MLB Player News

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen entered Sunday's game against the Cubs with a slim, one-run lead.

The right-hander needed 15 pitches as he struck out the side and secured a 1-0 win and his 17th save of the season. Jansen has not allowed a run over his last eight innings pitched. He lowered his ERA from 2.32 to 2.04 over that span.

Mets manager Terry Collins announced Saturday the Mets are reverting to a five-man rotation until Jonathon Niese (shoulder) returns from the disabled list. Collins made the decision to move pitcher Carlos Torres back to the bullpen after Torres tossed two scoreless innings and picked up the win Friday. 

The Mets will return to a six-man rotation once Niese is healthy, but for the time being the rotation will consist of Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner, Zack Wheeler and Jenrry Mejia. After Wheeler pitches Sunday against the Royals, the Mets will use Mejia, Harvey and Gee during a three-game series against the Rockies before Hefner opens a series at Arizona Friday.

Pirates closer Mark Melancon earned his sixth save in his team's 5-2 win over the Rockies Saturday. He surrendered no hits or walks but also failed to strike out a batter.

Melancon has six straight scoreless outings, giving him a 0.86 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 49:7 K:BB ratio in 52 1/3 innings.

 Braves closer Craig Kimbrel allowed a hit for the first time in eight innings Saturday against the Phillies, but was still able to easily close out a 5-4 win in 12 innings.

Kimbrel allowed a leadoff single and allowed the runner to reach second on a wild pitch with two outs, before striking out Layne Nix to end the game. Kimbrel struck out two batters in the game, for his 33rd save in 36 tries.

Kimbrel has not allowed a run in 11 straight outings, while allowing just one run and three walks in that span. He has struck out 20 batters in that span as well. 

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen made quick work of the Cubs Saturday, as he tossed a perfect ninth to preserve a 3-0 win.

Jansen struck out two batters and needed just 13 pitches to finish the inning, as he picked up the third out via groundball. He is now 16 for 19 in save opportunities, with a 2.08 ERA on the season. He has struck out 79 batters in 56 1/3 innings with just nine walks. 

Cubs pitcher Zach Putnam underwent a procedure Friday to remove bone spurs in his right elbow, and it remains unclear if he will pitch again this season. He has been out since June with an injury, and is currently on the 60-day disabled list.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel faced the minimum for the third outing in a row, as he set the Phillies down in order to close out a 6-4 win Friday.

Kimbrel struck out two batters and set the side down on 16 pitches. He now has 32 saves in 35 chances, with a 1.31 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

Mets pitcher Carlos Torres was scheduled to start Saturday against the Royals, but an extra-innings game Friday forced him into action. Torres pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and throwing 28 pitches to earn the win, in a 4-2 in, in 11 innings.

Obviously, pitching Friday pushes Torres out of consideration for Saturday's start. Jeremy Hefner will pitch Saturday instead, and it is not yet known if Torres will re-join the rotation in the next turn. 

Cardinals starting pitcher Shelby Miller got off to a quick start and received plenty of support in a 13-3 win over the Reds.

Miller cruised through the first five innings, before appearing to run out of steam short of a quality start. Miller struck out eight and allowed just two hits and two walks in the first five innings, but was no longer fooling Reds' hitters in the sixth. Miller was tagged for three runs and chased without recording an out in the sixth inning.

Miller was charged with three runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out eight hitters in five innings of work. He earned an easy win to push him to 11-7 on the season, while his ERA rose to 2.89.

Miller has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last five starts, but is just 2-2 in that span, as he has struggled to get deep into games at times. He will make his next start Wednesday against the Dodgers. 

The Mets placed reliever Josh Edgin on the 15-day disabled list with a hairline fracture of a left rib. Reliever Pedro Feliciano was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Edgin on the active roster.

Edgin has a 3.77 ERA in 28 2/3 innings this season.