MLB Player News

Bednar (lat) didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one across a scoreless inning Saturday against Miami.

Bednar was unavailable to pitch on Opening Day in a save situation due to ongoing recovery from a lat injury. However, he entered Saturday's game in the ninth inning with a six-run lead. Though it wasn't a save situation, Bednar had no issues recording the final three outs of the game and should be available as Pittsburgh's closer moving forward.

Finnegan allowed one walk and struck out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning against the Reds on Saturday en route to his first save of the season.

Finnegan faced a late challenge to his Opening Day availability in the form of back tightness, and he just so happened to take a comebacker off his ankle in his return to Grapefruit League action March 21. Despite those setbacks, Finnegan managed to start the season on time, and he now has his first save of the new campaign. Hunter Harvey allowed two runs in the eighth inning but was credited with the win after Alexis Diaz squandered the lead for Cincinnati in the top of the ninth.

Diaz (0-1) was charged with the blown save and the loss Saturday against the Nationals. He allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning.

Diaz had some calls go against him and the game-tying run came across on a hit-by-pitch that just grazed Keibert Ruiz's uniform. Still, it was a rather uninspiring performance as Diaz's stuff looked flat and his command was off. Diaz ran out of steam down the stretch last year, but he should still have a decent leash in the closer role early in 2024. Emilio Pagan, Lucas Sims and Brent Suter represent the top options behind Diaz should he fail to get on track.

Ortiz was removed from Saturday's game against Atlanta with a left ankle sprain, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ortiz made made a leaping attempt to catch a ball during the fifth inning and appeared to land awkwardly on his left foot. He came back out to pitch in the sixth but was quickly pulled after giving up two consecutive singles. Further imaging will help determine the severity of Ortiz's injury, but for now he should be considered day-to-day.

Graterol (shoulder) threw long toss with Blake Treinen (lung) on Saturday from roughly 150 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Manager Dave Roberts noted Thursday that Graterol still has a long way to go before being ready to return to the Dodgers' bullpen, but seeing him throw again is certainly an encouraging sign. The 25-year-old right-hander has been dealing with shoulder inflammation since early March and will need to continue progressing through his throwing program before a return timeline can emerge.

Treinen (chest) threw long toss from roughly 150 feet Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Saturday marks the first time Treinen has thrown since landing on the injured list March 19 with a bruised lung. He is reportedly still dealing with a bit of discomfort in his chest area, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, so he shouldn't be expected to return anytime soon. A return timeline may emerge once the 35-year-old righty is able to throw off a mound.

Kerkering (forearm/illness) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Kerkering is officially on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain, but his rehab assignment will build him back up after he missed most of the Grapefruit League schedule due to a bad case of the flu. As a reliever, the 22-year-old righty shouldn't take long to prepare for a return to Philadelphia's bullpen, so he could be able to come off the IL when eligible April 9.

Clarke underwent surgery Saturday to repair the meniscus damage in his right knee, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Clarke was originally expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks as a result of his injury, but his return timeline may be significantly extended by the procedure. A return later this season isn't completely out of the question, but it will depend on how quickly the 30-year-old righty is able to recover.

Ginkel allowed one hit over a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's 7-3 win over Colorado.

It wasn't a save situation, but Ginkel was given a soft entry to a ninth-inning role he's expected to occupy while closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is on the shelf. Sewald can come off the injured list April 9, but at the time of his setback, manager Torey Lovullo described the pitcher's absence as "weeks, not days," per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Ginkel, who has closing experience, is the most logical fill-in candidate. Nothing should be read into him pitching in a non-save situation; Ginkel's previous outing was a week ago in a Cactus League game against the Giants.

Fleming gave up one run on two hits and a walk over three relief innings Friday to record his first save of the season in a 7-2 win over the Marlins. He struck out three.

The 27-year-old southpaw entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Pirates ahead by four runs already, and he never gave manager Derek Shelton a reason to turn to another pitcher. Fleming tossed 58 pitches (33 strikes) in the appearance and likely won't be available for a few days, which could prompt Pittsburgh to option him to Triple-A Indianapolis in favor of a fresh arm. The save was the second of his career, and his first back in 2021 for the Rays was also of the three-inning variety, so he's not a late-inning option for the Pirates.