MLB Player News

Neris (3-0) picked up the win Sunday against the Pirates, allowing two hits and one walk over a scoreless inning. He struck out one.

Neris took the mound in the top of the ninth during a 2-2 ballgame and fired off a scoreless inning, eventually earning the win after the Cubs put up three runs in the 10th. Since taking over closing duties from Adbert Alzolay, Neris has converted all six of his save chances and has earned a pair of wins. Over his last nine appearances, Neris owns a 2.00 ERA and a 7:7 K:BB in 9.0 innings.

Helsley struck out two batters in a perfect inning and earned a save over Milwaukee on Sunday.

Helsley needed only 12 pitches (10 strikes) to quickly close out the 4-3 victory. Since blowing a save in his season debut, he's converted 12 consecutive chances. During that stretch, Helsley has given up just one earned run over 18 frames, lowering his season ERA to 1.42 alongside a 21:2 K:BB.

McArthur allowed a run on one hit and did not walk or strike out a batter over one inning to earn the save in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Angels.

McArthur was tagged for a solo home run by Willie Calhoun in the ninth inning, but the Royals' lead was never in real danger. Over 4.2 innings in May, McArthur has yielded six runs (five earned), with three of the eight hits he's allowed in that span leaving the yard. He's 9-for-12 in save opportunities while adding a hold, a 4.42 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 18.1 innings this season. The right-hander's shaky pitching of late hasn't cost him the closer job, but John Schreiber has been an excellent setup man and could take over if McArthur doesn't start locking things down.

Jackson (1-1) allowed a walk and struck out two without giving up a hit in a scoreless inning to earn the extra-inning win Sunday over the Reds.

Jackson was tagged for three runs in his season debut and promptly went on the injured list with a back issue. He's been sharp since his return with 8.1 scoreless innings and a 7:3 K:BB in that span. Jackson has a couple of blown saves on his ledger and remains in a low-leverage role, though he pitched the 10th inning Sunday after Camilo Doval was called upon for a four-out appearance spanning the eighth and ninth frames.

Jansen picked up the save Sunday against Washington, allowing one hit and no walks over a scoreless ninth inning. He didn't log a strikeout.

Jansen got an assist from catcher Connor Wong, who ended the game by throwing out Jacob Young during an attempted steal of second base. The 36-year-old has converted on seven of his eight save chances, owning a 2.63 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 13.2 innings.

Beeks allowed two hits in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Rangers. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

Beeks erased the first hit by inducing a double play, and he was able to finish the outing without too much danger. Unlike his save Friday, Beeks appeared to be the first option for closing -- Justin Lawrence hadn't pitched since Friday and was not used Saturday or earlier in Sunday's game. Through 19.1 innings this season, Beeks has a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB with three saves, a blown save, one hold and a 2-2 record. The southpaw's lack of dominance makes him an outlier in terms of a closer profile, but it looks like he'll get his chances anyway in the Rockies' committee situation after starting the year well.

Blach (1-1) allowed one run on seven hits and struck out two without walking a batter over five innings to earn the win Sunday over the Rangers.

Blach limited the damage to a run-scoring single by Adolis Garcia in the first inning. This was Blach's second start of the campaign, and he was able to throw 70 pitches (46 strikes) in a fairly efficient performance. The 33-year-old is at a 3.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB over 18 innings across five appearances in 2024. Blach has never been a pitcher known for racking up strikeouts, and his tenuous grip on a spot in the rotation, coupled with a challenging home park, will make him a risky fantasy option. He's tentatively projected to make his next start at San Francisco.

Urena (1-3) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over 6.2 innings, but he took the loss Sunday versus the Rockies.

Urena pitched well, especially given the unfriendly venue, in his second start of the campaign. He's allowed four runs (three earned) with a 5:3 K:BB over 11.2 innings across two starts since moving into the rotation. Urena has a 3.62 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB over 32.1 innings across 12 appearances this season, though he began the year as a long reliever. If Nathan Eovaldi (groin) can return when first eligible May 18, Urena will likely return to the bullpen. A pair of off days (Thursday and Monday, May 20) could also allow the Rangers to get by with a four-man rotation temporarily, though Urena's pitched well enough that it wouldn't be odd to see him get another start.

Kahnle (shoulder) tossed a perfect inning in a rehab appearance with Single-A Tampa on Saturday, striking out one batter.

Kahnle threw of 10 of 15 pitches for strikes in the appearance and got up to 95.5 mph with his sinker, per Conor Foley of YES Network. The veteran reliever has completed two of what is expected to be at least five rehab outings, pitching two perfect frames with three strikeouts thus far. If all goes well for Kahnle during the remainder of his rehab stint, he could join the major-league bullpen within the next two weeks.

Pressly (back) was credited with his fifth hold of the season and gave up one earned run on one hit and one walk across 0.2 innings in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Yankees.

Astros manager Joe Espada disclosed Wednesday that Pressly was managing a lower-back issue, but the reliever's appearance one day later suggests that Houston isn't overly concerned about the injury. Pressly has continued to make bats miss with 22 strikeouts over 14.1 innings, but he headed into Sunday's series finale in Detroit with a 5.65 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over his 16 appearances out of the Houston bullpen.