MLB Player News

Kerkering threw a clean seventh inning Friday against Miami. He struck out one.

Following a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring strain he sufferend during the spring, Kerkering is off to a solid start as one of Philadelphia's high-leverage arms. The right-hander has rattled off seven consecutive scoreless outings, and he has a 2.31 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB with one hold across his first 11.2 innings on the year.

Duran (oblique) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Duran tossed his first bullpen session Thursday, and it doesn't look like he'll be reinstated from the 15-day injured list this weekend. The hard-throwing right-hander is inching towards returning from a left oblique strain, but the Phillies don't want to rush their closer until he's 100 percent healthy. Brad Keller, who secured his first save of 2026 during Friday's win in Miami, appears to be serving as Philadelphia's interim closer in Duran's stead.

Contreras went 4-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored in Friday's 6-1 win over the Nationals.

Contreras drove in a run on a single in the third inning before knocking in two more on another base hit in the eighth. It marked a second straight four-hit effort for the 28-year-old, raising his average from .262 to .310 in the process. Overall, he's tallied three home runs, 23 RBI and 19 runs scored across 129 plate appearances while posting an .828 OPS.

Irvin (1-4) took the loss against the Brewers on Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts over five innings.

Irvin allowed runs in the first, third and fifth innings, throwing 60 of 98 pitches for strikes while generating only seven whiffs. While it was a disappointing follow-up to a nine-strikeout effort Saturday, the 29-year-old has gone at least five frames while yielding three earned runs or fewer in six of seven outings this season. He'll carry a 4.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 39:15 K:BB across 34.2 innings into a home matchup against the Twins next week.

Marsh was removed from Friday's game against the Marlins with a bruised right elbow, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Marsh went 1-for-3 and scored twice before leaving the game in the seventh inning. It doesn't seem like he's going to miss an extended period of time because of his injury, though the Phillies may keep him on the bench for a game or two to allow any lingering soreness to subside.

Misiorowski was removed from Friday's game against the Nationals with a right hamstring cramp, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Misiorowski was cruising on the mound Friday, striking out eight batters through 5.1 hitless innings, but he motioned for the Brewers' training staff to take a look at him after he made a pitch in the sixth. It's unclear whether the hard-throwing righty's hamstring will prevent him from making his next start -- tentatively scheduled to come Wednesday in St. Louis -- but the Brewers should have more information on his status in the near future.

Webb walked one and struck out three over two scoreless, no-hit innings of relief Friday to record his first save of the season in a 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Manager Craig Counsell elected to stick with what was working after Webb dialed up a perfect eighth inning, and the veteran righty wound up tossing 36 total pitches (23 strikes) to get the job done. The Cubs continue to mix and match in save situations -- Hoby Milner got the save Wednesday in the team's last game -- but Daniel Palencia (lat) is beginning what should be a brief rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa on Friday, and he's on track to reclaim the closing role next week. Through 14 appearances this season, Webb has a 4.26 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB over 12.2 innings.

Rea (4-1) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings in a 6-5 victory over the Diamondbacks. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The veteran right-hander needed an inefficient 102 pitches (71 strikes) to record 16 outs, but Rea did enough to snag his fourth win in five turns through the rotation since replacing Cade Horton (elbow). Rea will take a 4.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB through 32.2 innings into his next outing, which is set to come at home next week against the Reds.

Vargas went 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Cubs.

While Arizona wasn't able to take advantage of having Vargas on base every time through the order, it was still another impressive effort from the 34-year-old switch hitter. Vargas has hit safely in 24 straight games to begin the campaign, tied for the second-longest streak within a single season in Diamondbacks history with Tony Womack in 2000, and his overall streak stands at 27 games dating back to the end of last year -- putting him within striking distance of matching or exceeding Luis Gonzalez's club-record streak of 30 games, set in 1999. Vargas is slashing a stunning .404/.429/.702 so far in 2026 with 14 extra-base hits, including six homers to already tie his career high, along with 19 runs and 21 RBI.

Gallen (1-2) took the loss Friday, coughing up six runs on seven hits and three walks over 3.2 innings as the Diamondbacks were downed 6-5 by the Cubs. He struck out three.

Chicago ambushed the right-hander for three runs in the first inning, and another three-spot in the fourth chased Gallen from the game after 95 pitches (57 strikes). The performance ended a stretch of five straight starts in which he'd given up three runs or fewer, and Gallen will take a 4.45 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB through 32.1 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Pirates.