MLB Player News

The Reds optioned Legumina to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Legumina went 1.2 innings and threw 36 pitches out of the bullpen in Wednesday's loss to Atlanta. The Reds are replacing him with a fresh arm in Yosver Zulueta, who was summoned from Louisville.

Yates picked up the save over Toronto on Wednesday, striking out two over a perfect ninth inning.

Yates took over for David Robertson to start the ninth with the Rangers up 2-0 and got Vladimir Guerrero to go down on strikes in the opening at-bat. The veteran reliever then needed nine pitches to get through the final two batters and log his 31st save of the campaign. Yates has converted all six of his save opportunities in September and hasn't allowed a run since Aug. 29 against the White Sox. He's also recorded multiple strikeouts in two of his last three appearances.

Francis (8-5) took the loss against the Rangers on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out six.

Francis allowed the leadoff man to reach in each of the first two innings but didn't surrender a run in the contest until the bottom of the sixth when Adolis Garcia took him deep for a two-run homer. Those would be the only runs allowed on the night for the right-hander, who's now given up at least one long ball in three consecutive outings. It marked Francis' seventh straight quality start, though he's now taken losses in two of his last three trips to the mound after previously winning four in a row. Despite the two losses, he still carries a strong 2.70 ERA through three September outings and has posted six strikeouts in two of his last three starts.

Bednar (3-8) was charged with a blown save and took the loss against the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit and one walk over one-third of an inning.

Bednar entered the contest with the score tied in the bottom of the seventh and proceeded to give up a leadoff homer to Masyn Winn on a hanging curveball. The right-handed reliever would then manage to retire just one of the next three batters he faced before being relieved by Jalen Beeks, who didn't fare any better. It marked the seventh blown save of the season for Bednar, with his previous one coming back on Aug. 28, just before he was removed from the closer role. He's now allowed at least one run in three of his last six appearances and carries a 5.14 ERA in the month of September to go along with a dreadful 6:8 K:BB.

Gaddis (5-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out one over one inning to earn the extra-inning win over the Twins on Wednesday.

This marks the first time Gaddis has given up multiple runs since July 29, and it's just the fifth time it's happened all year. The right-hander was bailed out by the Guardians' rally in the bottom of the 10th inning this time around, earning his first win since July 24. Gaddis has a 1.55 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 64:14 K:BB with 34 holds and four blown saves over 69.2 innings in a setup role this year.

Junis didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing one run on two hits with no walks across six innings. He struck out six.

Junis retired the first 11 batters and final nine batters he faced during the start, but back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning threw a wrench in his otherwise perfect day. In his last five outings (four starts), Junis has a 1.14 ERA and an 18:1 K:BB across 23.2 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Guardians in Cleveland his next time out.

Walker picked up the save Wednesday against Baltimore, striking out one batter during a perfect ninth inning.

Walker has converted on eight consecutive saves and hasn't allowed an earned run in 20.2 innings. During that stretch, he's allowed eight hits and has fanned 31 batters. On the year, Walker boasts a 1.77 ERA.

Vest retired the final two batters of Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Royals, including one by strikeout, to record the save.

This was Vest's first save since Aug. 11 and just his second of the season, but it was a critical one, as the Tigers moved within a half game of a playoff spot with a big win against a division rival. The righty reliever was needed in the spot because regular closer Jason Foley pitched each of the last three days. Vest is behind Foley and Tyler Holton in the bullpen pecking order for Detroit, though he's been a steady presence with a 3.02 ERA this year across 65.2 innings of relief.

Manager Alex Cora said after Wednesday's game versus Tampa Bay that Jansen is dealing with a shoulder injury, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Jansen struggled with command issues and decreased velocity during his outing Wednesday, which prompted a visit from Boston's training staff with two outs in the ninth inning. He was able to remain in the game and secure his 27th save of the season, but it's possible the Sox make the 36-year-old unavailable out of the bullpen over the next few days due to his shoulder.

Pearson (2-2) allowed two runs on four hits across 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss Wednesday against the Athletics. He struck out one.

Pearson continued his recent struggles, as he gave up runs for the third straight outing, and this was the worst appearance of the bunch. The righty has seen his ERA creep up to 4.76, and he's simply been too volatile to be trusted in most fantasy formats. Pearson will continue to have a role for the Cubs out of the bullpen as the regular season wraps up, though he should mostly see low-leverage work.