MLB Player News

Erceg (2-3) took the loss against the Angels on Sunday, allowing four earned runs on two hits, a walk, a hit batsman and a wild pitch without retiring a batter.

Erceg was handed a 5-2 lead when he entered in the eighth inning, but the reliever allowed all four batters he faced to reach base before Scott Alexander subsequently allowed all the runners he inherited from Erceg to score. The normally reliable right-hander saw a nine-appearance scoreless streak (8.2 innings) snapped by the disastrous appearance, while his ERA shot up from 2.94 to 4.01.

Hudson did not walk or strike out a batter during a two-out save in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Red Sox.

Evan Phillips was initially called upon to begin the ninth inning with the Dodgers leading 9-3, but he only recorded one out and surrendered two runs before getting the hook. Hudson came in to replace him with the bases loaded and got Masataka Yoshida to ground into a fielder's choice before sealing the game with a fly out. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters following Saturday's win that he was a "long ways" from removing Phillips from the closer role and that he would give Phillips "as much runway as he wants" to regain his form, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. However, after Phillips' latest blunder Sunday, it's entirely possible that the Dodgers adopt a committee approach to the ninth inning for the time being. The team could also add another high-leverage bullpen arm at the trade deadline. Hudson has converted three straight save opportunities and sits at six total for the year. He has a 1.56 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 43:7 K:BB in 40.1 innings.

Fernandez struck out one in a perfect inning to earn a hold in Sunday's 6-2 win over Atlanta.

Fernandez was limited to a low-leverage role early in the campaign, but he's worked his way into the setup mix. He has 10 holds this season, nine of which he's earned since June 13. In that span, he's posted a 16:9 K:BB and 1.40 ERA over 19.1 innings. Fernandez is at a 2.17 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB through 45.2 innings, and he's added a save and a blown save through 38 appearances.

Garcia (2-3) picked up the win Sunday over the Reds, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless eighth inning.

The southpaw preserved a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth and then got rewarded when rookie James Wood launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Garcia has been scored upon only once in his last 14 appearances dating back to June 16, delivering a 2.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB over 12.1 innings during that stretch while recording three holds and both his wins.

Finnegan struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to record his 28th save of the season in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Reds.

Despite turning to Finnegan for save chances Friday and Saturday against Cincinnati, Washington manager Dave Martinez went back to the well again for the third game of the series. The right-hander nailed down the sweep for the Nationals on only five pitches, all strikes. Finnegan's 28 saves matched the career high he set in 2023, and his heavy workload this season hasn't been affecting his performance -- over 10 appearances in July he's posted a 2.89 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB in 9.1 innings.

Faucher gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning Sunday to record his 10th hold of the season in a win over the Mets.

The 28-year-old right-hander has emerged as a reliable member of the Marlins' set-up crew in the last month or so. Over his last 12 appearances dating back to June 18, Faucher has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 11 innings with a win and five holds. If Miami cleans house at the trade deadline and ships out closer Tanner Scott, Faucher could get a look in the ninth inning.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Burdi (hip) could be ready for a rehab assignment by the end of next week, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Burdi had a minor setback just before the All-Star break, but he's back on track and is slated to throw another live batting practice session soon. The right-hander's been on the shelf since late May with right hip inflammation but is tracking toward a return from the 60-day injured list in early August.

Munoz earned a save Sunday against the Astros after striking out the side in the ninth inning.

The right-hander set down Jake Meyers, Trey Cabbage and Joey Loperfido on strikes to end the ballgame and bring the Mariners back to level with the Astros in the standings. Munoz has struck out six over his last 3.1 innings and is working on a 7.1-inning scoreless streak. The 25-year-old is up to 16 saves on the season and has been one of the more dominant closers in the game with a 1.37 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 49:18 K:BB in 39.1 innings.

Yates struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning and earned a save over Baltimore on Sunday.

Yates made quick work of the Orioles with just 13 pitches to finish off the 3-2 win. He's now converted each of his 17 save chances on the year and lowered his ERA to an incredible 1.02 through 35.1 frames. Yates has given up one earned run while posting a 19:5 K:BB over his last 12 innings.

Slaten (elbow) played catch Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Slaten came out of the session feeling good and will continue to throw from flat ground for now. The Red Sox hope he won't require an extensive ramp-up period after that. The right-hander has been a key bullpen piece for Boston this season, and the team could have used him after being swept by the Dodgers over the weekend.