MLB Player News

Lee struck out both batters he faced Monday to record his sixth hold of the season in a 4-3 win over the Nationals.

The southpaw fanned Josh Bell and Dylan Crews to close out the seventh inning and protect a 3-1 lead. Raisel Iglesias blew his third save of the season in the ninth however, and if the veteran closer's recent struggles cause him to be removed from ninth-inning duties, Lee and right-hander Pierce Johnson would appear to be the top options to handle save situations in his place. Through 16.2 innings over 18 appearances this season, Lee sports a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB.

Iglesias (3-3) blew the save but picked up the win Monday in a 4-3 victory over the Nationals, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk in an inning of relief. He struck out one.

The beleaguered closer had another rough night as he coughed up a two-run lead in the top of the ninth, although Atlanta walked it off in the bottom of the frame. A Nick Allen error didn't help, but Iglesias has been tagged for eight hits and five runs (four earned) over his last three appearances, leaving him with an alarming 6.06 ERA and 1.41 WHIP through 16.1 innings despite a 19:4 K:BB. He's converted just six of nine saves chances, and his average fastball velocity has slipped to 94.7 mph, his lowest mark since 2016. Pierce Johnson (2.45 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 17:4 K:BB through 14.2 IP) and Dylan Lee (2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 18:6 K:BB in 16.2 IP) both appear capable of stepping up in save situations if Atlanta decided to move Iglesias into a lower-leverage role while he sorts things out.

Suarez (0-1) allowed five runs on a hit and four walks while striking out one over one-third of an inning, taking the loss and a blown save in Monday's 9-5 loss to the Angels.

Suarez had been one of the most dominant closers in the majors prior to this outing. He threw just 16 of 33 pitches for strikes in the laborious outing, which saw him strike out the leadoff batter before allowing a hit and four straight walks. That left the bases loaded, and Alek Jacob gave up a grand slam to Taylor Ward to complete the Padres' bullpen collapse. Even with a five-run meltdown on his line, Suarez still has a 3.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB over 18 innings this season. He's also 15-for-16 in save chances. His status as San Diego's closer won't be called into question after just one bad outing.

Miller struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Monday's 2-1 win over the Giants.

Closing opportunities are up for grabs in Arizona's bullpen, and Miller may be best positioned to take advantage in the short term. While he blew a save May 4 versus the Phillies, he's kept runs off the board in his other four outings in May. He's also been scored upon in just two of 17 appearances so far. Miller's at a 1.02 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 20:5 K:BB across 17.2 innings while adding two saves and six holds. His overall success will keep him in the late-inning mix, and he'll have some chances for saves while Justin Martinez (shoulder) works his way back.

Helsley struck out two batters in a perfect inning to earn a save against Philadelphia on Monday.

Helsley threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes to retire the Phillies' 8-9-1 hitters in order and close out the 3-2 win. He's converted eight of his 10 save chances this season, including four straight. He coughed up at least one run in back-to-back outings April 26 and May 2, but has since turned in four consecutive scoreless innings. Helsley owns a 3.00 ERA with a 16:10 K:BB through 15 frames.

Pomeranz collected the save in Monday's 5-2 victory over the Marlins, allowing one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

The veteran southpaw collected his first save since Aug. 11, 2020 against the Dodgers when he was on the Padres. Pomeranz could enter the saves discussion in Chicago since Porter Hodge unraveled in high leverage during Sunday's loss to the Mets and Ryan Pressly has struggled to a 7.07 ERA across 14 innings. Pomeranz has been steady since debuting with the Cubs on April 25, firing 7.2 scoreless innings with a 0.52 WHIP and 8:2 K:BB.

Puk (elbow) is expected to begin a throwing program within the next week, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Puk was placed on the 15-day injured list April 19 with left elbow inflammation before later being transferred to the 60-day IL on May 1. The left-hander isn't eligible to be activated for over a month, but beginning a throwing program will be the first step in his build up to returning to action later on this season.

Martinez (shoulder) will throw to live hitters Wednesday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Martinez felt strong after completing a bullpen session Sunday, and it's another positive sign that he's progressing to throwing against hitters Wednesday. The Diamondbacks haven't indicated whether the 23-year-old will require a minor-league rehab assignment, as he'll be eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list Friday after going down with shoulder inflammation at the beginning of the month. Arizona will presumably wait and see how Martinez comes out of the live session Wednesday before deciding on his next step.

The Diamondbacks designated Castillo for assignment Monday.

Castillo will lose his spot in the Arizona bullpen with the Diamondbacks activating right-hander Kendall Graveman (back) from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. After getting called up from Triple-A Reno on May 1, Castillo filled a low-leverage relief role and gave up eight earned runs on 10 hits and three walks in 6.1 innings across five appearances. The 29-year-old lefty is likely to clear waivers and will have the option of either accepting an outright assignment to Reno or electing free agency.

The Diamondbacks reinstated Graveman (back) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Arizona designated lefty Jose Castillo for assignment to open up a spot in the bullpen for Graveman, who missed the first month and a half of the season while recovering from a right lumbar strain. Graveman had previously missed the entire 2024 campaign while on the mend from right shoulder surgery, but he checked out healthy after tossing 3.1 scoreless innings across his three minor-league rehab appearances. Prior to his shoulder surgery, Graveman found success as a setup man and occasional stopgap option at closer, but he may have to settle for a middle-relief role initially with Arizona coming off a lengthy absence from big-league action. The back end of the Diamondbacks bullpen is highly unsettled, however, so Graveman could move up in the pecking order quickly if he excels in his first few relief appearances.