MLB Player News

Romero leads all of baseball with 20 holds this season.

While the left-handed reliever has been valuable for leagues that have holds as a category, he's trended in the wrong direction since the beginning of June in yielding eight runs over 10.1 innings. Romero is the only trusted lefty reliever the Cardinals have, so he should continue to stay busy, though the impending free agent will be a trade candidate this month.

Rodriguez (shoulder) struck out a batter and allowed three earned runs on two hits and one walk across 1.1 innings Wednesday in a rehab start for the Brewers' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiiate.

Milwaukee optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Nashville on May 31, but he didn't make an appearance in the minors before reverting to the Brewers' injured list June 8 after being diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement. While pitching in his first game in a month Wednesday, Rodriguez retired just four of the eight batters he faced. He'll likely get stretched out as a starter over the course of his rehab assignment but is expected to be optioned to Nashville once the Brewers are ready to activate him from the 15-day IL.

Estevez (shoulder) received an injection Wednesday and will be shut down for the rest of the week before being re-evaluated, MLB.com reports.

Estevez had been making progress in recovery from a right rotator cuff strain, but he suffered a setback during Saturday's bullpen session. The Royals will allow the right-hander to rest following the injection before re-evaluating him and determining the next steps. Estevez made just one appearance this season before landing on the injured list due to a left foot contusion, eventually picking up the shoulder injury during a rehab appearance May 6.

Blanco (elbow) struck out four and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk across 4.1 innings Wednesday in a rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi.

Blanco pushed his pitch count up to 60 (45 strikes) in his third rehab start as he works his way back from the Tommy John surgery with an internal brace that he underwent last June. The right-hander will likely need to get stretched out to around 70-to-80 pitches before becoming a viable option for the Houston rotation, likely at some point shortly after the All-Star break. Before going under the knife last summer, Blanco turned in a 4.10 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 48:20 K:BB in 48.1 innings over nine starts with Houston.

The Yankees activated Bednar from the paternity leave list Thursday.

Bednar missed all three games of the series against the Tigers as he welcomed a new baby to the family. The Yankees are idle Thursday, but they will have their closer available for this weekend's series versus the Twins.

Walker allowed four earned runs on four hits while failing to record an out in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Walker entered in the eighth inning and gave up three singles and a double before being pulled. The right-hander has surrendered six runs over 1.2 innings in his last three appearances, totaling 42 pitches during that span. He now owns a 7.06 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 18:12 K:BB across 21.2 innings in 24 outings this season.

Assad is slated to start Sunday's game against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

After pitching 2.2 innings of long relief behind Matthew Boyd in his most recent appearance during Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Padres, Assad will slot back into the rotation weekend. While Assad has rolled to a 3-0 record, 2.70 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over his last three starts, the Cubs' willingness to use him in relief earlier this week could indicate that he's the pitcher most likely to move to the bullpen once the banged-up Chicago rotation gets some further reinforcement. Among the Cubs' injured starters, Jameson Taillon (hamstring) is the closest to returning and is set to make a rehab start Sunday, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to return from the 15-day injured list during the final week before the All-Star break.

Smith picked up a hold in Wednesday's 6-4 win over Arizona, allowing one hit while striking out one in one inning.

After giving up a run in each of his previous two outings, Smith threw nine of his 13 pitches for strikes Wednesday and helped slow the Diamondbacks after they opened the eighth inning with four straight hits off Ryan Walker. Smith picked up his second hold of the season, with both coming in his last two appearances. The right-hander now owns a 1.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB across 9.2 innings in 11 games this season.

Miles (4-1) picked up the win in Wednesday's 9-3 rout of the Mets, allowing one hit and one walk over three scoreless relief innings. He struck out five.

Taking over after opener Braydon Fisher had worked a scoreless first frame, Miles fired 34 of 46 pitches for strikes in a dominant performance while the Blue Jays built a 5-0 lead before he left the mound. Miles has been an outstanding find as a Rule 5 pick, and over 54 innings and 24 appearances (two starts) he's produced a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 55:17 K:BB. Toronto is being very careful with his workload given his checkered injury history in the minors, but Miles has put himself firmly in the team's 2027 rotation plans.

Dodd struck out one in a perfect sixth inning Wednesday to record his second hold of the season in a win over the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old southpaw set down the top of St. Louis' order on 14 pitches (nine strikes), punctuating his performance with a strikeout of Alec Burleson. Dodd is adjusting well to a full-time relief role, albeit a low-leverage one, and through 22 innings over 17 big-league appearances this season he's delivered a 2.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 25:8 K:BB.