MLB Player News
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Ryan Walker RP | SF
Giants' Ryan Walker: Fans three in win
Walker (4-4) threw a scoreless inning and picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates, allowing two hits while striking out three.
Walker entered the game in the eighth and struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a pair of singles. However, he escaped the inning with his season-high-tying third strikeout, marking his first three-strikeout performance in a single inning. The right-hander now owns a 4.05 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 46:14 K:BB across 46.2 innings in 50 outings.
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Jose Butto SP | SF
Giants' Jose Butto: Scoreless outing Wednesday
Butto threw a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Pirates.
Butto entered the game in the seventh inning, retiring the side in order and throwing seven of his 12 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old has yet to give up a run in three appearances since being acquired as part of the package from the Mets in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Butto has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over 3.1 innings with San Francisco. Overall, he now owns a 3.40 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 44:23 K:BB across 50.1 innings in 37 games between the Giants and Mets.
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Jordan Romano RP | LAA
Phillies' Jordan Romano: May be finding groove
Romano threw two-thirds of an inning in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Orioles, allowing no baserunners in the seventh frame.
That's now seven scoreless outings in the last eight appearances for Romano, who has tumbled down Philadelphia's bullpen pecking order after opening the season as its closer. The 32-year-old right-hander has managed to produce a strong 0.72 WHIP since the start of July, and although his 4.66 ERA during that span (9.2 innings) certainly has room for improvement, a portion of that figure is attributable to a pair of mistake pitches that culminated in home runs. While his recent form is encouraging overall, it's also worth noting Romano's average fastball velocity is down under 96 mph for the first time since 2019, which bears noting considering he's coming off a 2024 campaign that was ruined by right elbow troubles.
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Kyle Backhus RP | PHI
Diamondbacks' Kyle Backhus: Can't convert save Wednesday
Backhus (0-2) took the loss and was charged with a blown save against the Padres on Wednesday, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one batter over one inning.
Backhus got the call in the eighth inning after San Diego put two runners on base with one out. The lefty reliever managed to get the next two batters out to preserve an Arizona one-run lead, but he couldn't carry that over to the ninth. In that ninth frame, Ryan O'Hearn led off with a solo homer that tied the score, and a Jose Iglesias RBI single three batters later gave the Padres the lead while setting Backhus up for the loss. Backhus had earned his first career save two days earlier and appears to be in contention for save chances in an unsettled Diamondbacks bullpen that just lost Kevin Ginkel (shoulder) for at least 60 days.
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Anthony DeSclafani RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Anthony DeSclafani: Fares well in short outing
DeSclafani allowed three hits and struck out four batters over 4.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Wednesday.
DeSclafani jumped into the Diamondbacks' rotation at the beginning of August and struggled in his subsequent start, giving up four runs over 2.1 frames. He was much better Wednesday, limiting the Padres to three hits and no runs. DeSclafani threw 71 pitches (50 strikes) in the appearance, so he doesn't appear to be ready to handle a full starter's workload quite yet. Nonetheless, the right-hander may have earned himself the opportunity to continue being a part of Arizona's rotation. If that's the case, his next start is lined up to come against Texas on the road.
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Mason Miller SP | SD
Padres' Mason Miller: Gets first save as Padre
Miller earned a save against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, striking out three batters and walking one over one hitless and scoreless inning.
The Padres rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth frame to take their first lead, and Miller got the call to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning. He issued a two-out walk but overpowered the other three batters he faced, striking them out on a combined nine pitches. Miller's first two outings with the Padres weren't great -- he allowed two runs on three hits over two frames -- but his dominance Wednesday emphasizes what a tremendous impact he could make on the team's already great bullpen. That said, Miller's fantasy value actually took a hit with his move to San Diego, as he probably isn't going to be the full-time closer given the presence of All-Star Robert Suarez. Though Miller closed Wednesday, that may have been at least partly due to Suarez tossing 1.2 frames one day earlier.
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Trevor Megill RP | MIL
Brewers' Trevor Megill: Notches save No. 26
Megill earned a save against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and striking one out batter over one inning.
Megill had a two-run lead to work with when he entered in the ninth inning, which proved to be important when Michael Harris tagged him for a two-out solo homer. The Brewers closer was able to bounce back and strike out Drake Baldwin to notch the save. Megill had a nine-game scoreless streak snapped, but he nonetheless managed to extend his streak of successful save conversions to eight. Megill has blown only three save opportunities all season and is tied for fourth in the majors with 26 saves on the campaign.
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Lake Bachar P | MIA
Marlins' Lake Bachar: Secures second save
Bachar allowed one hit and no walks in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Wednesday against the Astros. He struck out one.
The Marlins' closer picture remains a mess. Calvin Faucher worked the eighth inning in a 6-4 game Wednesday, which allowed Bachar to enter for the ninth and nab his second save of the year, both of which have come since the start of July. It's difficult to gauge if Bachar will see additional save opportunities given how Clayton McCullough has managed his bullpen this season, but Faucher likely remains the favorite to handle those situations. That said, Bachar is clearly in the mix with a 3.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 57:22 K:BB through 50.1 innings.
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Riley O'Brien RP | STL
Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Locks down first save
O'Brien earned the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers, issuing one walk with no hits or strikeouts over 1.1 scoreless innings.
After Freddie Freeman singled with two outs in the eighth inning, O'Brien was called upon to set down Teoscar Hernandez to end the frame. The right-hander would come back out for the ninth, and he worked around a two-out walk to earn his first major-league save. After allowing 10 earned runs in eight innings last season, O'Brien has emerged as one of the Cardinals' top bullpen options this year, posting a 1.84 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 29:14 K:BB across 29.1 innings. O'Brien could be in line for additional save chances down the stretch following the departures of Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton at the trade deadline, although JoJo Romero has looked like the preferred choice at closer so far for manager Oliver Marmol.
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Kevin Ginkel RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kevin Ginkel: Shut down for season
The Diamondbacks transferred Ginkel (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
Ginkel landed on the injured list Monday with a sprained right shoulder, and his move to the 60-day IL will ensure that he remains sidelined for the rest of the season. The 31-year-old will finish 2025 with a 7.36 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 25.2 innings. Right-hander Casey Kelly was called up from Triple-A Reno to fill the open 40-man roster spot.