MLB Player News
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Yariel Rodriguez P | TOR
Blue Jays' Yariel Rodriguez: Rolling into break
Rodriguez gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless inning of relief Sunday in a loss to the A's.
The right-hander continues to thrive in a high-leverage role. Over 17.2 innings since the beginning of June, Rodriguez has posted a 2.04 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB while collecting two wins, three holds and a save. While the Jays could well bolster their bullpen at the trade deadline, Rodriguez seems locked in as part of the late-inning bridge to closer Jeff Hoffman.
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Spencer Bivens RP | SF
Giants' Spencer Bivens: Picks up loss Sunday
Bivens took the loss in Sunday's 5-2 extra-innings defeat to the Dodgers, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and one intentional walk while striking out one over one inning.
Tasked with protecting a tie game in the 11th inning, Bivens retired the first two batters he faced before surrendering three consecutive singles, allowing the Dodgers to take a commanding lead. The right-hander has been charged with five runs (four earned) in his last two outings. He now owns a 3.72 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 37:14 K:BB across 46 innings in 31 appearances this season.
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Pierce Johnson RP | CIN
Braves' Pierce Johnson: Riding scoreless streak into break
Johnson has a 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB through 33.2 innings this season with a win, a save and seven holds in 36 appearances.
The 34-year-old right-hander is tied for second on Atlanta in holds, behind Dylan Lee's nine, and Johnson heads into the All-Star break having not allowed a run since June 7, posting a 0.97 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 10.1 innings over that scoreless stretch. If the struggling club decide to be sellers at the trade deadline and move closer Raisel Iglesias, Johnson could move into the ninth-inning mix over the final months of the season.
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Riley O'Brien RP | STL
Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Excelling out of St. Louis bullpen
O'Brien has permitted just one run and boasts a 20:8 K:BB over 16 innings covering his last 12 appearances.
O'Brien has had trouble staying healthy and producing at the major-league level, but the stuff has always been there and he seems to finally be finding his footing. The 30-year-old netted his second hold of the season in Sunday's win over Atlanta and could continue to be elevated in the Cardinals' bullpen hierarchy.
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Tommy Kahnle RP | DET
Tigers' Tommy Kahnle: Struggles over weekend
In games against the Mariners on Saturday and Sunday, Kahnle allowed seven earned runs on six hits and two walks without retiring a single batter.
Kahnle had two of his worst outings of the season on consecutive days, and he saw his ERA climb from 2.84 to 4.50 in the process. This whole month of July has been a struggle for the righty, as he's allowed 12 earned runs on 11 hits and five walks across six appearances (2.1 innings). Meanwhile, Will Vest continues to pitch well as Detroit's closer, sitting with a 2.30 ERA and a team-high 15 saves. At this point, Vest is clearly the reliever to roster in the Tigers' bullpen, particularly given Kahnle's recent poor form.
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Gabe Speier RP | SEA
Mariners' Gabe Speier: Takes fourth blown save
Speier was charged with a blown save in Sunday's 8-4 win over Detroit, allowing one run on one hit in the seventh inning.
Speier was taken deep by All-Star Riley Greene, and saddled with his fourth blown save of the year. Speier had gone four consecutive outings without surrendering an earned run prior to Sunday's hiccup, and he should remain an integral part of Seattle's bullpen as its lone active left-hander. Through his first 36.2 frames, Speier owns a strong 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 51:9 K:BB with 10 holds.
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Casey Legumina RP | SEA
Mariners' Casey Legumina: Rough start to July continues
Legumina allowed one run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Tigers. He struck out one.
It's been a rough July thus far for Legumina, who's yielded eight runs over 2.1 innings (three appearances) this month to swell his ERA from its June 29 figure of 3.31 to 5.14 following Sunday's showing. Legumina did submit eight consecutive scoreless outings to wrap up June, but he figures to continue working in lower-leverage spots until he gets back on the right track.
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Aroldis Chapman RP | BOS
Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman: Secures 17th save
Chapman picked up the save in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Rays, striking out all three batters he faced.
The veteran southpaw wrapped the series finale against Tampa Bay in style, retiring three consecutive batters via punchout to notch his 352nd career save. Chapman has been electric in his first season with the Red Sox, pitching to a stellar 1.18 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 58:10 K:BB across 38 total frames. The 37-year-old is set to make his eighth All-Star appearance in Atlanta on Tuesday.
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Ryan Helsley RP | BAL
Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Escapes with save
Helsley allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning while earning a save against Atlanta on Sunday. He struck out one batter.
Helsley put two runners on base with no outs but escaped the jam and finished off the 5-4 win. After blowing three straight chances in early June, he's converted six straight while allowing only one run over his last eight outings. Helsley owns a 3.27 ERA and a 36:14 K:BB while converting 19 of his 24 save chances this season.
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Davis Daniel SP | ATL
Braves' Davis Daniel: Fans five in no-decision
Daniel did not factor in the decision during Sunday's loss to St. Louis. He allowed a run on two hits and three walks over four innings while striking out five.
Daniel was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his first MLB appearance since April 27. He ran into some trouble in the first two frames and coughed up a run in the second inning before retiring seven of the last eight batters he faced. Daniel has posted a 3.27 ERA over 71.2 innings at the Triple-A level this season. As of now, it's unclear if he'll stick around with Atlanta after the All-Star break. There may be room for Daniel to carve out a role as the team deals with a banged-up rotation, including injuries to Chris Sale (ribs) and Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow).