MLB Player News

Martinez gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over 3.2 innings of relief Wednesday to record his first save of the season in a 10-4 win over the Diamondbacks. He struck out three.

The 31-year-old right-hander has been mostly effective for the Padres in a swing-man role this season, and that usage led to a rare three-inning save Wednesday, during which he tossed 53 pitches (40 strikes). Martinez will carry a 3.94 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 60:28 K:BB through 64 innings into his next appearance, and with San Diego's rotation healthy at the moment, that appearance will likely come out of the bullpen.

Thompson (7-2) allowed one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out seven across six innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Pirates.

Thompson surrendered a home run to Diego Castillo to begin the second inning but otherwise shut down the Pittsburgh offense. It was the second consecutive excellent outing for Thompson, as he's allowed only one earned run across 12 innings while maintaining a 16:3 K:BB. Thompson has been effective as both a starter and reliever this season, maintaining a 3.10 ERA across 61 frames.

Cabrera allowed two walks and hit a batter with one strikeout in two innings to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers.

Cabrera put two on base with two outs in the ninth inning, but he got a groundout from Christian Yelich to end the threat. This was Cabrera's first save since 2020, but he's been part of the Cardinals' high-leverage mix with 10 holds this year. He's allowed three runs in 10.2 innings in June and now sports a 2.27 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 26:12 K:BB across 31.2 innings overall. Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos are still likely to see most of the save chances, but both of them covered two innings each in Tuesday's contest to allow Cabrera the opportunity to close Wednesday.

Manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday that Matzek (shoulder) is on the cusp of beginning a rehab assignment, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.

Matzek landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation in mid-May and was shut down for several weeks prior to beginning a throwing program in early June. The southpaw is slated to throw a side session in the coming days and will likely be cleared to join a minor-league affiliate if he feels good afterward.

Mears (elbow) is dealing with right forearm tightness following Wednesday's rehab start at Triple-A Indianapolis, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Mears has been recovering from right elbow surgery since mid-March and appeared to be closing in on a return from the injured list prior to Wednesday's outing, but it's concerning to see him dealing with a forearm issue. The Pirates haven't yet determined the next steps in his recovery process, but he'll likely be monitored in the coming days.

Peters (back) will throw live batting practice in Tampa sometime this weekend, Chris Halicke of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Peters landed on the 15-day IL due to a back muscle spasm in early June, and he won't return to action when first eligible. However, he'll take a significant step in his recovery process by facing live hitters over the weekend and could return to game action sometime next week if he feels good following his live BP.

Diaz (biceps) played catch Wednesday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Diaz was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right biceps tendinitis, but it's encouraging to see him throwing off flat ground several days after the transaction. Although biceps tendinitis can sometimes lead to more serious issues, the right-hander has made good progress early in his IL stint and doesn't currently appear to be dealing with a particularly severe injury.

Leone allowed two hits and struck out one in a scoreless inning to pick up a hold in Tuesday's 12-10 win over Atlanta.

Leone has emerged as more of a high-leverage option in June, recording five of his nine holds this season in his nine appearances this month. In that span, he's given up one run on nine hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 8.2 innings. For the season, the veteran right-hander owns a steady 2.36 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB in 26.2 innings. He's added a save, a blown save and a 3-0 record, though he's likely to be fourth at best in the bullpen hierarchy behind Camilo Doval, Jake McGee and Tyler Rogers.

Hill (2-0) earned the win over Arizona on Tuesday by retiring one batter.

The game went into extra innings, and Hill was brought in with two outs and two runners on base in the top of the 11th. He began his outing by hitting Josh Rojas with a pitch but got out of the bases-loaded situation by inducing a fielder's-choice groundout. Hill was then credited with the win when San Diego walked off with a victory in the bottom of the frame. The lefty reliever has pitched four straight scoreless outings and has collected five holds along with his pair of wins on the season.

Littell allowed two runs on a hit and a hit batter in one inning during Tuesday's 12-10 win over Atlanta.

Littell hit Michael Harris with a pitch and then surrendered a two-run home run to Ronald Acuna in the fourth inning. That briefly gave Atlanta the lead, but San Francisco pulled ahead in the sixth and held on from there to spare Littell a loss. He's given up four runs in his last 10.1 innings, and he's still looking a little shaky with a 5.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 22:3 K:BB across 26 innings overall. The right-hander has added a 1-2 record and three holds, but with six homers allowed, he'll need to work on keeping the ball in the yard to find more success.