MLB Player News

King earned a save against the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out two batters over two innings.

After Peter Lambert gave Houston seven scoreless frames, King was called upon in the eighth to preserve a 2-0 lead. The southpaw surrendered a run on two hits in the inning but was allowed to return for the ninth, and he worked around a one-out single to close out the Houston victory. King is up to three saves on the campaign and has earned a save in each of his past two appearances, so he's clearly a trusted part of the Astros' high-leverage mix. He could see more save opportunities over the next several weeks, though Josh Hader (biceps) figures to reclaim his closer role once he's ready to be activated from the injured list, which could happen in late May.

Lambert (2-2) earned the win over the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing three hits and issuing four walks while striking out four batters over seven scoreless innings.

Lambert was a bit wild in issuing four free passes, but those didn't hurt him since he gave up only three hits. The right-hander did face some tension when Los Angeles loaded the bases against him in the fourth frame, but he got out of that inning unscathed in the scoring column and surrendered just one baserunner thereafter. Lambert's seven innings were a season high, and he notched his second quality start through four outings. He's getting a chance with Houston's rotation due to injuries to other pitchers, but Lambert may be earning his way to a permanent starting role, as he's posted a 2.42 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 23:11 K:B across 22.1 innings so far.

Rolison (3-0) worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win in Tuesday's 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Reds. He struck out two.

Rolison was the last of five Chicago pitchers to enter the game, and he managed his third win in just six relief appearances this year. The righty is pitching well with a 3.12 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 8.2 innings, but he's still fairly low in the Cubs' bullpen pecking order, and his fantasy value remains limited as a result.

Busch went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run and two total RBI in Tuesday's 3-2, 10-inning win over the Reds.

Busch was the only Chicago player with multiple hits and led the way offensively Tuesday. The first baseman has been good lately with a .304 batting average, two home runs and 14 RBI over his last 12 games. Overall, Busch is batting .229 with a .697 OPS, three homers and 20 RBI in 35 contests, and his recent stretch suggests that those numbers will trend upward.

Grove (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters this weekend, MLB.com reports.

It's set to be Grove's first session since opening the season on the injured list amid his recovery from last year's right shoulder surgery. The right-hander is then slated to go on a minor-league rehab assignment sometime thereafter. Barring any setbacks, Grove should be an option for the Rays at some point in June.

Vierling went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Vierling was one of the few bright spots for Detroit, as he went deep to lead off in the bottom of the first inning. It was only the second long ball of the year for the veteran utility player, who is batting just .221 with a .669 OPS. Vierling has seen a bit more playing time lately with Parker Meadows (arm) and Javier Baez (ankle) both on the injured list, but he isn't guaranteed to hold onto a regular role for the rest of the season.

Pagan was removed from Tuesday's game against the Cubs with a left hamstring injury, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Pagan fell to the ground after throwing one pitch in the ninth inning of Tuesday's contest and immediately began grabbing his left hamstring. The 34-year-old righty was unavailable for a few games in mid-April after tweaking the same hamstring, and although the details of his latest injury are still unknown, the fact that he had to leave the game on a cart suggests he could now be forced to spend time on the injured list. If that ends up being the case, Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft would be next up to close games for the Reds.

The Nationals optioned Granillo to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

After giving up four earned runs over two innings in Tuesday's loss to Minnesota, Granillo now owns a 9.64 ERA and 2.25 WHIP over 9.1 major-league innings. He'll attempt to get back on track in Triple-A, though he has also struggled with the Red Wings (10 ER, 5.0 IP).

The Angels signed Lucchesi to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Taylor Blake Ward of TheSportingTribune.com reports.

Lucchesi previously spent part of March and April with the big-league club but struggled to a 13.50 ERA, 3.90 WHIP and 4:6 K:BB over 3.1 innings spanning five relief appearances. The southpaw does have ample major-league experience and was much better with San Francisco last season -- posting a 3.76 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 31:12 K:BB over 38.1 frames while recording six holds -- so the Angels are giving him another look in the minors. Lucchesi will likely need to demonstrate improved results, though, to get another call-up to the big-league club.

The Nationals designated Rutledge for assignment Tuesday, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Rutledge will end up without a spot on the 40-man roster in order to make room for Max Kranick (elbow), who signed a major-league contract with Washington on Tuesday. Rutledge gave up seven earned runs in just 1.1 innings during his lone MLB appearance this season and owns a 3.38 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through 13.1 frames at Triple-A Rochester.