with Corbin Burnes (elbow) set to undergo Tommy John surgery next week. Since being lit up by the Cubs for five earned runs while recording just two outs in an April 18 game, Nelson has pitched to a 1.72 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB in 31.1 innings.

Johnson (1-2) took the loss Friday against the Giants, allowing an unearned run on one hit over one inning.

After Dylan Lee recorded the first two outs in the ninth inning with the score tied 4-4, Johnson entered the game and gave up a single to Tyler Fitzgerald but promptly picked him off at first base. The right-hander wasn't so fortunate in the 10th, however -- with Fitzgerald at second as the phantom runner, Johnson watched him advance to third on a one-out groundout, and then bounced a curveball well wide of the plate that Sean Murphy couldn't corral to bring home the winning run. Raisel Iglesias appears to be on very thin ice as Atlanta's closer, but performances like this don't make a compelling case for Johnson to replace him. Over his last seven appearances, Johnson has a 6.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 6:2 K:BB in six innings with two losses and a blown save.

Finnegan struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 18th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Rangers.

He had to navigate around a CJ Abrams throwing error, but Finnegan was up to the task. The right-hander is tied with Carlos Estevez for second in the league in saves behind Robert Suarez's 20, and Finnegan has been especially sharp since the beginning of May, posting a 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB over his last 11 innings while converting nine of his 10 saves chances.

Bednar (1-4) picked up the win Friday, striking out the side in the ninth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Phillies.

With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Bednar carved up the Phillies' 8-9-1 hitters on 14 pitches (10 strikes), including an impressive three-pitch whiff of the red-hot Trea Turner to end the frame. The Bucs then pushed a run home to walk it off and get their closer his first win of the year. The right-hander appears to be back in top form and rewarding the organization's faith in him after a rough 2024 and early-season demotion in 2025 -- since rejoining the big-league roster in mid-April, Bednar has a 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 29:3 K:BB through 19.2 innings while converting all six of his save chances.

Romano (0-3) took the loss Friday as the Phillies were downed 5-4 by the Pirates, giving up a run on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

The sixth Phillie pitcher to take the mound in a bullpen game, Romano gave up three straight singles to begin the ninth inning and load the bases in a 4-4 tie. After fanning Oneil Cruz, the right-hander then hung a slider to Nick Gonzales that turned into a walk-off sacrifice fly. Romano has been tagged for a run in three straight appearances and saddled with the loss in two straight, and his early-season struggles appear to be re-surfacing. Over his last six games, he carries a 10.80 ERA, 3.00 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB in five innings.

Sabrowski (elbow) walked one and struck out one over a hitless and scoreless inning for Double-A Akron on Friday,

Friday's rehab outing was the third for Sabrowski, who made two previous appearances for the Guardians' affiliate in the Arizona Complex League. The left-hander has walked five and struck out three in two innings while on his rehab assignment. Sabrowski's been dealing with left elbow inflammation since the start of spring training.

Birdsong allowed two runs on two hits and five walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings in a no-decision versus Atlanta on Friday.

Birdsong didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning, but his wildness, which also included a hit batsman, kept him from having an effective performance. He threw just 52 of 93 pitches for strikes, while the five walks were by far a season high -- he hadn't issued more than two free passes in any of his previous outings. Birdsong is now at a 2.55 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 45:17 K:BB across 42.1 innings over 15 appearances (four starts). He's allowed just seven runs (six earned) over 19 innings across his four starts, so this was likely just a bump in the road rather than anything to be concerned about. Birdsong's next start is projected to be at Colorado.

Miller walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless and hitless innings to earn the save in Friday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.

Miller inherited a bases-loaded, one-out situation from Tyler Ferguson in the eighth inning, but he struck out Heston Kjerstad and Jackson Holliday to escape the jam. Miller issued a walk in the ninth but had no trouble converting the save, his first since May 25. The Athletics' recent struggles have limited Miller's work lately, but he has submitted four straight scoreless outings, striking out five with one hit and two walks allowed over 4.2 innings in that stretch. For the season, the closer has converted 13 of his 15 save chances while pitching to a 4.84 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 40:12 K:BB over 22.1 innings.

Agnos (0-2) took the loss against the Mets on Friday after allowing two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two in the ninth inning.

Agnos was brought in for the ninth, tasked with keeping the game tied at 2-2. He started off nicely by striking out Starling Marte, but Agnos proceeded to let the next two batters on base before giving up a two-run double to Francisco Lindor (toe). It marked the first time this season that Agnos yielded more than one run in an appearance, and the 24-year-old right-hander is up to a 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB across 19 innings.