MLB Player News

Ottavino walked one in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his first save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Padres.

David Robertson got the call with two outs and two on in the seventh inning and kept San Diego off the board through the eighth, leaving the save chance to Ottavino. Robertson remains the favorite for saves in the Mets' bullpen, but if manager Buck Showalter is flexible about using him in highest-leverage spots, there will be ninth-inning opportunities left over for Ottavino and Brooks Raley. Through six appearances and five innings this season, Ottavino has a 1.80 ERA and 7:1 K:BB with one hold in addition to Wednesday's save.

Antone said Wednesday his elbow is "feeling great" and he will resume throwing next week.

Antone has been sidelined since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2021 and then suffering a flexor strain in January. There remains no timetable for when the 29-year-old reliever could rejoin Cincinnati's bullpen, but this is a step in the right direction.

Jameson did not factor into the decision Wednesday, tossing four scoreless innings on three hits and zero walks during a 7-3 win over Milwaukee. He struck out four.

Jameson was filling in for Zach Davies, who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with an oblique injury, and despite looking sharp through four innings, he was pulled after just 54 pitches. The second-year right-hander would seem to be an intriguing streaming option while Davies is out, especially as he stretches out further after a brief stint in the bullpen. He's tentatively scheduled to pitch again versus St. Louis next week.

Helle was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants on Wednesday.

Hjelle gets the boot from the major-league roster to make room for Darin Ruf after Ruf's contract was selected by the Giants. The 6-foot-11 right-hander will likely be an up-and-down option for the San Francisco bullpen for the remainder of 2023.

Helsley picked up the save in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Rockies, striking out two over a perfect ninth inning.

After blowing his first save opportunity of the season, Helsley has been lights out. He hasn't allowed a run in four straight appearances (4.2 innings) and has at least two strikeouts in each of those games.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Wednesday that Rolison (shoulder) recently completed a bullpen session without incident, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Rolison is currently on the 60-day injured list while recovering from the left shoulder surgery he underwent last June. The southpaw will likely begin to face hitters soon, but he's still probably at least a few weeks away from heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

Arizona optioned Vargas to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.

Vargas has loads of upside as a late-inning relief arm, but he's struggled this season with a 5.79 ERA and 7:4 K:BB over 4.2 innings. He'll try to get on track at Reno before getting another look with the big club.

The Diamondbacks reinstated McGough (personal) from the paternity list Wednesday.

McGough missed Tuesday's loss to the Brewers while welcoming a new member of his family, but the 33-year-old will be available for Wednesday's series finale. Arizona optioned Carlos Vargas to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.

Alexander (1-0) struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner in two-thirds of an inning to earn the win Tuesday versus the Dodgers.

Starter Alex Wood came one out short of qualifying for the win. Jakob Junis allowed a pair of hits in the sixth inning, and the bases were loaded on catcher's interference, but Alexander got out of the jam unscathed. Over 2.2 innings this season, Alexander has allowed two hits and struck out three without issuing a walk or permitting a run. He remains more of a low-leverage reliever, but the early returns are solid.

Phillips was charged with three runs on three hits over an inning of relief in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Giants. He recorded all three of his outs via strikeout.

Over the weekend, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports that Phillips will likely see more save chances than the team's other relievers. However, because Phillips hadn't pitched since April 6, the Dodgers chose to get him some work in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game while Los Angeles was facing a 2-0 deficit. Though he struck out three batters swinging in the appearance, Phillips gave up three extra-base hits in between the punchouts, including back-to-back home runs by David Villar and Brandon Crawford. Though Phillips damaged fantasy managers' ratios Tuesday, he should still have some leeway as the team's preferred option in closing situations after he had allowed just two baserunners through his first three innings of the season while converting both of his save chances.