MLB Player News

Mets manager Terry Collins said Sunday that pitcher Jeurys Familia will remain the closer at least initially when Bobby Parnell and Vic Black return from the disabled list due to his recent success, ESPN New York reports.

Familia has racked up saves in each of his last five appearances while allowing one earned run on one hit and one walk and striking out six batters in 4 2/3 innings. He's posted a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 innings over the entire season while striking out nine and walking one.

Diamondbacks pitcher Rubby De La Rosa allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits in Arizona's 4-1 loss to the Giants Saturday.

De La Rosa ran into trouble in the first, when he gave up a leadoff double to Nori Aoki, who was driven in by Joe Panik on a single. He gave up another run in the third inning on a Buster Posey RBI single, driving in Joe Panik. 

"He just left too many pitches up," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "Once he started pitching down, he had some success. He battled. He gave up four runs -- tonight it wasn't good enough, but he's getting better each time out. It's improvement."

De La Rosa then gave up a two-run homer to Brandon Crawford in the fourth before settling down. De La Rosa, now 2-1, boasts a 6.00 ERA on the year. He will look to get back on track Saturday against the Pirates.

Diamondbacks pitcher Daniel Hudson may not have pitched back-to-back games yet this season, but he feels confident he can if needed, reports AZCentral.com.

"I think that's honestly helped me out to bounce back better mentally, and it's helped my arm, too," Hudson said. "Having gone through what I've gone through the last 2 1/2 years, I knew most of it was going to be mental. The thought of something bad happening was always going to be in the back of my mind. But that last outing, knowing I could get to that point and my arm not fall off, it kind of took a lot of pressure off me."

Hudson has thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings so far this season with one strikeout and no walks.

"I don't think there's ever going to be a day anymore where they're not asking me how I'm feeling," Hudson said. "It's just kind of communicating with them whether or not I can go every night and luckily they've been able to not let me go back to back, but I feel like I could do it if needed because my arm has been bouncing back so well, knock on wood."

Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen was able to throw off the mound Saturday for the first time since foot surgery, reports the L.A. Times.

Jansen, who is currently on the 15-day DL with the foot injury, is pain free and still targeting a return to the big leagues some time in May.

"Really good day for me today," Jansen said. "Body's in shape, arm's in shape."

Jansen posted a 2-3 record with 44 saves and a 2.76 ERA in 65 1/3 innings of work in 2014.

Every so often super closer Craig Kimbrel proves he's mortal. It's rare, but it happens.

It happened Saturday in Chicago when he entered in a 6-6 tie and exited with a defeat, courtesy of two walks and two singles, the last of which was stroked by Starlin Castro and gave the Cubs a victory over the Padres.

Kimbrel had yet to allow a run this season.

With Rockies pitcher John Axford's family medical emergency leave set to expire Sunday, manager Walt Weiss indicated Axford could need the leave extended beyond Sunday, reports MLB.com.

"That's something we have to deal with through the Commissioner's office if we felt it [an extension] is needed," Weiss said. "I'm still not sure on that yet."

Axford is on the family medical emergency leave after his son was bit by a rattle snake during spring training.

Pirates pitcher Mark Melancon only needed one out to pick up his first save of the season during Friday's 6-3 win over the Brewers.

After Antonio Bastardo allowed two hits and a run in the ninth inning, Melancon relieved him to record last the out of the game.

Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson threw five innings and gave up two earned runs during Friday's 6-3 loss to the Pirates.

"I felt like I was able to get more ground balls this outing than last outing, although overall I wasn't quite as sharp," Nelson said, per MLB.com "But you're not going to be sharp every time out."

Nelson surrendered five hits, but he did not walk a batter and he struck out three. The two runs were the first runs he's given up this year. His ERA raised to 1.50 and he is now 1-1 on the season. 

"I know this team has good character. I know we're going to respond to this and learn from it," Nelson said. 

His next expected start will be Wednesday against the Reds.

Padres closer Craig Kimbrel has not missed a beat since the surprising trade that sent him packing from Atlanta right before the start of the regular season.

He continued mowing them down Friday afternoon against the host Cubs. Kimbrel retired the first two batters before allowing a single to Dexter Fowler. With slugger Anthony Rizzo looming on deck, he enduced Jorge Soler to ground out to nail down his fourth save in his last four appearances.

Kimbrel has yet to surrender a run this year.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Friday that relief pitcher Vic Black may return within a week, according to ESPN.

Black has been sidelined since mid-March in spring training with a shoulder injury. He has allowed one run on one hit and two walks while striking out two in two innings of relief in a minor-league rehab assignment with Class A St. Lucie.