MLB Player News
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Pierce Johnson RP | CIN
Braves' Pierce Johnson: Collects ninth hold
Johnson struck out one in a perfect sixth inning Monday to record his ninth hold of the season in a win over the Royals.
The right-hander continues to provide Atlanta with reliable high-leverage innings. Over his last 15 appearances, Johnson has been scored upon only once, delivering a 0.59 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB in 15.1 innings. With Raisel Iglesias a prime candidate to get shipped out at the trade deadline, Johnson could be in the mix for saves in August alongside Dylan Lee.
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Kyle Finnegan RP | DET
Nationals' Kyle Finnegan: Locks down 20th save
Finnegan picked up the save Monday against the Astros. He allowed no hits or walks while striking out one over a perfect inning.
Finnegan made quick work of the Astros in the ninth inning, retiring the side to seal a Nationals win Monday. The veteran has allowed multiple runs in four outings but posted zeroes in 29 others. His 4.38 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 39 innings this season are relatively underwhelming, but Finnegan remains a potential trade candidate for a contending team seeking bullpen depth.
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Brad Lord P | WAS
Nationals' Brad Lord: Solid showing in no-decision
Lord did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on a hit and a walk over 5.1 innings against the Astros. He struck out two.
Lord was highly effective Monday, retiring the first 14 batters he faced before allowing a baserunner with two outs in the fifth inning. The right-hander has bounced between the rotation and bullpen this season but has quietly delivered solid results, recording a 3.27 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 74.2 innings in 37 appearances. His modest strikeout rate (7.4 K/9) could cap his upside and make him a candidate for regression, but he's been dependable and appears poised to make another start in the Nationals' rotation.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Angels' Kenley Jansen: Secures 19th save
Jansen picked up the save Monday against the Rangers. He allowed no hits or walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings.
Jansen earned a four-out save with little trouble Monday, retiring Josh Smith to end the eighth inning before setting down the side in order in the ninth inning to seal the victory. The veteran closer has been dominant in July, giving up just three hits and no earned runs while recording 12 strikeouts, two wins and four saves across 10 outings. The 37-year-old may be past his prime, but Jansen has been a steady presence in the back end of the Angels' bullpen in 2025.
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Secures 24th save
Munoz notched a save against the Athletics on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over one scoreless inning.
Munoz allowed a single to the first batter he faced in the ninth frame, but that baserunner was quickly wiped out when the next hitter grounded into a double play. Munoz then finished things off with a punchout to record his 24th save of the campaign. The All-Star closer has held the opponent without an earned run in 15 of his past 16 outings and is down to a superb 1.32 ERA on the season. Among AL closers, only Carlos Estevez (27) and Josh Hader (27) have more saves than Munoz so far this year.
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Robert Suarez RP | ATL
Padres' Robert Suarez: Blows save but gets win
Suarez (3-4) blew a save but was credited with the win Monday against the Mets, allowing one run on one hit while striking out one batter over one inning.
Suarez was tasked with protecting a one-run lead in the ninth inning but allowed New York to tie the score on a Ronny Mauricio solo homer. However, the All-Star closer was able to limit New York to that one run and ended up in the win column when the Padres walked it off in the bottom of the frame. It was just the fourth blown save of the season for Suarez, who leads the majors with 30 saves. The long ball was only the second he's given up across 43.2 innings.
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David Bednar RP | NYY
Pirates' David Bednar: Ends scoreless streak but nabs save
Bednar earned a save against the Giants on Monday, allowing one run on three hits over one inning.
Bednar inherited a two-run lead when he entered in the ninth frame and just barely managed to hold on for the save. San Francisco put three of the first four batters on base against the closer, but Bednar got Mike Yastrzemski to pop out and Patrick Bailey to ground out to end the contest with just one run on his ledger. That was the first earned run the right-hander has allowed over his past 23 outings -- a dominant stretch in which he racked up 12 saves and posted a 29:5 K:BB across 22.1 innings. Bednar did throw 32 pitches Monday and has appeared three times in the past four days, so it wouldn't be surprising if he's deemed unavailable for Tuesday's contest.
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Seth Halvorsen P | COL
Rockies' Seth Halvorsen: Labors for 11th save
Halvorsen earned the save in Monday's 8-6 win over the Guardians, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with one strikeout in the ninth inning.
Halvorsen was called upon to protect a three-run lead after the Rockies rallied in the top of the ninth, and he managed to hang on despite throwing just 13 of 27 pitches for strikes. Over his past 10 appearances, the 25-year-old has converted all six of his save chances despite allowing seven earned runs. For the season, he's up to 11 saves with a 4.99 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 36:20 K:BB across 39.2 innings.
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Cade Smith P | CLE
Guardians' Cade Smith: Blows save, takes loss Monday
Smith (2-4) took the loss against the Rockies on Monday, allowing four runs (one earned) on two hits while recording only one out in the ninth inning. He did not register a strikeout.
With Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31, it was Smith who received the team's first save chance in his absence. Unfortunately, he allowed the tying run to score on his own throwing error and was ultimately charged with three more runs. While it wasn't an ideal audition for the closer role, Smith has gone 3-for-5 in save opportunities this season with a 3.40 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 65:17 K:BB across 45 innings. It's unclear whether he'll get the next shot in the ninth or if manager Stephen Vogt will go with a committee approach moving forward.
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Joe Ross RP | PHI
Phillies' Joe Ross: Tosses bullpen session Monday
Ross (back) threw a bullpen session ahead of Monday's game against the White Sox, per MLB.com.
Ross is recovering from back spasms, and it's encouraging to see that he's going through his throwing progression. It's unclear if the 32-year-old right-hander will be able to come off the injured list when first eligible on Aug. 6, but it doesn't appear as though he's facing an extended absence.