MLB Player News

Melancon notched his 27th save by striking out Wilson Contreras for his only out in Friday's 8-4 victory over the Cubs.

The Pirates closer was brought in to slam the door after A.J. Schugel got into some trouble with two out. Schugel retired Tommy La Stella and Ben Zobrist to start the top of the ninth before surrendering a Kris Bryant single and issuing a free pass to Anthony Rizzo. Melancon has now successfully converted 23 consecutive save opportunities and has not given up an earned run since May 15.

Hudson, who is currently on the bereavement list, may be in line to take over as the D-backs' closer following the trade of Brad Ziegler to Boston on Saturday.

His strikeout rate is down this season (from 9.4 K/9 a year ago to 7.0 in 2016), and he's also struggled to keep runners on base from coming around to score (61.1% LOB%). Hudson arguably has the best combination of stuff and experience in the Arizona bullpen with Ziegler's departure, and it may not be long before D-backs manager Chip Hale tips his hand regarding his new plans for the ninth inning.

Nelson (5-7) allowed two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out two over six innings, but received no decision Friday against the Cardinals.

Nelson had a one-run lead after leaving in the sixth inning, but the bullpen was unable to make it hold up, leading to the no decision. He's now held opponents to three or fewer earned runs in each of his last four starts to lower his ERA to 3.62 on the year. He'll make his next start after the All-Star break.

Pomeranz (8-7) fired seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball while also surrendering two walks and striking out six in a 6-0 victory over the Dodgers.

The dominating southpaw stymied the Dodgers throughout his seven frames, producing his second seven-inning shutout over the last three trips to the mound. Factoring in the fact that he gave up only one earned run versus the Yankees over seven innings in his prior start, Pomeranz has now yielded only 10 hits and a single earned run over his last 24 innings, while striking out 19. The outstanding streak follows a late May-mid-July six-start stretch in which he went 1-4 but received only a combined eight runs of support from his offense. Pomeranz's unremarkable 8-7 record is in rather sharp contrast to his stellar 2.47 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.

The Padres have not settled on a specific workload restriction for Pomeranz this season, U-T San Diego reports.

Although he reached 147.1 innings in 2012 as a member of the Rockies' organization, many of those innings came in shorter starts as part of Colorado's development program. "I think a lot of it will depend on how I feel," Pomeranz said." Obviously, if I'm fatigued and tired, then I'm not going to pitch. But if I feel great, I'm going to be in there when I can." With a limited selection of quality arms available in the trade market, the Padres may entertain offers on Pomeranz, who remains under club control through the 2018 season. If he remains in San Diego after the deadline, it would hardly be surprising to see the Padres shut him down early, though the early indications are that his performance may ultimately shape the team's plans.

Vizcaino surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk en route to a loss against the Phillies on Wednesday.

In his last four appearances, Vizcaino has struck out a pair and walked six (3.1 innings), pushing his ERA from 1.93 to 2.75 during that span and increasing his WHIP from 1.22 to 1.44. There is no indication from the Braves that he's in danger of losing his role as the team's closer, but Vizcaino's performance in the next few appearances is worth monitoring closely.

Barraclough struck out three in a perfect inning during Wednesday's loss to the Mets.

Pitching the eighth inning with the Marlins trailing by two on the road, Barraclough disposed of Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker and Wilmer Flores with just 10 pitches. He's walked just one batter in his last five innings while continuing to pile up the strikeouts. Owner of a solid 3.38 ERA and 15.3 K/9 rate, the hard-throwing right-hander has also posted an ugly 6.5 BB/9 over 34.2 innings pitched this season. If Barraclough can continue to improve his control he has the chance to develop into a dominant late-inning force.

De Leon went a season-high 6.1 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, allowing two runs and striking out nine.

De Leon has pitched just 29.2 innings this year due to injury, but he has a 3.03 ERA and an impressive 44:11 K:BB. He's in line to make his big league debut at some point in the second half of the season.

Miller (2-9) allowed seven hits and six earned runs over five innings in Wednesday's loss to the Padres. He struck out five and walked one.

The struggles continue for Miller, who now owns a 7.14 ERA on the season. Although the Diamondbacks gave up a lot to acquire Miller in the offseason, they may have no choice but to bump him from the rotation at some point. For now, Miller's next start will come sometime after the All-Star break.

Gearrin (shoulder) was placed on the disabled list prior to Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Gearrin will hit the DL with a right shoulder sprain after blowing Tuesday's lead against Colorado during two-thirds of an inning of work. The 30-year-old reliever had been pitching well most of the year, but has allowed eight runs over his last five appearances. Gearrin should be able to return to the club a week after the All-Star Break, but may be sent down to Triple-A if the Giants feel as though his declining performance wasn't due to the injury.