MLB Player News

Barlow pitched a scoreless third of an inning in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta.

Barlow was called up this week and made his season debut Wednesday. He was Texas' closer for stretches in 2021 and 2022, notching 24 saves, but was held back this spring in Arizona due to a velocity drop before joining Triple-A Round Rock. He went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA over 11 relief appearances for the Express, and manager Bruce Bochy said he's comfortable using Barlow in high-leverage situations. That indicates Barlow could be thrown into the setup mix, which has not performed well of late, including Wednesday when Josh Sborz and Brock Burke combined to blow a 5-3 lead in the eighth and ninth innings.

Sborz allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta.

Jonathan Hernandez struggled his last three appearances, so manager Bruce Bochy opted for Sborz while nursing a 5-3 lead. He walked the leadoff batter before allowing a single and double that tied the game. Brock Burke then surrendered the game-deciding home run to Orlando Arcia in the ninth. Outside of closer Will Smith, the Rangers' bullpen (4.48 ERA, 26th in MLB) has not supported a starting staff that ranks fourth (3.52 ERA). Wednesday's results marked the sixth time Texas held a seventh-inning lead only to end up losing.

Helsley recorded a save against the Brewers on Wednesday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one batter over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Helsley entered in the eighth inning and retired one batter, then worked around a walk and a single in the ninth to close out the contest. The right-hander was plenty rested after pitching just once over the previous eight days, and he earned his fifth save of the campaign. Helsley has blown three saves, but his overall numbers are strong, as he's posted a 2.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over 17.2 innings.

Fairbanks (0-1) took the loss and blew a save against the Mets on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits while striking out one batter over one-third of an inning.

Jason Adam actually got the first crack at a save for the Rays in the contest, but he gave up three runs in the ninth inning to blow the opportunity and allow the game to go into extra frames. After Tampa Bay put up two runs in the top of the 10th, Fairbanks was summoned to close things out, but he took the loss when Pete Alonso crushed a walk-off three-run homer against him. This was Fairbanks' first game back after a stay on the 15-day injured list with a forearm injury, so some rust may have factored into the poor outing.

Adam blew a save against the Mets on Wednesday, allowing three runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over one inning.

Adam got the call from the bullpen with the Rays up by three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he couldn't get the job done. The right-hander put the first two batters he faced on base via a walk and hit-by-pitch, then retired the next two hitters before serving up a game-tying three-run homer to Francisco Alvarez. It was the second blown save over the past three outings for Adam, whose ERA shot up from 1.59 to 3.00 as a result of Wednesday's collapse. Co-closer Pete Fairbanks also blew a save with a poor appearance Wednesday, and the pair will likely continue sharing fireman duties moving forward.

Fleming did not factor in the decision against the Mets on Wednesday, pitching five scoreless innings during which he allowed three hits and two walks while striking out two batters.

Fleming worked in a traditional starting role for just the second time this season and delivered five shutout frames to counteract a strong start by opposing hurler Kodai Senga. Fleming's approach was the opposite of Senga's -- he notched just four whiffs and two strikeouts to Senga's 18 and 12 -- but the efficiency helped him get through five frames on a modest 67 pitches. Fleming doesn't have the strikeout stuff to be a popular option in fantasy, though he's posted a decent 3.68 ERA through 36.2 innings on the campaign.

Taylor (1-1) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out two in two-thirds of an inning, earning the win Wednesday over the Padres.

Taylor got the last out of the fifth inning and then ran into some trouble in the sixth, but the Royals gained the lead while he was on the mound to give him his first win with the team. The southpaw has had a rough May, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over 6.1 innings. He's at a poor 6.91 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB through 14.1 innings overall while working in a low-leverage role.

Hernandez allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Wednesday.

Hernandez has kept runs off the board in five of his seven appearances in May, including this turn as an opener. The right-hander hasn't had much success at the major-league level, but he's been more effective as a reliever this season. He has a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB through 22 innings while adding an 0-1 record, three holds and a blown save in 19 appearances.

Brebbia (2-0) allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the win Wednesday over the Phillies.

Brebbia pitched the top of the eighth inning, and the Giants rallied ahead in their half of the frame. The right-hander has allowed a run on four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts through five innings in May. He has a 4.67 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, five holds and 27:7 K:BB through 17.1 innings over 19 appearances, including two turns as an opener, this season.

Iglesias struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Rangers.

Atlanta took a one-run lead in the ninth inning, and Iglesias made it stick. He'd allowed two runs in each of his last two appearances after debuting with a pair of scoreless outings. The right-hander missed the first month-plus of the season with a shoulder strain, and he's had a bit of trouble settling back into the closer role. Iglesias has an 8.31 ERA while converting two of three save chances over 4.1 innings so far.