MLB Player News

Diaz gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his first save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Phillies.

After blowing the save in his season debut March 30 against the Nationals, Diaz has quickly gotten on track and picked up a win and a save in his next two appearances while posting a 4:0 K:BB in 2.2 innings. The 27-year-old righty is entrenched as the Reds' closer after racking up 37 saves last year and delivering a 2.62 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 11.69 K/9 over 134 innings since making his big-league debut in 2022.

Montas (2-0) recorded the win Wednesday in a 4-1 victory over the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five,

The right-hander couldn't quite deliver his second straight quality start to begin the season, blanking Philly for five innings before fading in the sixth -- Kyle Schwarber led off the frame with a solo shot, and Montas then loaded the bases with two outs before Justin Wilson was able to quell the rally. Montas exited after 100 pitches (63 strikes), and through his first two outings with the Reds he's posted a 9:3 K:BB in 11.2 innings. The 31-year-old lines up to make his next start at home early next week against the Brewers.

McGough (0-1) was tagged with the loss in Wednesday's extra-innings game against the Yankees. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out one over one inning.

McGough, pitching on back-to-back days, entered the top of the 11th inning and gave up a pair of runs then was part of an unusual situation in the bottom of the frame. Previous tactical maneuvers and an injury to Geraldo Perdomo (knee) resulted in McGough striking out with two outs and the bases loaded. It was the reliever's first career plate appearance.

Lamet picked up a save against San Francisco on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.

Usual closer Evan Phillips was unavailable after pitching three times over the previous four days, but it still seemed surprising for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to call upon Lamet to close the contest given that he had never saved a game in 119 previous MLB appearances. The move paid off, however, as the right-hander mowed down the side on just 11 pitches, with two of his outs coming via strikeout. Phillips has a secure hold on the closer role for Los Angeles, so Lamet is unlikely to get many more save opportunities, though he does have closer-like stuff and could be a candidate to shut things down on occasion when Phillips is unavailable.

Thompson (0-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Padres, surrendering three runs on five hits and four walks across five innings. He struck out five.

Thompson was consistently in trouble Wednesday, allowing a runner to reach or cross second base in each of the first four innings, including a solo home run by Kyle Higashioka in the fourth. He was also picked on by baserunners, giving up three stolen bases on the day. With Sonny Gray (hamstring) on the brink of beginning a rehab stint with Triple-A Memphis, it appears Thompson will only get one or two more turns in the rotation. He's tentatively scheduled for another tough draw against the Phillies next week after opening up the campaign facing the Dodgers and Padres.

Suarez picked up the save Wednesday against St. Louis, yielding one hit and two walks over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out two.

Despite not being on his A-game from a control standpoint, Suarez protected the Padres' one-run lead to earn his third save in as many chances. With runners on first and second in the ninth, Suarez tightened up and punched out Alec Burleson and Victor Scott back-to-back to end the game. The 33-year-old hasn't given up more than one hit in a game this season, and his only run allowed came on a solo homer.

Finnegan picked up the save during Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Pirates. He didn't allow a hit or a walk during one inning while striking out two.

Finnegan bounced back from a three-run, two-homer blown save March 31 to deliver the Nationals their second win of the season and nail down his second save. The rebound performance likely adds a little length back to Finnegan's hypothetical leash, with Hunter Harvey sitting behind him as a solid replacement arm if the Nats don't feel Finnegan is up to par.

Alzolay pitched a scoreless ninth inning and was awarded the win in Wednesday's 9-8 victory over the Rockies. He allowed one hit and struck out two.

Though Alzolay entered the contest in the top of the ninth while the Cubs held a 9-8 lead in what would normally represent a save opportunity, he ended up getting credited with the win by the official scorer due to what transpired beforehand. The Cubs held a commanding 8-2 lead after six innings, only for the Rockies to rally over the ensuing two innings to tie the score. Setup man Hector Neris recorded the final two outs of the top of the eighth inning before the Cubs scored a go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame, but he was denied the win since he had given up two earned runs on three hits to allow the Rockies to make it an 8-8 game. While Alzolay ended up missing out on notching his first save of the season after getting awarded the win instead, fantasy managers should be heartened by the fact that he might have built some job security as the team's closer by turning in a relatively drama-free inning compared to Neris, Yency Almonte (0.1 innings, three earned runs allowed) and Julian Merryweather (one inning, one earned run allowed).

The Brewers recalled Bukauskas from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

He'll join the Milwaukee bullpen as a replacement for Trevor Megill (concussion), who was moved to the 7-day injured list in a corresponding move. Bukauskas delivered a stellar 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings during Cactus League play this spring before being optioned to Nashville, but he's expected to be deployed mostly in the middle innings or in lower-leverage spots while he's with Milwaukee.

Milwaukee placed Megill on the 7-day injured list Wednesday with a concussion.

Megill had appeared in both of the Brewers' first two games of the season, serving as the team's seventh-inning man in a pair of wins over the Mets while recording six outs and allowing no runs and striking out three. The Brewers have had high-leverage, late-inning opportunities available in both of their subsequent two games, and while Megill's lack of usage in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Mets appeared to be the result of rest, his absence in Monday's 3-2 win over Minnesota was more surprising. The concussion likely explains why Megill wasn't available, with Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relaying that the right-hander first fell victim to food poisoning in New York City over the weekend and was still battling symptoms upon his return to Milwaukee earlier this week, when he suffered a fainting episode at a retail store and hit his head on the ground. As a result of landing on the IL, Megill will be out through at least Saturday's game versus the Mariners. The Brewers called up J.B. Bukauskas from Triple-A Nashville to replace Megill in the bullpen.