MLB Player News

Ortiz gave up a hit over three scoreless innings of relief Saturday to record his first career save in an 8-1 win over the Blue Jays. He struck out three without walking a batter.

With the Pirates coming off a 14-inning game Friday and holding a five-run lead when he took the mound, Ortiz gave the rest of the bullpen a much-needed breather by wrapping things up on his own. The right-hander has been effective in long relief -- he's pitched two or more innings in five of his last six appearances, posting a 2.57 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 13:6 K:BB over 14 innings during that stretch. While his role doesn't afford him much high-leverage work, he does have two wins and a hold this season in addition to Saturday's unconventional save, and Ortiz has value in deep NL-only formats due to his bulk Ks and respectable ratios.

Neris earned a save against the Reds on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over one inning.

Neris gave up a one-out single in the ninth inning but was able to wrap up his seventh save. The right-hander had allowed a run in each of his previous two outings, so this was a promising frame for him. The save was his first since May 4. Only one other Cubs pitcher picked up a save during that time -- and that was in an extra-inning game -- so Neris' role as the team's closer remains solid.

Megill (elbow) threw a perfect inning while striking out three Saturday against the White Sox.

Megill appeared in the seventh inning in a tied game. Megill was struck on the right elbow by a comebacker in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs. X-rays came back negative, but he still needed a few days off. It looks like he's back to full speed and should step back into the closer mix despite appearing earlier in the game Saturday.

Phillips pitched a perfect inning and struck out one to earn the save in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Rockies.

This was Phillips' first appearance in nearly a month due to a hamstring strain. He looked rust-free, throwing 11 pitches (seven strikes) to set down the bottom of the Rockies' order for his ninth save of the season. Phillips has a 0.61 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB over 14.2 innings, and he's yet to take a blown save this year. It doesn't appear he'll be eased into the closer role again, not that he needs to be handled with kid gloves considering his track record in high-leverage spots over the last two years.

Kopech (1-5) allowed one run (none earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out two to take the loss Saturday against the Brewers.

Kopech entered the game in the 10th inning with the game tied at three. He intentionally walked the first batter he faced to put a pair of runners on base before throwing a wild pitch and allowing an infield single to take the loss. Kopech has had an inconsistent season, though he did turn in scoreless efforts in eight of his nine appearances in May. The White Sox haven't converted a save since May 15, but he should be considered the team's primary closer for the time being.

Hader picked up a save against the Twins on Saturday, striking out one batter over a scoreless inning.

It was a relatively easy save chance for Hader, as he entered with a three-run lead. The southpaw had worked in a non-save situation in each of his previous three appearances, though he's clearly still in control of Houston's closer role. Hader has had a few rough outings this season but is 8-for-9 in save chances and has allowed just three earned runs and struck out 33 batters over his past 19.1 innings.

Poche (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Poche's last documented activity was May 22, when he threw a 15-pitch bullpen session. He'll likely only need a couple of appearances in Durham before being activated.

Smith has allowed two runs over nine innings since the start of May.

Smith doesn't have the best control, having allowed six hits and three walks with just five strikeouts in that span. He's also picked up two of his four holds in that stretch, though manager Matt Quatraro has mostly kept Smith out of high-leverage situations since early April. The left-hander's season-long numbers remain poor (6.38 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 12:8 K:BB), but he's been less volatile recently. With James McArthur, John Schreiber and Chris Stratton all pitching at a mediocre level in May, there could eventually be a path to high-leverage chances for Smith if he can keep performing well.

Clase earned a save against the Nationals on Saturday, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

Tasked with preserving a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning, Clase needed only eight pitches to secure his 18th save of the season. The save tied him with Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals for the league lead, and he now boasts a ridiculous 0.31 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 29:2 K:BB over 29.1 innings.

Trivino (elbow) hasn't resumed throwing since being shut down in early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

It was reported May 12 that Trivino was in the midst of a 3-to-4 week shutdown period, and although it's been three weeks since the announcement, the 30-year-old has yet to start throwing again. At this time, there's no timeline for Trivino's throwing program to begin, but it's safe to assume he'll be out until at least the All-Star break.