MLB Player News

Lamet (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing five runs on seven hits without walking a batter over just three innings. He struck out four.

Lamet was activated off the IL to make his first start since 2021 and did not fare well. The 30-year-old gave up three runs on four hits in the opening frame and then surrendered another two runs in the second before tossing a scoreless third. He was pulled after three at 71 pitches after reaching 63 pitches during the final start of his rehab assignment. Assuming manager Bud Black keeps him in the rotation, Lamet will line up to take the mound next week in a home matchup against the Giants.

Winckowski (2-1) was tagged with Wednesday's loss to the Reds, allowing three unearned runs on three hits while striking out two over 1.1 innings.

Boston's shoddy infield defense reared itself once again when Rafael Devers' throwing error triggered a three-run inning for the Reds. The previous night, Enrique Hernandez committed a pair of throwing errors, one that led to a run in a 9-8 loss. "We're not a good defensive team," manager Alex Cora bluntly told Chad Jennings of The Athletic. "We have a pitching staff that doesn't have swing-and-miss stuff. When we get to two strikes and induce weak contact, we've got to make the plays. When we're really good, we're making plays. When we're not, we struggle." Winckowski, who's pitched well this season, put an end to an uprising in the sixth inning before the seventh went awry. The right-hander maintains a 2.14 ERA over 33.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and six walks.

Robertson earned a save against the Phillies on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over one inning.

Robertson experienced some stress in the outing as a result of allowing two straight hitters to reach base (via an infield single and a hit-by-pitch, respectively) with one out. However, the right-hander bounced back with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat and notch a save for the second straight day. Robertson is still in somewhat of a timeshare at closer with Adam Ottavino, but the former has been the more dominant pitcher throughout the campaign, posting a 1.48 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB over 24.1 frames.

Farmer earned a save against the Red Sox on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning.

Closer Alexis Diaz pitched three of the previous four days, so the Reds turned to Farmer to protect a one-run lead in the ninth. The righty reliever threw just half of his 16 pitches for a strike but managed to retire the side in order for his first save of the campaign. Farmer has pitched well this season with a 2.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB over 27.2 innings, but Diaz has been dominant and is in no danger of losing his ninth-inning role.

Leiter (1-1) allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk while retiring just one batter to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays.

Long balls did in Leiter, as he allowed two-run home runs to both Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri. The righty still has a solid 2.78 ERA and should remain in the mix to close games with Brad Boxberger (forearm) out, though Adbert Alzolay recorded the save in Tuesday's win and could be moving up the bullpen pecking order, particularly following this rough outing by Leiter. The latter's increased fantasy value due to Boxberger's injury may be waning.

Vest (2-0) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win Wednesday against the Rangers. He struck out one.

Starter Joey Wentz covered 4.1 innings before giving way to Vest. The latter has been a strong relief option this year, as he now has a 2.84 ERA and has struck out 20 batters in 19 innings. Alex Lange has locked down the closer job with his own stellar play, but Vest has carved out an important role in the Detroit bullpen.

Lange pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Rangers. He walked one and struck out two.

Lange continues to roll along, as he now has 10 saves in 11 chances along with a sparkling 1.16 ERA. The righty has also struck out 32 batters in 23.1 innings. With this strong start to the season, Lange has firmly established himself as Detroit's closer, and he's been one of the better relief options in the entire league to this point.

Kahnle (biceps) is headed to Los Angeles to join the Yankees for their weekend series against the Dodgers, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Kahnle joins Josh Donaldson (hamstring) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) as Yankees expected to return from the injured list this weekend. The reliever has been out all year with right biceps tendinitis but has looked sharp on his rehab assignment, yielding one run with a 6:3 K:BB over five frames.

Iglesias picked up the save in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Oakland, tossing a perfect ninth in which he recorded one strikeout.

Iglesias had a rocky performance Tuesday during a non-save situation, but he bounced back Thursday with a perfect outing en route to his fifth save of the year. The veteran right-hander missed the first month of the season with a shoulder strain, but he's been Atlanta's go-to closer since. A.J. Minter is 7-for-10 in save opportunities, which currently leads the team, but the majority of those chances came before Iglesias was activated.

Beeks picked up the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cubs, striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.

Beeks entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, striking out Miles Mastrobuoni before coaxing a flyout from Yan Gomes to end the game. It's the first save of the year for Beeks, who's pitched to a 1.74 ERA over his last seven outings (10.1 innings) while striking out 14 in that span. The 29-year-old left-hander lowered his ERA to 4.45 with a 1.24 WHIP and 27:14 K:BB through 28.1 innings this season. Beeks could continue to have a higher-leverage role while Pete Fairbanks (hip) is sidelined, though Jason Adam is still most likely the preferred ninth-inning option.