MLB Player News
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Eric Orze RP | MIN
Rays' Eric Orze: Picks up second save
Orze gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his second save of the season in Friday's 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Pete Fairbanks and most of the other high-leverage arms in the Tampa Bay bullpen had worked Wednesday and Thursday, forcing manager Kevin Cash to get creative in the late innings. Orze's other save this season came in the 11th inning against Arizona on April 23, and while he's gotten the job done when called upon, the 27-year-old righty doesn't seem likely to move up in the Rays' bullpen hierarchy. Orze's 0.68 ERA through 13.1 innings isn't supported by his 1.35 WHIP and 8:6 K:BB.
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Kendall Graveman RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kendall Graveman: Makes rehab appearance
Graveman (back) struck out one over a scoreless inning for Triple-A Reno on Friday.
This was Graveman's third rehab appearance overall and second with the Aces. He's allowed three hits and struck out three over 3.1 scoreless frames. Per MLB.com, the Diamondbacks could possibly activate Graveman following Friday's outing.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Angels' Kenley Jansen: Makes appearance in loss
Jansen allowed one hit in a scoreless two-thirds of an inning during Friday's 4-1 loss to the Orioles. He did not record a strikeout or a walk.
Jansen entered in the top of the ninth with the Angels facing a three-run deficit and got some work in after battling an illness earlier this week. This was his first appearance since May 3. With his ailment seemingly in the rearview mirror, Jansen should soon add to his total of 454 career saves (fourth all time).
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Kevin Ginkel RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kevin Ginkel: Melts down Friday
Ginkel (0-1) took the loss and a blown save Friday versus the Dodgers, allowing five runs on four hits while striking out one over one-third of an inning.
Tasked with protecting a three-run lead, Ginkel fell far short of expectations, allowing the Dodgers to build up a rally. He'd already given up the tying hit, a Max Muncy RBI single, before Ryan Thompson came in and allowed two inherited runners to score on a Shohei Ohtani home run. Ginkel has allowed eight runs over 4.2 innings with a 7:3 K:BB since making his season debut April 30 versus the Mets. He has a save, three holds and a blown save, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Shelby Miller or Thompson get the next save opportunity after Ginkel's meltdown Friday.
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David Bednar RP | NYY
Pirates' David Bednar: Works out of jam in eighth inning
Bednar allowed two hits and struck out three across a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold Friday against Atlanta.
Bullpen usage will be particularly notable in Pittsburgh for the next several games due to their managerial change. Bednar entered Friday's game in the eighth inning with a three-run lead and faced the top of Atlanta's order. He allowed a pair of singles but escaped the jam and has now allowed two earned runs across nine innings with a 13:1 K:BB since being recalled to the majors April 19. Dennis Santana was shaky but converted the save Friday.
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Tanner Scott RP | LAD
Dodgers' Tanner Scott: Returns to closing duties
Scott struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 14-11 win over the Diamondbacks.
Since Scott's April 22 blown save versus the Cubs, he had logged 4.2 scoreless innings with a 6:1 K:BB, but he earned just two holds in that span. The Dodgers turned to Kirby Yates and Evan Phillips (elbow) for one save each during that stretch, and Matt Sauer earned a four-inning save as well. Scott is more of a stopper than a closer currently, as it looks like the Dodgers are prepared to deploy him whenever necessary to protect a lead. He's still the leading candidate for saves with nine of them in 11 chances while adding four holds, a 1.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 19:1 K:BB across 18.2 innings this season.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Earns eighth save Friday
Hoffman struck out three without giving up a hit or a walk in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Mariners.
Hoffman allowed one batter to reach on a wild pitch, but the Blue Jays' lead was never in danger. The right-hander had allowed three runs in back-to-back appearances, and he took a blown save and a loss in Wednesday's game versus the Angels. This was a bounce-back effort, and it's encouraging the Blue Jays went right back to him after Chad Green picked up a spot save Thursday with Hoffman resting. Hoffman's recent struggles have his ERA up to 4.00 with a 1.00 WHIP and 27:3 K:BB over 18 innings, and he's added eight saves in nine chances as Toronto's main closer.
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Sam Long RP | KC
Royals' Sam Long: Ramping up bullpen sessions
Long (elbow) threw a bullpen session on May 8 at 85 percent intensity and has another bullpen session scheduled for May 11, MLB.com reports.
Long had imaging on his elbow April 14 which showed inflammation and no structural damage. He'll likely need to throw a few bullpen sessions at full strength before going out on a rehab assignment.
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Felix Bautista RP | BAL
Orioles' Felix Bautista: Continues impressive run
Bautista picked up the save in Friday's 4-1 win over the Angels after throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out two.
Since giving up two runs in an appearance back in March, Bautista has strung together a nine-inning scoreless streak. The hard-throwing right-hander has posted an excellent 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB while converting each of his seven save opportunities over 11 innings this season. Bautista struggled with his control in the early going -- he issued six free passes in his first five frames -- but he hasn't allowed a walk in his last six innings.
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Sam Bachman RP | LAA
Angels' Sam Bachman: Kicks off rehab assignment
Bachman (shoulder) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Inland Empire on Tuesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.
Bachman opened the season on the major-league 15-day IL due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The issue prevented the right-hander from getting into any spring training games, so his rehab stint will presumably last at least a few weeks. Bachman had been slated to build up as a starter during Cactus League play, though it's unclear what his role will be when he eventually returns to the big-league club. All 11 of the 2021 first-round draft pick's MLB appearances to date have come as a reliever, but all of those outings came in 2023. He spent much of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery.