MLB Player News

Diaz (2-1) allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one inning to take a blown save while earning the win in Saturday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the Diamondbacks.

Diaz was able to keep the ball in the yard this time, but he allowed back-to-back triples to Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll to yield the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Dodgers retook the lead in the 10th, and Jack Dreyer converted the save to give Diaz the win. At this point, it's getting tough to have any confidence in Diaz -- he's blown consecutive save chances and has been scored upon in four of five outings since returning from elbow surgery. Manager Dave Roberts hasn't given any indication of a change to the closer role yet, but it's safe to assume Diaz won't be asked to pitch a third straight day should a save chance arise Sunday.

Romano allowed one run on two hits while striking out one batter over one inning against the Cardinals on Saturday to notch a save.

Romano got the call from the bullpen in the ninth inning with the Rockies up three runs. He needed the cushion, as the veteran reliever allowed a pair of singles to give up a run. However, Romano was able to strike out Cesar Prieto to finish off the save. Though it wasn't smooth, Romano's ability to convert the save should be a sigh of relief for his fantasy managers after he blew a save opportunity in his last appearance Aug. 4 versus Tampa Bay. He appears to have a pretty firm grasp on Colorado's closer role, converting six of seven save chances since joining the big-league roster July 4.

Alvarado was charged with a blown save Saturday against Toronto, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

With the Phillies holding a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning, Alvarado was unable to bridge the gap to the ninth frame ahead of closer Jhoan Duran on Saturday. It's been a major struggle for the left-hander as a setup man in 2026, as he's worked to a 5.77 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 56:19 K:BB with 10 holds over 43.2 innings.

Megill secured the save against the Twins on Saturday, throwing a clean ninth inning with no strikeouts.

Megill nearly retired the side on a minimal workload, needing a mere four pitches to record the game's final three outs. The hard-throwing right-hander has cemented himself as Milwaukee's closer, last blowing a save June 5 in Colorado. Through 44.1 innings, Megill sports a 2.64 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 51:11 K:BB with 21 saves in 23 attempts.

Lord will serve as the Nationals' opening pitcher Sunday in a bullpen game against the Reds, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Lord made his return from the 15-day injured list Wednesday and tossed a scoreless inning of relief later that day against the Phillies, but he'll now be called upon to make his second start of the season. Washington has a permanent opening in its rotation after recently designating Zack Littell for assignment, but it's unclear if Lord will be gradually built up for a starting role or if the Nationals will turn to a Triple-A starter such as Luis Perales or Jackson Kent to fill the void. At least for Sunday's contest, expect Lord to be operating with a restricted workload after having not worked longer than three innings in any of his 28 appearances on the season.

The Rockies reinstated Castano (pectoral) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Castano has been on the injured list since late June due to a pectoral strain. He began playing in rehab games last Saturday and has since allowed four runs on four hits and two walks over 2.1 innings. Now fully healthy, the 27-year-old will remain in Triple-A for the time being but could return to the majors later in the year as bullpen depth.

The Cubs reinstated Holmes (fibula) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Royals, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Holmes has been on the shelf since May due to a fractured fibula. He made three rehab starts in the minors while he was still in the Mets organization, logging a 3.86 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 11.2 innings. He built up to 73 pitches during his final rehab outing, so he isn't likely to have a significant workload restriction while he makes his Cubs debut against a Royals offense that's posted just a .688 OPS since the All-Star break. Braxton Garrett was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Brewers designated Wilson for assignment Saturday.

Wilson signed an MLB contract with the Brewers in July, and despite turning in a 2.63 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 13.2 innings with the club, he'll now lose his place on the 26-man and 40-man rosters in favor of Lyon Richardson. Wilson owns a 4.24 ERA through 23.1 innings overall this season between the Phillies, Cubs and Brewers, though his recent performance could make other teams more interested in bringing him in off waivers.

The Reds optioned Petty to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Petty gave up three runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings while serving as the Reds' opening pitcher in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Nationals, and he'll now head back to the minors to open up a spot on the active roster for righty Ron Marinaccio, who was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh. Petty now owns a 4.83 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 31.2 innings this season.

Cruz walked one and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning Friday to record his first career hold in Friday's win over the Reds.

Acquired from the Yankees in the Luis Garcia deal at the trade deadline, Cruz has quickly slid into a high-leverage role in the Nationals' bullpen. The right-hander topped out at 102 mph with his fastball but leaned heavily on his slider, which he used to fan Matt McLain and coax an inning-ending double play from Sal Stewart. Washington has been looking for a power arm to anchor the back of its bullpen all year, so Cruz should get a long look as a late-inning option. Through his first 6.2 big-league innings between the Yankees and Nats, he sports a 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 8:3 K:BB.