MLB Player News
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Tommy Kahnle RP | BOS
Yankees' Tommy Kahnle: Could return early next week
Kahnle (shoulder) may be activated from the IL during the Yankees' series against Seattle that begins Monday, per MLB.com.
Kahnle kicked off a minor-league rehab assignment May 8 and has been dominant through four outings, posting a 9:0 K:BB while tossing four perfect frames. The veteran reliever is slated to make another rehab appearance Saturday, after which he'll be re-evaluated. If Kahnle is cleared at that point, he could make his season debut for the big-league Yankees as soon as Monday.
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Caleb Ferguson RP | CIN
Yankees' Caleb Ferguson: Comes to rescue in relief
Ferguson earned a hold against the White Sox on Friday, striking out one batter in two-thirds of an inning.
Fellow reliever Ian Hamilton began the eighth frame for the Yankees but got himself into hot water, allowing three hits to the four batters he faced to yield a run and put the tying runs in scoring position. Ferguson was called upon to put out the fire and did just that, striking out Andrew Benintendi and getting Corey Julks to line out to keep New York's advantage at two runs. Though his ERA still sits at an unappealing 5.74 on the campaign, Ferguson has been one of the Yankees' highest-leverage relievers of late, nailing down four holds over his past 10 appearances. He's posted a 10:3 K:BB across seven innings during that span, and all four of his earned runs during that stretch came in a single outing (May 12 versus Tampa Bay).
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Ian Hamilton RP | ATL
Yankees' Ian Hamilton: Records sixth hold
Hamilton earned a hold against the White Sox on Friday despite allowing one run on three hits while striking out one batter over one-third of an inning.
This wasn't Hamilton's finest performance, as he gave up a double followed by a run-scoring single prior to recording his only out. The right-hander then yielded another double to put the tying runs in scoring position, but Caleb Ferguson came to the rescue in relief of Hamilton to prevent any more runs from scoring. Despite the poor outing, Hamilton was credited with his first hold since May 1. The 28-year-old has taken a bit of a step back in comparison to last season, but he's still been relatively effective this year with a 3.18 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB through 22.2 innings.
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Pete Fairbanks RP | MIA
Rays' Pete Fairbanks: Secures fourth save
Fairbanks struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fourth save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays.
The right-hander needed only six pitches (five strikes) to dispatch the heart of Toronto's order, setting down Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero and Justin Turner. Fairbanks still isn't quite flashing his usual velocity -- he topped out at 97.3 mph with his fastball Friday after averaging 98.9 mph in 2023 -- but he hasn't seemed to miss the extra gear since coming off the IL, firing four straight hitless, scoreless appearances with a 6:0 K:BB.
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Clay Holmes RP | NYM
Yankees' Clay Holmes: Notches 13th save
Holmes walked one and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 13th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the White Sox.
The right-hander is back in a four-way tie for the league lead in saves with Emmanuel Clase, Kyle Finnegan and Ryan Helsley, but Holmes is the only one of the quartet who still sports a 0.00 ERA. The closer's luck on that front will run out eventually, but his 0.98 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB through 19.1 innings highlight how dominant he's been to this point.
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Josh Hader RP | HOU
Astros' Josh Hader: Picks up save Friday
Hader struck out one batter in a perfect inning and earned the save over the Brewers on Friday.
Hader made quick work of the Brewers, needing just 12 pitches to snag his sixth save of the year. After a disastrous start to his Astros career -- a 9.39 ERA with one save through nine appearances -- Hader has seemingly settled in with his new team. He's allowed just two earned runs over his last 12.1 innings, lowering his season ERA to 4.50. He's riding a 5.1-inning scoreless streak with three saves and a win during that span.
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Tim Herrin RP | CLE
Guardians' Tim Herrin: Collects second win
Herrin (2-0) allowed a hit and a walk without giving up a run in one-third of an inning to earn the win Friday over the Twins.
Herrin allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth inning, which tied the game at 2-2, but the Guardians retook the lead in their half of the frame on a Jose Ramirez solo home run. It'll go down as Herrin's first blown save of the campaign. The southpaw has been quite effective so far with a 0.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB over 19.1 innings while adding four holds through 20 appearances. He doesn't seen a ton of high-leverage work and is not in contention for save chances, as Emmanuel Clase has been nearly untouchable for the Guardians this season.
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Mitch Spence SP | KC
Athletics' Mitch Spence: Yields one run in no-decision
Spence did not factor into the decision Friday against Kansas City, allowing one run on four hits and no walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
Spence fared well in his first major-league start after tossing his first 25.1 MLB innings out of the bullpen. The rookie right-hander generated nine whiffs over 77 pitches, the second time in four May appearances he's worked more than 70 pitches. Should Spence draw another turn in the Oakland rotation, he would be slated to face the Rockies at home.
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Ryan Pressly RP | CHC
Astros' Ryan Pressly: Battling finger soreness
Manager Joe Espada said Pressly was unavailable for Friday's game against the Brewers due to a sore finger on his right (throwing) hand, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Pressly's finger issue doesn't appear to be anything too serious, though it may prevent him from pitching for another day or two. The 35-year-old right-hander currently holds a 5.51 ERA and 1.78 WHIP through 16.1 innings and has not appeared in a game since Tuesday.
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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Locks up 13th save
Clase picked up the save Friday against Minnesota. He pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.
Clase required only 13 pitches to retire the side in order. The 26-year-old is riding a streak of eight straight scoreless appearances, allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts and five saves over eight innings. Clase remains among the game's elite closers, sporting a 0.42 ERA over 22.1 innings this season.