MLB Player News

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that he wants to get Sewald back to being a closer, Arizona Sports reports.

Lovullo was asked about the Diamondbacks' current closing situation, and he's pleased with what Justin Martinez has been able to do, but added he wants "to get Sewald back into that role." At the same time, the manager acknowledged that while Sewald is "trending in a very positive direction," Lovullo is not ready to throw him back into closing. Sewald, who had thrown six scoreless innings following his demotion, has allowed three runs and five hits over his last two innings, both of which were non-save situations in the ninth inning. That includes Saturday, when Sewald allowed a run that reduced the Diamondbacks' lead to 4-1, and Lovullo had Martinez get up just in case.

Bivens (3-1) allowed two hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday over the Mariners.

Bivens was called on for a long-relief assignment after Blake Snell walked six batters and allowed two runs over the first three innings. This was a sharp performance for Bivens, though it was just his second scoreless outing out of five since he returned to the majors Aug. 15. For the year, he's posted a reliable 2.51 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB across 28.2 innings over 16 appearances (one start). He'll likely remain in a multi-inning role moving forward.

Akin (3-0) allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the win Saturday over the Astros.

This was Akin's first game back from the paternity list, and he was able to capture the win after Jackson Holliday put the Orioles ahead with a three-run double in the sixth inning. Akin had been a little shaky recently, allowing five runs over 9.1 innings across his previous six appearances before welcoming his child into the world. Overall, the southpaw has a 3.46 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 79:16 K:BB while adding four holds over 65 innings this year, excelling as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen for Baltimore.

The Padres will recall Bachar from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Bachar will join the Padres for the first time this season, and will make his MLB debut if he appears in a game. The 29-year-old has logged a 4.12 ERA with an 81:31 K:BB across 67.2 innings with El Paso and should operate out of the bullpen for San Diego.

Walker gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his third save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Mariners.

The right-hander continues to thrive in a high-leverage role. Walker hasn't allowed an earned run since July 27, and over 11 appearances since then he's posted a 0.63 WHIP and 24:2 K:BB in 12.2 innings to go along with his pristine ERA and all three of his saves. Camilo Doval was called back up Saturday and worked in a setup role ahead of Walker, but there's no sign that the former is going to get back into the closer mix for the Giants any time soon.

Dominguez struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Astros.

Dominguez has been busy lately, securing three saves and losing two contests across five appearances over the past seven days. He locked up his fifth consecutive save chance for the Orioles on just eight pitches and owns a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB across 13 innings since joining them July 26.

Brieske will serve as the Tigers' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Brieske hasn't pitched since Wednesday, when he threw two innings while opening for Kenta Maeda. On Sunday, he should be expected to throw between one and three innings before exiting the game. Bryan Sammons is expected to follow Brieske in bulk relief.

The Phillies optioned Lazar to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Lazar's first MLB stint came to an end Saturday, and he'll head back to Lehigh Valley having not allowed a run in 5.2 innings for the Phillies. His spot on the 26-man roster will go to Kolby Allard, who's being called up to make a spot start Sunday.

Green earned the save against the Angels on Saturday, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Green was summoned to protect a 3-1 lead after Bowden Francis lost a no-hit bid in the ninth inning and did so on 14 pitches. The veteran remains a perfect 14-for-14 in save attempts this year and owns a sterling 1.69 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB across 42.2 innings.

Fulmer (0-5) took the loss against the Blue Jays on Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings.

Fulmer's eight punchouts tied a season high, but he unfortunately matched up against Bowden Francis who didn't allow a hit until the ninth inning. While Fulmer hasn't routinely worked deep into games, the 30-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of eight starts since being moved into the rotation July 14. On the season, he owns a 4.15 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 79:37 K:BB across 80.1 innings and lines up to face the Mariners at home next week.