MLB Player News

Martinez pitched a scoreless ninth inning while walking one to get the save in a 9-8 victory over the Cubs on Saturday. He struck out two.

Martinez has now converted 12 straight save chances and has accumulated 23 saves on the campaign. The 28-year-old is 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 45.1 innings this season.

Quintana gave up five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four through 2.1 innings in a no-decision during a 9-8 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday.

Quintana gave up single runs in the first and third innings but ran into bigger trouble in the third frame as he was tagged for three runs on two singles, a walk and a hit batsman before departing after 77 pitches. The 30-year-old has a 4.55 ERA and 148 strikeouts through 30 starts this season. Quintana is scheduled to make his next start Thursday on the road against the Pirates.

Freeland (groin) was activated from injured list and will start Saturday against the Dodgers, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Freeland was placed on the injured list Aug. 22, but he'll have the chance to take the ball at least one more time prior to the close of the season. It's unclear how deep into the game the team will let him pitch, though he had been fully stretched out prior to the injury.

Fried will work only four or five innings with a low pitch count in place for Saturday's start against the Giants, Mark Bowman of MLB.comreports.

Fried has thrown 156.2 innings this season after pitching 110 total in 2018. Given that the team has clinched the NL East and that Fried has topped his 2018 workload by nearly 50 frames, this isn't a major surprise.

Gausman was sent home Saturday with flu-like symptoms, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Gausman was sent home sick along with Freddy Galvis, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson and Josh VanMeter. Depending on how they feel Sunday, some or all of them could stay away from the club until Tuesday.

Lorenzen was sent home Saturday with flu-like symptoms, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

The Reds' clubhouse has been thinned out by the flu bug; five players were sent home sick. Lorenzen is the best defensive center fielder on the team right now, but he's not a big-league regular with the bat, so he may work primarily out of the bullpen again once healthy.

Hamels (shoulder) has yet to resume throwing, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that the lefty is "progressing," but Hamels is not to the point where he can pick up a baseball. With that, it's looking like we may not see Hamels again this season, though another start for Hamels has not been ruled out. Alec Mills seems like a strong bet to get the start if Hamels can't go next week.

Woodruff is slated to start Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Woodruff returned from the injured list Tuesday to make his first start in nearly two months, tossing 37 pitches and two scoreless frames in a win over the Padres. As was the case Tuesday, the Brewers are once again planning to use a piggyback arrangement of Woodruff and Gio Gonzalez on Sunday, but the workload could be more even between the two this time around. Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, manager Craig Counsell suggested that Woodruff would add around 15-to-20 pitches in both of his final two starts of the regular season, setting the right-hander up to take on a more conventional starting role in the playoffs, should Milwaukee qualify. With that in mind, Woodruff could cover around 50-to-55 pitches Sunday, which may be enough for him to factor into the decision.

Lorenzen is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.

Lorenzen is an exceptional athlete and his ability to pinch hit and play center field in addition to his pitching is quite valuable to the Reds, but realistically, he's not a good enough hitter to be a regular in the lineup. He's gone just 3-for-24 with a homer and seven strikeouts this month. Brian O'Grady is starting in center field Saturday and it figures to be mostly O'Grady and Phillip Ervin over the final week of the season.

Ryu's next start has been moved to Sunday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ryu was in line to pitch against the Rockies on Saturday, but he will instead be on the mound for the finale of the series Sunday. The switch means that Ryu will be pitching on seven days' rest and also sets him up to start Game 3 in the NLDS behind Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler.