MLB Player News

Doval struck out two batters in a perfect inning to earn a save over Atlanta on Sunday.

Doval finally snapped out of his funk with a dominant appearance. Prior to picking up his 34th save of the year Sunday, he had blown four straight chances. He coughed up six runs (five earned) while posting an uncharacteristic 4:5 K:BB during that stretch. Doval's season ERA sits at 3.04 with a 77:24 K:BB through 56.1 frames.

Clase (2-7) earned the win Sunday against the Blue Jays. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and a walk while striking out two over 1.2 innings.

Clase entered with one out in the 10th to face the heart of the Blue Jays' order, then after the Guardians took the lead in the 11th, finished out the game. He now hasn't allowed an earned run in his past five appearances. Along with the two wins, Clase has 34 saves in 43 chances with a 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 56 strikeouts over 59 innings.

Phillips picked up the save Sunday against the Red Sox. He allowed one hit with no walks while striking out one over a scoreless inning.

Phillips worked around a one-out single to slam the door on the Red Sox and earn the save. It was the 21st save in 23 opportunities for Phillips, who now holds a 2.34 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 55 strikeouts over 50 innings on the season.

Cano (1-3) allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one over one inning to take the loss Sunday versus the Rockies.

Cano hadn't given up a run over 10.2 innings in August, logging three holds and a save prior to an unlucky loss Sunday. The right-hander has received the first look at ninth-inning assignments since Felix Bautista (elbow) was injured Friday. Cano has a 1.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 58:10 K:BB with five saves and 28 holds over 63 innings this year. Those numbers aren't as dominant as Bautista's, but it's still likely Cano can handle closing duties for as long as necessary. Lefties DL Hall or Danny Coulombe may also be in the mix for save chances if manager Brandon Hyde shifts to a matchup-based approach.

Lawrence (4-6) earned the win in Sunday's 4-3 victory over Baltimore. He struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings.

Lawrence was called upon with two outs in the eighth to preserve a tie game. Once Colorado took the lead, he stayed on in the ninth to close out the victory. Lawrence had allowed eight earned runs in 2.1 innings over his previous three appearances, putting his role as closer on shaky ground. But this strong performance combined with his usage during a crucial juncture of the game suggests that he remains the Rockies' closer for the time being.

Blach did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over seven innings against the Orioles. He struck out seven.

Blach wiggled his way out of a based-loaded jam in the fourth to keep the Orioles scoreless, then allowed a solo home run to Cedric Mullins in the fifth, which was the only blemish against him. Otherwise, Blach consistently kept the O's off the basepaths in throwing seven high-quality innings. It was the longest outing of the year for Blach, who needed only 86 pitches and left with a 3-1 lead prior to the bullpen giving up the lead in the eighth. He'll carry a decent 3.94 ERA into a scheduled home start next weekend against Toronto.

Thompson struck out one batter in a perfect inning and earned a save against the Reds on Sunday.

Thompson was promoted from Triple-A Reno on Sunday and was thrown right into a save situation. He posted a 6.11 ERA in 17.2 innings with the Rays this season before being designated for assignment. Scott McGough threw 1.2 innings while Paul Sewald did not appear in Sunday's game.

Munoz struck out three batters in a perfect inning and earned a save in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Royals.

Munoz fired 10 of 14 pitches for strikes and forced five whiffs in his dominant appearances. He had yielded three hits and two walks over his previous two innings. The 24-year-old has now converted 10 of his 13 save chances while producing a 2.63 ERA and a 53:18 K:BB through 37.2 frames.

Alcala (forearm) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Alcala is slated to face off against rehabbing teammates Byron Buxton (hamstring) and Alex Kirilloff (shoulder) on Tuesday for the first of what's expected to be two live sessions this week for the right-hander. The 28-year-old was placed on the injured list May 16 with a radial stress fracture of his right forearm and is expected to complete three live batting practice sessions within the next 10 days before the Twins feel comfortable sending him out on a rehab assignment, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com.

Kimbrel picked up the save Sunday against the Cardinals. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning.

The Cardinals got the tying run to the plate against Kimbrel in the ninth, but he managed to coax a pop out from Nolan Arenado before striking out Willson Contreras to preserve a 3-0 victory. The save was Kimbrel's first since Aug. 5 -- the veteran closer struggled in his prior outing, allowing a pair of earned runs in an extra-innings loss to the Giants. Overall, Kimbrel's now 20-for-22 in save chances with a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 74:21 K:BB across 55 innings this season.