MLB Player News

Martinez allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Martinez entered with a three-run cushion and gave up a two-run blast to Joc Pederson before closing out the contest. Those were the first runs Martinez has allowed in August -- he entered Tuesday on a 15-inning scoreless streak. The strong pitching has earned him the primary closer gig since Josh Hader was demoted from the role earlier this month. Martinez has played a versatile role this year, pitching to a 3.18 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 82:35 K:BB with eight saves, three holds and a 3-3 record across 93.1 innings through 34 appearances (10 starts). The right-hander can be expected to function as a traditional closer for now, though he also has the ability to cover multiple high-leverage innings as necessary.

Mayers (1-1) took the loss Tuesday versus the Yankees, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings.

The Yankees did their damage with the long ball, with three homers accounting for the five earned runs on Mayers' line. An error by Luis Rengifo in the third inning allowed two runs to score as well. Mayers' position in the rotation is far from secure, especially after long reliever Touki Toussaint delivered five innings of one-hit ball. Through 20 outings (two starts), Mayers owns a 5.17 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 36:14 K:BB through 38.1 innings this year. If he gets another turn in the rotation, he'd be lined up for a favorable home start versus the Tigers next week, though it's far from guaranteed he'll get that opportunity.

Reed allowed one hit in a scoreless inning to pick up the save in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the Mets.

In his first appearance since being called up, Reed recorded the save. It's a surprise, especially considering Los Angeles was only up by one run when he entered the game, and he was only the fourth reliever to enter the game. Reed now has an 8.10 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 10 innings split between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Bard picked up the save in a perfect inning Tuesday against Atlanta. He struck out two.

The Rockies' closer made quick work of the top of the Atlanta lineup, setting down Dansby Swanson, Michael Harris and Austin Riley in order to record his 28th save of the season. The save was his sixth this month and second in as many games for Colorado. While his team has struggled to just 56 wins on the campaign, Bard has made the most of his chances as he has recorded the save in half of those games and has been a big reason why the Rockies are 20-21 in one-run games.

Law (1-1) picked up the victory Tuesday against St. Louis, striking out one in two shutout innings of relief while allowing a hit in a 5-1 win.

In his first appearance for the Reds, Law entered the game in the fifth inning with the team leading 4-1 and tossed two scoreless innings. The veteran signed a minor-league deal with Cincinnati on Aug. 14 after being designated for assignment by Detroit earlier in the month. It was his first win since 2019 when he was a member of the Blue Jays.

Hudson (7-7) took the loss Tuesday in Cincinnati, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two in 4.2 innings.

Hudson ran into trouble in the third inning as the first five batters recorded hits, scoring four runs. He had similar struggles in the fifth when the first three hitters singled, leading to one more run. It marked the fifth time in his last six starts that he pitched five or fewer innings. In August he has a 5.76 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 18:12 K:BB in 25 innings across five starts. With Jack Flaherty (shoulder) expected to return next week, Hudson may be bumped from the rotation.

Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Tuesday that Thompson (back) will throw a live batting practice session in the next 7-to-10 days, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

On Tuesday, Thompson tossed his second bullpen session since being placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 20 with lower-back tightness, but the Cubs don't seem motivated to accelerate his throwing program. He'll likely throw off a mound at least once or twice more before advancing to facing hitters, which seemingly takes a return from the IL in the minimum amount of time off the table. Hottovy noted that the Cubs haven't decided on what Thompson's role will look like once he returns from the IL, but the right-hander will stay on a starter's routine for the time being.

Jackson was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation.

Jackson hasn't seen game action since Aug. 24 and will now be unavailable for at least the next couple weeks due to the shoulder issue. Dany Jimenez (shoulder) was recently ruled out for the rest of the season, leaving A.J. Puk as the leading candidate for save opportunities going forward.

Lakins (elbow) moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out a batter in his three-inning appearance for the affiliate.

Lakins has already spent more than the minimum 60 days on the injured list, and based on his workload Sunday, he appears equipped to handle a multi-inning role out of the Baltimore bullpen. He could be a candidate to be activated Thursday, when the 26-man roster expands to 28.

Triple-A Rochester reinstated Burdi (undisclosed) from its injured list Tuesday and assigned him to High-A Wilmington.

After signing a minor-league deal with the Nationals in April, Burdi was placed on the IL and didn't appear with an affiliate until Aug. 5, when he began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. He made two appearances in the FCL before settling with Wilmington last week. In his first two outings at the High-A level, Burdi struck out three over three scoreless frames. If he continues to perform well at Wilmington, a promotion to one of the Nationals' two higher-level affiliates could be in the cards before the end of the season.