MLB Player News

Casparius is expected to pitch in bulk relief in Monday's game against the Padres behind starter Shohei Ohtani (elbow), who will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher, Jeff Spiegel of DodgerBlue.com reports.

After Casparius limited San Diego to one run over four innings in his second start of the season this past Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts said that the right-hander would be part of the rotation moving forward. Though Roberts implied that Casparius would be utilized as a traditional starter, the 26-year-old is instead on track to cover the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen Monday after the team elected to have Ohtani bypass another simulated game in order to make his 2025 debut as a pitcher. Ohtani is expected to be limited to 1-to-2 innings Monday and will likely need at least a couple more outings after that to get fully stretched out for a typical starter's workload, so it wouldn't be surprising if Casparius ended up piggybacking the two-way phenom the next time Ohtani's turn in the rotation comes up.

Montas (lat) may rejoin the Mets in a bullpen role rather than being plugged into the rotation right away, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.

In his most recent rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, Montas got hammered for eight runs in only 1.2 innings, and he'll get to make only one more start before his 30-day rehab stint expires. The 32-year-old is stretched out enough to handle a starting role -- he's thrown 129 pitches over his last two appearances -- but if his performance doesn't improve in his final outing for Syracuse, the Mets may not want to risk him in the rotation. New York plays 13 games in 13 days beginning Tuesday however and will almost certainly need a sixth starter to get through that stretch, and their options for that spot are limited with Paul Blackburn already set to fill in for Kodai Senga (hamstring). If the Mets decide that Montas isn't quite ready to start when he's activated from the 60-day injured list, it could open the door for a prospect such as Nolan McLean to make a spot start instead.

Lucchesi (0-1) took the loss in Sunday's 5-4 defeat to the Dodgers, allowing two earned runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning.

Lucchesi made his Giants debut Monday, entering the game with two outs in the fourth inning and allowing a single before inducing the final out. Lucchesi then surrendered back-to-back singles to start the fifth and was pulled after securing the first out. The 32-year-old was a last-minute addition to the major-league roster, with the team trading Sunday's projected starter, Kyle Harrison, and three other players to the Red Sox in exchange for Rafael Devers. Lucchesi had been working in relief for Triple-A Sacramento before joining San Francisco, posting a 3.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 31:8 K:BB across 30.2 innings in 20 appearances.

Diaz allowed two earned runs on five walks over one inning of relief Sunday in his appearance for Triple-A Reno.

Diaz made his second appearance for Reno since rejoining the squad following a stay at the Diamondbacks' facility in Arizona to work on command issues. Judging by Sunday's effort, the right-hander's wayward command was not solved. The 24-year-old had previously started in each of his first eight appearances of the season with Reno, but both of his last two outings have come out of the bullpen. Arizona might not have completely closed the door on developing Diaz as a starter, but he looks like he'll first need to find some success in a relief role before he's considered for a spot in the Reno rotation.

Triple-A Reno placed Henry on its 7-day injured list Thursday due to left elbow discomfort, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Henry's injury will further test Arizona's organizational starting pitching depth, as Jordan Montgomery (elbow) and Corbin Burnes (elbow) have been shut down for the season, while Christina Mena (shoulder) is likely to remain out until early August. Before being demoted to Reno earlier this month, Henry made two extended relief appearances for Arizona, allowing three earned runs while striking out eight over 6.2 innings.

Bednar (1-5) took the loss Sunday against the Cubs, allowing an unearned run on one hit and one walk with a strikeout over one-third of an inning.

Bednar took the hill in the bottom of the 10th frame and intentionally walked Kyle Tucker to lead off the inning before a double steal put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. While Bednar would strike out Jon Berti immediately after, Ian Happ delivered a walk-off base hit. It was the first run Bednar had allowed in his last nine innings. Bednar has converted on all 10 of his save chances in 2025, owning a 3.38 ERA and a 34:5 K:BB over 24 innings.

Hjelle allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Sunday.

Facing a top-tier offense on short notice after the Giants traded Sunday's projected starter, Kyle Harrison, to the Red Sox just before game time, Hjelle put in a fine performance. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Andy Pages in the first inning and a solo home run to Tommy Edman in the second, but the Giants got him off the hook with three runs in the fourth. Over 7.2 innings this season, Hjelle has allowed four runs while adding a 6:5 K:BB. This was his longest outing in the majors this season at 54 pitches (33 strikes), so it's unclear if he'll be stretched out as a starter -- he hasn't filled that role in the minors since 2023, instead functioning as a multi-inning reliever. Assuming Justin Verlander (pectoral) is good to go in the coming week, there may not be an opening in the Giants' rotation anyway.

Scott struck out three batters in a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants.

Scott was tasked with protecting a one-run lead while facing the heart of the Giants' order. He got the job done on 13 pitches (10 strikes), earning his third save in seven outings in June. Scott has allowed three runs (one earned) over seven innings this month. He's now at a 3.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 38:4 K:BB while adding 13 saves and six holds over 32.2 innings. The Dodgers' bullpen situation remains a bit fluid, but Scott is firmly in the high-leverage mix as he continues to be deployed in critical spots regardless of inning.

Tarnok pitched a scoreless inning and earned a save over Washington on Sunday.

Tarnok was promoted from Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday and earned a save in his Marlins debut. It was his first MLB appearance since 2023. Tarnok hit Jose Tena but finished off the 3-1 win by forcing Alex Call to ground into a double play. Calvin Faucher pitched Friday and Saturday and was not used during Sunday's win.

Romano allowed one walk and no hits in one inning of relief during Sunday's 11-4 victory over Toronto. He struck out one.

Romano's usage is worth noting -- he worked the eighth inning of an 11-4 game after being bypassed in favor of Matt Strahm for a save opportunity in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. Philadelphia's bullpen pecking order has been in a state of flux for most of the season, and it appears Romano's stock in fantasy is beginning to drop. Although it may be hasty to declare a definitive shift in the Phillies' closer role, the right-hander has struggled with a 7.71 ERA, 2.29 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB over his last seven innings.