MLB Player News
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Jack Perkins P | ATH
Athletics' Jack Perkins: Claims first hold Saturday
Perkins collected a hold in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Guardians, striking out three while allowing no hits and one walk over three scoreless innings.
Perkins faced the minimum nine batters during his 31-pitch outing, and he atoned for the walk he issued to Carlos Santana to begin the bottom of the seventh by generating an inning-ending double play. Since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 22, the 25-year-old righty has looked sharp as a long man out of the bullpen, netting a pair of three-inning saves while accruing a 2.84 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB in 12.2 frames. Manager Mark Kotsay has indicated Perkins will make starts for the Athletics before the end of the season, but his usage out of the bullpen Saturday suggests that he won't immediately fill the vacant spot in the club's rotation Tuesday in Texas.
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Brant Hurter P | DET
Tigers' Brant Hurter: Pitches better Saturday
Hurter tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers. He walked one and struck out three.
Hurter has been struggling recently, as he had a 10.13 ERA and 3.38 WHIP across his last 10 appearances prior to Saturday. The lefty still has a strong 3.13 ERA overall, which reflects his effective performance earlier in the season. Hurter was a bullpen weapon for the Tigers last year, posting a 2.58 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 45.1 regular-season innings, so he should be able to put his recent slump behind him and string together a few more good outings.
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Eduard Bazardo RP | SEA
Mariners' Eduard Bazardo: Credited with fourth win Saturday
Bazardo (4-0) notched the win and threw a clean 11th inning in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Astros. He struck out two.
While Bazardo remains well out of contention for save opportunities behind All-Star closer Andres Munoz, the former has been very effective overall when summoned from Seattle's bullpen. Bazardo owned a 6.35 ERA through April 17, but he's produced an excellent 1.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 38:17 K:BB over his last 39.1 innings (34 outings).
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Trent Thornton RP | SEA
Mariners' Trent Thornton: Settling in after rocky start
Thornton threw a clean seventh inning in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Astros. He struck out one.
Although he has just five holds this season, Thornton is beginning to settle in following a dreadful start to the year that saw him hold a 7.71 ERA as of June 10. The right-hander has worked multiple innings for the Mariners in five of his last 11 outings, during which sports a 1.06 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB covering 17 frames.
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Gregory Soto RP | PIT
Orioles' Gregory Soto: Working as left-handed specialist
Soto covered a scoreless two-thirds of an inning with no strikeouts in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rays.
With Baltimore's bullpen essentially at full strength, the Orioles have mostly deployed Soto as a left-handed specialist. Soto has now worked less than one inning in 21 of his 43 outings this season, and he's recorded more than two outs on just one occasion through his first seven appearances in July. Soto has a 3.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB to go with 18 holds across 34.1 innings, which at least offers him some appeal in fantasy leagues that count holds.
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Pete Fairbanks RP | MIA
Rays' Pete Fairbanks: Secures 16th save
Fairbanks notched a save against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one batter over one inning.
Fairbanks had a two-run lead to work with when he entered in the ninth frame, but things got interesting when Cedric Mullins hit an RBI single and then stole second base with two outs. Another base hit out of the infield would have likely tied the score, but Fairbanks got Jackson Holliday to fly out to end the threat. Fairbanks was thus able record his first save in July (his previous save had come June 26 against Kansas City). The veteran right-hander has 16 of Tampa Bay's 22 saves on the campaign, and he remains pretty secure in his role despite the recent three-week drought.
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Jacob Latz RP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob Latz: Tabbed for start Sunday
Latz will start in place of Nathan Eovaldi (back) in Sunday's game against the Tigers in Arlington, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Eovaldi was scheduled for the start opposite Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, but the Rangers righty has been scratched due to tightness in his back. In Eovaldi's place, Latz will step in for what will most likely be a spot start, unless Eovaldi requires a stint on the injured list. The lefty previously made two starts this season, topping out at six innings and 88 pitches June 24 versus Baltimore. Latz has pitched well overall this season, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48:21 K:BB over 48 frames spanning 21 appearances.
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Lucas Erceg RP | KC
Royals' Lucas Erceg: Shaky in loss
Erceg (4-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks in an inning of relief as the Royals fell 3-1 to the Marlins. He struck out one.
Called in for the bottom of the eighth inning after Kansas City had tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the frame, Erceg handed the lead right back to Miami, although his line was somewhat misleading -- two of the walks he issued were intentional, and he threw 11 of 18 pitches for strikes. Carlos Estevez has blown three straight save chances, so the door could be open a crack for Erceg to work his way into the ninth-inning mix, but this performance won't encourage manager Matt Quatraro to switch things up. Through nine appearances in July, Erceg carries a 4.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 10:7 K:BB over nine innings.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Notches 23rd save
Hoffman gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his 23rd save of the season in a 6-3 win over the Giants.
After striking out the side Friday in a perfect ninth inning in a non-save situation, Hoffman came back the next day and shut down San Francisco once again. The right-hander has been tagged with earned runs in only one of his last 12 appearances, posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB over 11.1 innings during that stretch while converting six of seven save chances.
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Brent Headrick RP | NYY
Yankees' Brent Headrick: Comes off minor-league IL
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre activated Headrick (undisclosed) from the 7-day injured list Saturday.
Headrick landed on the minor-league IL on June 26, but he's now healthy enough to pitch again. The lefty reliever got into 11 games with the Yankees earlier in the campaign, posting a 4.73 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 13.1 innings.