MLB Player News

Brash (7-3) got the win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, firing a perfect seventh inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.

Brash mowed through the Red Sox during a seventh frame in which he needed just 10 pitches to record his three outs. The right-hander was then rewarded for his sharp performance when Seattle mounted a four-run rally in the seventh inning and held on the rest of the way, making him the pitcher of record. Brash is expected to see a boost in eighth-inning work, especially in games when the Mariners have the lead, as part of the reshuffling of the high-leverage end of the bullpen in the wake of Paul Sewald's trade to the Diamondbacks. However, the fact manager Scott Servais called on him to prevent a 3-2 deficit from growing any larger underscores the trust Brash has built with a breakout 2023 that's seen him pitch to a 3.35 ERA and 15.4 K/9 while also garnering 15 holds and one save, in addition to the seven victories.

Sandlin (5-4) allowed a run on a hit and a walk over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss versus the Astros on Wednesday.

Sandlin surrendered a sixth-inning solo shot to Chas McCormick that was the final run of a 3-2 game. It's been a rough patch for Sandlin lately -- he's been scored on in five of his last seven appearances. That's pushed his ERA up to 3.64 with a 0.98 WHIP and 47:16 K:BB through 42 innings overall. He's added five holds, but he's likely to remain in lower-leverage assignments until he can steady his pitching.

Toronto recalled Francis from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.

He is replacing Trevor Richards, who landed on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of neck inflammation. Francis has impressed in limited action this season at the major-league level, boasting a 2.30 ERA and 14:4 K:BB through 15.2 innings.

Munoz picked up the save Wednesday against the Red Sox, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Munoz staked an early claim to the closing job in Seattle following the trade of Paul Sewald. The hard-throwing right-hander logged a pair of strikeouts, setting the Red Sox down in order to close out a 6-3 win. The 24-year-old Munoz certainly has the stuff to succeed in a closing role -- he's generated a 52 percent whiff rate with his slider this season, paired with a 100-mph fastball. Munoz has now converted 3-of-4 save opportunities this season while sporting a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB across 25.2 innings.

Richards was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to August 2, with neck inflammation.

It doesn't sound like an overly serious issue, but Richards will be missed in the Toronto bullpen as he spends at least the next two weeks on the shelf. The 30-year-old right-hander has posted a sharp 2.98 ERA with 83 strikeouts through 54.1 innings of work this season for the Blue Jays.

Akin (back) joined up with Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday to continue his minor-league rehab assignment, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Akin surrendered three earned runs in just one inning of work Monday in his rehab debut in the Florida Complex League, but he is discomfort-free following a month-long absence from live competition to heal a lower-back injury. The 28-year-old left-hander could return to Baltimore's bullpen mix by early next week.

Swanson gave up a hit and struck out two in the ninth inning Wednesday to record his third save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Orioles.

Jordan Hicks worked the eighth inning against Baltimore's 2-3-4 hitters, suggesting that the recent trade acquisition is viewed as the top high-leverage option by manager John Schneider, but Swanson and Yimi Garcia -- who struck out one in a perfect seventh frame -- are also in the late-inning mix, and all three could see save chances while Jordan Romano (back) is sidelined. For his part, Swanson has been scored upon only once in his last 10 appearances, and on the season he sports a 3.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 57:18 K:BB through 49.2 innings with two wins and an MLB-leading 26 holds in addition to his saves.

Holton picked up the save in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Pirates by striking out the only batter he faced.

Holton entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Pirates tried to mount a late comeback, down three with the bases loaded. After getting down to a full count, the lefty then managed to strike out Ke'Bryan Hayes looking on a changeup to slam the door on Pittsburgh and record his first save of the season. It was a nice bounceback effort for Holton after blowing a save in his last appearance, and he's now recorded at least one strikeout in four straight outings.

Harris (2-6) allowed eight runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two over three innings to take the loss Wednesday versus the Dodgers.

Harris turned in one of his worst outings of the year, giving up a season-high three home runs in the rough start. He's lost six of his last eight appearances, and with the Athletics among the worst teams in the majors, he can't rely on much support from his offense even when he's on his game. Harris is now at a 6.98 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 51:26 K:BB through 59.1 innings this season. He's tentatively lined up for another challenging start at home versus the Rangers next week.

Pressly picked up the save Wednesday against the Guardians, striking out two in a scoreless inning.

Pressly now has saves in two of Houston's last three outings. He's delivered a pair of perfect innings after struggling to a 7.71 ERA in his previous seven innings. The 34-year-old right-hander is now 26-for-30 in save chances this season with a 3.10 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 53:9 K:BB across 49.1 innings.