MLB Player News

The Phillies optioned reliever Luis Garcia to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Sunday. Garcia went 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 16 relief outings.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller turned in a strong performance in his team's 6-2 win over the Braves Saturday, giving up just one earned run on three hits while striking out six and walking none in seven innings to move to 12-8.

It was Miller's first win since being removed after facing just one batter and getting hit on the arm Aug. 7. He owns a 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 151:41 K:BB ratio going into Friday's start against the Pirates.

Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman struck out three batters and hit one batter in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to earn his 33rd save in his team's 6-3 win over the Brewers.

Normally a strikeout machine, Chapman had recorded just one strikeout in three innings over his previous three appearances, in which he gave up two earned runs on five hits and two walks. He owns a 2.87 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 90:23 K:BB ratio in 53 1/3 innings.

Pirates closer Mark Melancon collected his ninth save of the season Friday night against the Giants. He worked his way around a base hit and needed only 15 pitches in a scoreless frame for a 3-1 win.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out two and pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 22nd save of the season Friday night against the Red Sox.

Opponents are 2-for-48 against Jansen since July 24. He is 22 of 24 with a 1.95 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP.

Mets pitcher Carlos Torres will not join the rotation, as previous reported, thanks to the team's acquisition of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told MLB.com he expects Torres to remain in the bullpen through the rest of the season.

"This is not about being unhappy with Carlos," Alderson said. "This is about Carlos being a very important part of our bullpen. To put him out of there and put him in the rotation was going to weaken us, we felt, in the 'pen."

Torres has a 3.00 ERA in 45 innings on the season. 20 of his 23 appearances have come out of the bullpen this season.

Cardinals starting pitcher Joe Kelly (5-3) tossed a quality start as he earned his fifth win of the season Thursday night against the Braves at Turner Field. The right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three over six innings of a 6-2 victory.

Kelly is 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA in his past seven starts after starting the season 0-3 with a 4.15 ERA through his first 43 1/3 innings logged this season. He is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday at home against Cincinnati. He is 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 14 appearances (five starts).

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen wasn't in top form Wednesday against the Marlins, but he still had relatively little trouble closing out a 4-1 win.

Jansen walked one batter and needed 24 pitches to get three outs, but he eventually did so without surrendering a run in the inning. He struck out one batter for his 21st save. 

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman converted a six-out save for the first time in his career in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks. Chapman was summoned to the mound with no outs and one man on the eighth after an apparent injury to Jonathan Broxton and threw 35 pitches in two scoreless innings while walking two, striking out one and allowing one hit.

Chapman also recorded his first career at-bat in the game, striking out on six pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning. He's converted 32 of 37 save opportunities while posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 87:23 K:BB ratio in 52 1/3 innings.

Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel picked up save number 40 against the Mets Wednesday.

Kimbrel gave up one hit during his scoreless inning. He struck out one batter. Kimbrel has a 1.05 ERA this year.