MLB Player News

Holmes (fibula) might begin a rehab assignment in the second half of July, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander has been sidelined since May 15 after taking a 111 mph comebacker off his leg. Holmes was having a career-best season as a starting pitcher when he was injured, posting a 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB through 52.2 innings, and if he can get back on a mound within the next few weeks, he could be an enticing trade target for a contender as a rental -- Holmes has a $12 million player option on his contract he'll almost certainly decline.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Dotel (lat) will make another rehab appearance with a minor-league affiliate Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dotel tossed a scoreless frame for Double-A Altoona during the first appearance of his rehab assignment June 27, but he hasn't pitched since. The right-hander doesn't appear to have suffered a setback in his recovery from a lat strain, as the Pirates opted to have him throw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Friday, per MLB.com. Dotel will now head back to the minors Tuesday for what could be a final tune-up outing before he returns from the 15-day injured list.

Chapman picked up the save in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Angels. He allowed a solo home run while striking out two over one inning.

A two-out solo homer from Zach Neto kept Chapman from retiring the side in order, but the 38-year-old struck out the next batter to lock down his 18th save. The southpaw has been a bit shaky of late, allowing six earned runs across six innings over his past seven appearances. He has also taken a pair of losses while converting four of six save opportunities during this stretch. Despite the recent hiccups, Chapman has been effective overall in 2026, posting a 2.36 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 35:12 K:BB across 26.2 innings.

Soto (5-2) allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two across two innings to earn the win Sunday against the Nationals.

Soto entered the game in the seventh inning to face lefties Luis Garcia and CJ Abrams, and he managed to retire both hitters. Soto then returned for the eighth inning and served up a solo home run to Dylan Crews, marking the sixth time in his last 10 outings that he's given up an earned run. Soto has now made three consecutive appearances before the ninth inning and hasn't collected a save since June 16. However, Carmen Mlodzinski is the only Pirates pitcher to record a save in that span, and that save came in a non-traditional spot.

Hader earned the save Sunday against the Rays, striking out two and walking one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Hader entered with a two-run lead and worked around a leadoff walk to Junior Caminero to preserve the shutout and collect his ninth save of the season. The veteran closer has recorded multiple strikeouts in six of his last nine appearances and has been absolutely dominant since returning, converting all nine save opportunities while allowing just one run across 14 innings with a 24:7 K:BB.

Englert (0-2) took the loss Sunday against the Astros, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out nine over 5.2 innings.

Englert was recalled from Triple-A Durham to make the start Sunday and turned in his longest major-league outing while recording a career-high nine punchouts. He surrendered solo home runs to Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, accounting for all of Houston's offense. Englert also generated 16 swinging strikes and recorded at least one strikeout in every inning he pitched. While the Rays currently lack a scheduled starter for Friday's game against the Mariners, Englert could be the leading candidate to get another turn in the rotation.

Lange earned the save Sunday against the Phillies, retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.

Lange was called upon to protect a three-run lead and needed just 11 pitches to retire Philadelphia in order for his eighth save of the season. He has now converted four saves over his last five appearances. Lange owns a 4.82 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 37:21 K:BB across 37.1 innings, and he should continue to serve as the primary closer option with Carlos Estevez (shoulder) needing further evaluation before potentially targeting a return.

Avila (4-3) earned the win Sunday against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.

Avila threw 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes and limited Philadelphia to one hit through the first four innings. His lone blemish came in the fifth, when Bryson Stott tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly one batter later. Avila has now allowed one run or fewer in five of his seven starts since the beginning of June. Two blowup outings have inflated his numbers to a 5.04 ERA with a 27:19 K:BB across 30.1 innings during that span. Avila is scheduled to make his next start on the road against Baltimore.

Miller picked up the save in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers. He struck out one over a perfect inning.

Miller made quick work of the Dodgers, retiring the side in order to secure a save and snap the Padres' eight-game losing streak. The club's struggles have limited the fireballing right-hander's opportunities to pick up saves of late, as Sunday's save was his first since June 22. Across 36.2 innings this season, Miller owns a 0.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 67:13 K:BB while converting all 22 of his save opportunities. Miller's 22 saves are tied with Riley O'Brien for the National League lead, while only Bryan Baker (23) and Cade Smith (26) have more across MLB.

Newcomb secured the save Sunday against the Guardians, allowing no runs on no hits and one walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out two.

The White Sox are searching for some stability at closer, and Newcomb could be working his way into the mix. The veteran southpaw has successfully converted two saves in his past five appearances, and Chicago figures to mix and match its high-leverage options that also include Seranthony Dominguez and Grant Taylor going forward. Through 52.1 innings, Newcomb has a 2.58 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB with three saves in four opportunities.