MLB Player News

Hudson struck out the only batter he faced to record his eighth save of the season in Monday's 6-1 win over the Rays.

After Will Harris loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, Hudson came in with the tying run on deck and needed only four pitches to fan Randy Arozarena and end the threat. The veteran right-hander's ERA is a bloated 6.14, but Hudson's 20:5 K:BB through 14.2 innings -- not to mention last year's postseason success -- have kept him in the closer job for the Nats.

Pagan (biceps) will face hitters Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Manager Jayce Tingler said of Pagan, "He feels a lot better after being back here and getting some treatment, getting some work and doing exercises." Assuming Pagan has no setbacks after facing hitters, he is expected to be activated from the injured list when first eligible Thursday.

Patino was optioned to the Padres' alternate training site Monday.

Patino has been inconsistent while pitching mainly in low-leverage situations for the Padres this season, and he'll attempt to work things out at alternate camp. In his first major-league action this year, the right-hander posted a 5.52 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over 14.2 innings.

Cabrera retired four hitters -- all via strikeout -- while yielding one hit in his relief appearance Sunday in the Cardinals' 7-3 win over the Cubs.

Cabrera also recorded two outs during an appearance in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, so his usage on back-to-back days seemingly implies that he's moved past the cracked fingernail he developed coming out of an Aug. 29 outing. The 23-year-old lefty made two starts with the big club in 2019 and was a member of the Triple-A Memphis rotation last season, but the Cardinals don't seem prepared to remove him from the bullpen anytime soon, even though the club will have a need for some extra starters over the next couple weeks with a slew of doubleheaders on tap.

The Cubs optioned Miller to their alternate training site Sunday.

Miller served as the Cubs' primary pitcher behind starter Colin Rea in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, pitching three innings of one-run ball. Since Miller tossed 34 pitches in the outing and was unlikely to be available for at least the next couple of days, the Cubs opted him to swap him out for a fresh arm in Matt Dermody, whose contract was selected from the alternate site in a corresponding move.

Ponce de Leon will likely be called up as the Cardinals' 29th man and start Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Twins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Ponce de Leon spent just over a week at the Cardinals' alternate training site, but he'll likely make a brief appearance in the majors to start the second half of Tuesday's twin bill. The right-hander has struggled over five appearances (four starts) as he carries a 7.82 ERA and 1.89 WHIP over 12.2 innings.

The Phillies recalled Brogdon from their alternate training site Monday.

The Phillies will add Brogdon to their bullpen as a replacement for Mauricio Llovera, who was unlikely to be available for at least a couple days after giving up four runs in a 41-pitch seventh inning in Sunday's 14-1 loss to the Mets. Brogdon previously made three relief appearances for the big club this season, working 2.2 innings and surrendering five runs on four hits -- including three home runs -- while walking three.

The Phillies optioned Llovera to their alternate training site ahead of Monday's series finale with the Mets.

Philadelphia called up reliever Connor Brogdon to join the bullpen as a replacement for Llovera, who was lit up in his big-league debut in Sunday's 14-1 loss. He needed 41 pitches to complete the seventh inning, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk along the way.

The Cubs list Alzolay as their scheduled starter for Thursday's series finale with the Reds, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Alzolay struggled in a spot start Saturday in a doubleheader with the Cardinals, giving up two runs on two hits and five walks over 2.2 innings. He was sent to the Cubs' alternate site afterward, but the team will give him at least one more chance to make a positive impression at the big-league level. Because Thursday's game will come less than 10 days after his demotion, the Cubs would likely need to place a player on the injured list in a corresponding move to facilitate Alzolay's return to the 28-man active roster. Chicago's rotation is a bit thin at the moment with both Jose Quintana (lat) and Tyler Chatwood (forearm) on the shelf, so the club could really benefit if Alzolay pitches well. After Thursday, the Cubs wouldn't need a fifth starter again until Sept. 22, so Alzolay could be headed back to the alternate site following the outing versus the Reds.

Pomeranz earned the hold in Sunday's win over Oakland, pitching one scoreless inning, allowing one walk and striking out two.

With Trevor Rosenthal now in the fold and performing well for San Diego, Pomeranz may settle back into a full-time role as the team's primary setup man. The left-hander last picked up a save Aug. 11 against the Dodgers, though he spent 10 days on the injured list in late August. Regardless of the inning in which he's pitched, Pomeranz has been dominant in 2020, holding opponents scoreless over 13 appearances (12 innings) while registering a 17:5 K:BB. He has four saves to go along with six holds and has posted a 0.67 WHIP.