MLB Player News

Dreyer retired the lone batter he faced to earn the save in Friday's 3-2 win over the Padres.

Alexis Diaz put a runner on and got two outs in the ninth inning, but Dreyer finished off the game by getting Ryan O'Hearn on a flyout. All of the Dodgers' other top closing candidates had pitched in the seventh and eighth frames, allowing Dreyer to collect his second save of the season. He's added nine holds while maintaining a 2.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 54:20 K:BB over 59.1 innings. The Dodgers' bullpen is a full-blown closer committee currently and will likely stay that way until Tanner Scott (elbow) or Kirby Yates (back) can return.

Santana (4-4) allowed one hit across 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Friday against the Cubs.

Santana has been inconsistent since inheriting the closer role from David Bednar, but he delivered Friday. He entered the game with a runner on first base and the score tied at 2-2 before getting out of the inning when Ian Happ was caught stealing. The Pirates took the lead in the top of the ninth inning, and Santana then faced the minimum three batters in the bottom of the frame due to another caught stealing. He now has four scoreless appearances in his last six outings.

Garcia will serve as the Orioles' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Astros, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Garcia has given up one earned run over 1.2 innings in two appearances since joining the Orioles after being claimed off waivers earlier this month, and the team will now entrust him with his second career MLB start Friday. The 31-year-old is unlikely to cover more than an inning or two, after which Cade Povich is expected to pitch as a bulk reliever.

Bednar picked up the save Friday against St. Louis, striking out two in a clean ninth inning.

Bednar registered his 19th save of the year and his second as a member of the Yankees, also turning in his fifth scoreless outing in a row. Fellow high-leverage arm Camilo Doval has a poor 6.35 ERA over seven appearances in August, and Devin Williams also owns a pitiful 9.64 ERA across five outings this month. While that does appear to position Bednar as New York's current favorite for saves, he'll continue to have plenty of competition -- which also includes Luke Weaver -- for the closer role.

Iglesias picked up the save Friday against Atlanta, striking out one during a perfect ninth inning.

Called on to protect a two-run lead, Iglesias shut down the heart of the Guardians lineup to secure the shutout victory and his 18th save of the season. The veteran closer extended his scoreless streak to 10 consecutive appearances and has re-established stability at the back end of Atlanta's bullpen, converting each of his last seven save chances. Through 50.2 innings on the year, he owns a 4.09 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 55:10 K:BB.

Cantillo (3-3) took the loss against Atlanta on Friday, allowing one run on four hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.

The left-hander was effective for most of the night but faltered in the fourth inning, issuing a bases-loaded walk to Nacho Alvarez that gave Atlanta a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Cantillo has now issued at least four walks in three of his last five outings, though he's managed to limit the damage during that stretch, recording a 3.55 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 25.1 innings. The 25-year-old will look to rein in the free passes and build on his recent outings in his next scheduled start against Arizona.

Vodnik picked up the save Friday against Arizona, striking out two in a clean ninth inning.

Vodnik secured save No. 5 on the campaign and his third of the month of August. It's notable that Juan Mejia tossed a scoreless eighth inning for a hold, which suggests Vodnik is at least slightly ahead of Mejia in the bullpen pecking order while Seth Halvorsen (elbow) is on the injured list. With Vodnik holding a concerning 1.50 WHIP over 37.1 innings this season, however, it wouldn't be surprising to see the closer situation remain somewhat of a committee going forward.

Waldrep (3-0) earned the win over the Guardians on Friday, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out seven over six scoreless innings.

The 23-year-old generated 14 swinging strikes on 95 pitches and set a career high with seven strikeouts, blanking Cleveland for his first career scoreless outing. Since being recalled, the young starter has been impressive, winning each of his first three outings while yielding only two total runs across 17.2 innings. His ability to command the zone and miss bats has quickly made him a valuable boost to Atlanta's injury-prone rotation, and he'll take a 1.02 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the White Sox.

Megill earned the save in Friday's 10-8 win over the Reds, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Megill was summoned to protect a two-run lead in the ninth and did so on just 11 pitches. In 13 appearances across July and August, the 31-year-old has gone 11-for-11 in save chances while allowing only one earned run over 12.1 innings. For the season, he owns a 2.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 51:15 K:BB across 42 frames while converting 29 of 32 opportunities.

X-rays on Duran's right ankle came back negative after he left Friday's game against Washington on a cart, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

Duran was hit on the ankle by a comebacker in the ninth inning and had to leave the game on a cart. The Phillies will evaluate him further Saturday, but for the moment, it seems like the 27-year-old managed to escape the incident without suffering any structural damage. If he ends up needing to miss any time, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering would be the primary candidates to close games for the Phillies going forward.