MLB Player News

Thornton recorded a save against the Reds on Saturday, retiring the only batter he faced on a groundout.

Ryan Rolison was handed the ball in the ninth inning with Chicago up 5-3, but he was lifted with two outs after putting runners on second and third base. Thornton was summoned to go head-to-head with Sal Stewart, and the game ended when Stewart grounded out to second. Thornton thus logged his third save of the season and notched his ninth scoreless appearance across his past 10 outings. Since Daniel Palencia (elbow) landed on the injured list June 16, four different Cubs relievers have notched a save, and three (including Thornton) have posted multiple saves. One of those three pitchers (Jordan Wicks) has since been sent down to the minors, so it appears Thornton and Jacob Webb are sharing closer duties for the time being.

Miller allowed a hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 8-7 win over the Blue Jays.

Miller was able to lock things down in a game that saw some back-and-forth scoring in the early innings. He's a perfect 24-for-24 in save conversions after this outing and has given up just one earned run in his past 12 appearances. Miller has added a superb 0.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 71:13 K:BB across 38.2 innings.

Soto recorded his 12th save of the season in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Brewers, giving up a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning. He failed to strike out a batter.

The veteran lefty collected his first save since June 16 as he attempts to remain in the late-inning picture for Pittsburgh. Despite Soto's clean effort Saturday, he's been tagged for runs in six of 13 appearances since the beginning of June, stumbling to an 8.76 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB over 12.1 innings during that span.

Diaz (elbow) allowed one hit in a scoreless inning for Single-A Ontario on Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Diaz logged his first game action since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow in late April. The veteran closer struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a single, but that hitter was subsequently thrown out trying to steal a base. Diaz threw 11 pitches in the outing, and his fastball sat around 96-98 mph. He's expected to make his return to the Dodgers shortly after the All-Star break.

Drohan (4-3) took the loss in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Pirates, giving up three runs on five hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

While he didn't get enough offensive support to prevent the Brewers from getting swept on the day, the rookie southpaw has delivered two straight quality starts heading into the All-Star break, solidifying his spot in the Brewers' injury-plagued rotation. Drohan has allowed three runs or fewer in five straight outings, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB over 27.1 innings. Saturday's outing was the first of his career with at least six innings and zero free passes.

Beeter (3-2) took the loss and blew the save Saturday against the Yankees, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks in the eighth inning. He failed to record an out.

Washington summoned Beeter after Orlando Ribalta was able to get just one out in the eighth frame, but Beeter was unable to help extinguish the fire in a disastrous outing. The Nationals' much-maligned bullpen continues to search for answers in high-leverage spots, as its now blown a staggering 27 saves in 2026 already. Beeter still appears to remain one of the club's favorites for saves due to a lack of alternatives, holding a 3.62 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 31:18 K:BB with seven saves in 12 attempts over 27.1 frames.

Lopez (4-2) allowed four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings to take the loss versus St. Louis on Saturday.

Lopez fell behind early after giving up a three-run home run to Lars Nootbaar in the first inning. Atlanta's offense never mounted much of a threat, leaving Lopez to take his first loss since April 21, which was the start that sent him to the bullpen for two months. He's allowed seven runs over 18 innings with a 15:4 K:BB over four starts since rejoining the rotation. Overall, Lopez has a 3.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 54:25 K:BB across 61.2 innings through 22 appearances (nine starts) this season.

Brubaker secured the save Saturday against Colorado, allowing a solo home run and no walks in two innings. He struck out two.

Caleb Kilian blew the save in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies and also worked each of the past two days for the Giants, so the club called upon Brubaker for his first save chance of the year Saturday. San Francisco has struggled for stability at closer largely due to Ryan Walker's season-long ineffectiveness, leaving the door open for Brubaker to see more high-leverage work. He's taken advantage of those chances with a 2.87 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 33:20 K:BB with three holds over 47 innings.

O'Brien walked one, hit a batter and struck out one in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-1 win over Atlanta.

O'Brien wasn't quite at his best while pitching for the third time in four days, but he got the job done. He's on a seven-inning scoreless streak and has earned six saves with a 6:2 K:BB in that span. The All-Star reliever has converted 24 of 28 save chances this season while pitching to a 3.43 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 39:13 K:BB through 39.1 innings. O'Brien presumably won't be available if a save opportunity surfaces Sunday -- JoJo Romero or Ryne Stanek would be top options to step in for a save chance since George Soriano has also pitched consecutive days.

Major League Baseball announced that Mikolas will begin serving his five-game suspension Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

The suspension stemmed from his role during a bench-clearing brawl with the Red Sox on July 2. Mikolas initially appealed his suspension, but after teammate Cade Cavalli completed a five-game ban of his own, the veteran right-hander is now required to begin serving his time. Mikolas will be available to return to action July 21 against the Rockies, the Nationals' fifth game out of the All-Star break. Mikolas heads into the break with a 5.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 50:19 K:BB across 90.1 innings.