MLB Player News

Nardi struck out two in a perfect seventh inning during Sunday's win over the Cardinals.

The southpaw threw eight of 12 pitches for strikes against St. Louis' 5-6-7 hitters, giving Nardi only his second scoreless outing in five appearances to begin the season. Tanner Scott has been very shaky as well, but Nardi hasn't looked like much of a candidate to take over ninth-inning duties if necessary, stumbling to a 16.62 ERA over 4.1 innings. His 6:1 K:BB does offer some hope of a turnaround, however.

Jimenez struck out two over 1.2 perfect innings Sunday to record his second hold of the season in a win over the Diamondbacks.

The right-hander entered the game in the sixth inning and needed only 21 pitches (16 strikes) to carve up the heart of Arizona's order. With Raisel Iglesias unavailable after pitching two straight days, it was Pierce Johnson and not Jimenez who got the save Sunday, and the latter hasn't pitched any later than the seventh inning through his first four appearances this season. Jimenez has been sharp in his role, posting a 2.08 ERA and 4:1 K:BB through 4.1 frames, but he appears to be no higher than fourth or fifth in the packing order in the Atlanta bullpen.

Kranick (hamstring) began a rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday.

Kranick wasn't able to get through his scheduled inning of work, getting pulled after recording two outs following two hits and a walk. How many more rehab appearances he requires figures to depend on whether the Mets plan to stretch him out as a starter. Kranick also has options remaining, so he's not a given to join the big club once activated.

Vieira earned his second career save Sunday in a win over the Mariners, allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while striking out five over three innings.

Vieira was called upon to begin the seventh with the Brewers holding a comfortable 10-2 lead. He tossed 50 pitches and struck out five along the way to finish the game and earn a rare save in what was just his fourth major-league appearance since the start of last year.

Johnson picked up the save Sunday, giving up one hit and no walks with no strikeouts over a scoreless inning against Arizona.

Johnson handled ninth-inning duties Sunday with closer Raisel Iglesias resting after pitching on back-to-back days. He made good on the save chance, picking up his first save in 29 appearances with Atlanta spanning back to last season. Johnson should return to his usual setup role moving forward.

Almonte (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts to earn the win in Sunday's 8-1 victory over the Dodgers.

After the Cubs received only four innings from starter Shota Imanaga due to a lengthy rain delay, Almonte worked the fifth and walked away with his first win of 2024. The righty struggled two outings ago, allowing three runs while retiring just one batter, which has saddled him with a 9.00 ERA in the early going. However, Almonte has good raw stuff, and Chicago seems committed to letting him figure things out at the MLB level.

Diaz pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Reds. He struck out two.

Diaz was dominant in picking up his second save of the series, needing just 12 pitches to finish off the Reds. Sunday represented Diaz's fifth appearance of the season. He's allowed only two baserunners and has struck out eight while not allowing an earned run over five frames.

Finnegan earned the save Sunday against Philadelphia, allowing no hits and one walk over a scoreless inning while striking out one.

Finnegan took another step away from his March 31 blown save, registering a second consecutive scoreless and hitless outing en route to his third save of 2024. With the Nationals still in the basement of the National League, Finnegan likely won't have much room to grow from his 28-save total in 2023, but he appears to be locked in as the club's closer in the early part of the campaign.

Palencia secured a save after he pitched three innings, surrendering one run on a hit and two walks while striking out two batters in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

Palencia was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, and he was instantly given some extended run. Outside of an RBI double by Shohei Ohtani in the top of the eighth inning, the 24-year-old held Los Angeles down while recording the final nine outs of the contest. Palencia appeared in 27 games with the Cubs in 2023, producing a 4.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 33 strikeouts over 28.1 innings, something he'll look to build off of in 2024.

Doval allowed one hit in a scoreless inning and punched out three batters to earn a save over the Padres on Sunday.

Doval coughed up a two-out single but had no trouble slamming the door to secure the 3-2 win. It was his second straight scoreless appearance and his first save of the 2024 campaign. He got four whiffs on 11 swings and now owns a 5:2 K:BB through 2.2 frames.