MLB Player News
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Shawn Armstrong RP | CHC
Cardinals' Shawn Armstrong: Picks up first win with new team
Armstrong (3-2) earned the win Sunday over the Twins, retiring both batters he faced.
Armstrong has been moderately effective in a middle-relief role since joining the Cardinals, allowing four runs over 11.1 innings across 10 appearances. He's added an 11:2 K:BB in that span. For the year, Armstrong has a 4.97 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 61:21 K:BB, one save and three holds over 58 innings between the Cardinals and the Rays. Given the success of St. Louis' high-leverage relievers, Armstrong is unlikely to move up the hierarchy.
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Ryan Helsley RP | STL
Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Collects 40th save
Helsley picked up the save Sunday, allowing one hit over a scoreless ninth inning against the Twins.
Helsley worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to secure his major-league leading 40th save. Helsley has seen a bit of a decline in his peripherals this season, posting his lowest K/BB and K/9 rates along with his highest ERA and WHIP since 2021. That said, he remains one of the best relievers in the game and has been lights-out in the ninth, closing the door on all but three save chances this season.
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Julian Merryweather RP | CHC
Cubs' Julian Merryweather: Struggles badly Sunday
Merryweather allowed four runs on five hits and a walk across an inning of relief in Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Marlins.
While starter Javier Assad took the loss as he allowed three runs across seven innings, Merryweather didn't do the Cubs any favors in an effort to keep the team in the game. The righty reliever saw his ERA climb from 4.50 to 6.60 in the process. Merryweather has overpowering stuff when he's on, as evidenced by his 98 strikeouts across 72 innings last season, but he's yet to find consistent success from year to year at the MLB level. His fantasy appeal is limited at the moment due to his up-and-down play and lack of save opportunities behind Jorge Lopez and Porter Hodge in Chicago's bullpen.
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Adam Oller RP | MIA
Marlins' Adam Oller: Shows improvement Sunday
Oller (1-1) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Cubs on Sunday.
Oller limited the damage to an RBI single by Christian Bethancourt in the second inning. This was a much better start for Oller compared to his major-league season debut Monday versus Arizona, in which he yielded five runs over 4.2 innings. He's now at a 5.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 8:6 K:BB through 10.1 innings. Oller is likely safe to pencil in for at least one more start, as the Marlins aren't expected to get any of their injured starters back before the end of the month. He's lined up for a road outing at San Francisco.
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Brusdar Graterol RP | LAD
Dodgers' Brusdar Graterol: Nearing rehab assignment
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Graterol is expected to begin a rehab assignment next weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander threw a bullpen session Saturday and is likely to throw another before reporting to a minor-league affiliate. Graterol landed on the shelf in early August due to a hamstring strain, which he suffered while making his season debut.
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Luis Ortiz RP | PIT
Pirates' Luis Ortiz: Fires six shutout innings
Ortiz didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Cincinnati, allowing four hits and one walk with five strikeouts across six scoreless innings.
Ortiz struggled greatly in his first four appearances of August, tallying a 6.45 ERA and an 0-2 record across 22.1 innings while allowing eight home runs. He righted the ship Sunday against the Reds, though he didn't get the win to show for it. Ortiz has a 3.36 ERA and an 83:32 K:BB through 32 appearances (10 starts) spanning 107 innings. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come against the Guardians in Cleveland.
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Alexis Diaz RP | CIN
Reds' Alexis Diaz: Yields walk-off homer
Diaz blew a save Sunday against Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on one hit and a hit-by-pitch over one-third of an inning.
The Reds took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Diaz couldn't get the job done. After getting Rowdy Tellez to ground out to start the frame, Diaz hit Bryan De La Cruz with a pitch then surrendered a walk-off two-run home run to Yasmani Grandal. The 27-year-old closer is now 24-for-27 in save opportunities this season, and the outing pushed his ERA from 4.00 to 4.37.
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Michael Baumann RP | MIA
Marlins' Mike Baumann: Claimed by Miami
The Marlins claimed Baumann off waivers from the Angels on Sunday.
The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Angels on Friday and will now join his fifth MLB club of the season. Bauman posted a 3.76 ERA in 60 appearances for the Orioles last season, but he has a 5.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 40:21 K:BB across 44.2 frames in 2024. The right-hander has no minor-league options remaining, so he'll need to be added to the Marlins' 26-man active roster.
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Nick Mears RP | MIL
Brewers' Nick Mears: Out with forearm injury
The Brewers placed Mears on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right forearm inflammation.
Mears has surrendered eight earned runs in 11 outings since being acquired by the Brewers, and he'll now be unavailable for at least the next couple weeks due to the forearm issue. Aaron Ashby was called up from Triple-A Nashville to replace Mears in Milwaukee's bullpen.
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Nick Martinez RP | CIN
Reds' Nick Martinez: Decent in abbreviated start
Martinez didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Pittsburgh, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks with a strikeout over three innings.
Martinez didn't come out for the fourth inning as he handed the ball off to Carson Spiers -- who threw four innings of relief -- after just 54 pitches. Sunday's outing was Martinez's fifth straight start, and it's unclear why his appearance was cut short. During that five-start stretch, Martinez has posted a 3.55 ERA with a 20:3 K:BB. If he pitches on regular rest, Martinez would likely match up against the Brewers next weekend. However, after tossing merely three innings, he could be available to pitch earlier if he's needed.