MLB Player News

Barnes (3-2) was credited with the win Sunday over Atlanta, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless inning of relief.

DJ Herz got the start but lasted only 4.1 innings, and Barnes was the next pitcher on the mound with the Nationals ahead 7-2. The 34-year-old right-hander has been inconsistent in a low-leverage role, posting a 4.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB through 20.2 innings, and he has zero holds or saves in 20 appearances.

Garrett (6-2) picked up the win Sunday over the Phillies, getting charged with one run on one hit and one walk over 1.2 innings of relief. He struck out two.

The right-hander entered the game with two outs in the seventh inning with the Mets down 4-3, making him the pitcher of record when New York erupted for three runs in the top of the ninth. Garrett did put two runners aboard before being lifted in the bottom of the frame and watched one of them come around to score, however. He's been tagged for runs in six of his last eight appearances, stumbling to a ghastly 11.74 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB through 7.2 innings over that stretch, but Garrett will likely remain part of the team's high-leverage crew even after Edwin Diaz (shoulder) rejoins the bullpen.

McGough recorded two outs as Sunday's opener against the Padres, allowing one run on one hit and no walks while striking out a batter.

McGough allowed a solo home run to Fernando Tatis and was unable to complete the first frame after he was replaced by Tommy Henry to face Jake Cronenworth for the final out of the inning. McGough has struggled to a 6.62 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 12:10 K:BB over 17.2 innings thus far. It's unclear if the team has plans to keep him around for the time being or send him back to Triple-A Reno.

Puk (0-7) took the loss Sunday against the Guardians, coughing up three runs on three hits in a third of an inning.

Entering the game in the seventh inning with the score tied 2-2, Puk gave up a couple one-out singles before Tyler Freeman got hold of a sweeper on the inside corner of the plate and pulled it over the left-field fence. Puk's fortunes haven't improved much since he came off the IL in mid-May and returned to the bullpen -- over his last 11 innings, he's stumbled to a 4.91 ERA with a 6:3 K:BB.

Finnegan earned the save Sunday, striking out one in a perfect inning against Atlanta.

Finnegan entered in the ninth frame after a Jarred Kelenic blast cut the Washington lead to three and needed only 11 pitches to finish off Atlanta and secure his 18th save in 20 opportunities. Finnegan has contributed 23 scoreless outings over 26 appearances spanning 26 innings this season, lowering his ERA to 1.73 and WHIP to 0.88 with Sunday's effort.

Pallante (2-2) allowed three hits and a walk over five scoreless frames Sunday, striking out six and earning a win over the Rockies.

Pallante never found himself in too much trouble as he cruised to a win Sunday. He fired 45 of 68 pitches for strikes, including 13 whiffs. That matched his total swinging strikes generated over his previous 14 MLB innings entering Sunday's start. Since rejoining the MLB roster, Pallante has gone 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA, though all his earned runs came in one appearance. He's currently slated to make his next start on the road against the Cubs.

Diaz (shoulder) pitched a scoreless inning Sunday for High-A Brooklyn and could return from the 15-day injured list as soon as Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

A report from earlier in the week suggested Diaz could return Wednesday or Thursday, so DiComo's report bumps up his potential return by a day. Catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is also tracking toward a potential return from the IL on Tuesday.

Neris picked up his ninth save of the season Sunday against the Reds, striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning. He did not allow a baserunner.

Neris was sharp, striking out the first two batters he faced before inducing a groundout to secure a 4-2 victory for the Cubs. The 34-year-old veteran has enjoyed a nice start to the month of June, notching saves in three of his four appearances and a win in the other. During that stretch, Neris has pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while collecting six strikeouts.

Graterol (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session this week in Arizona, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

As Plunkett notes, this is the first positive news regarding Graterol in a while, as he has been out all season due to right shoulder inflammation/pain. The hard-throwing righty would likely need to throw several bullpen sessions before advancing to face live hitters.

Smith earned his second save Sunday, allowing one hit and one walk over a scoreless two-thirds of an inning against the Phillies.

Smith entered the game with two on and one out attempting to preserve a two-run lead after Jake Diekman and Reed Garrett had gotten seven outs between them beginning in the seventh inning. A base hit allowed an inherited runner to score, but Smith then benefitted from a great defensive play by Mets catcher Luis Torrens, who started a 2-3 double play to end the game. It was far from a clean outing for Smith, who was making just his second appearance since returning from an IL stint of more than a month due to shoulder inflammation. The right-hander will continue to hold a high-leverage spot in the Mets' bullpen and get occasional save chances while the team awaits the return to health and form of Edwin Diaz (shoulder).