MLB Player News

Clarke struck out one batter in a perfect inning and picked up a save against the Rays on Sunday.

Clarke tossed eight of 13 pitches for strikes and retired the Rays in order to finish off the 4-2 victory. He'd blown three straight save opportunities since his last successful conversion April 28. The 29-year-old lowered his ERA to 3.83 with a 38:6 K:BB through 40 appearances. Scott Barlow was likely unavailable Sunday after he tossed two innings during Saturday's victory.

Martin allowed a run on four hits and five walks with one strikeout in four innings, taking a no-decision in Sunday's loss to the Nationals.

Martin made his first big-league start of the season, but he had trouble finding the strike zone. He threw only 36 of 71 pitches for strikes, though he was able to effectively limit the damage with some help from his defense -- the Diamondbacks turned a double play and picked off Victor Robles on a stolen base attempt. Martin has a 3.93 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 15:11 K:BB through 18.1 innings in six outings (one start) with Arizona this year. It's not clear if he'll stick in the rotation going forward, but he lines up for a road start in Atlanta next weekend if he gets another start. Martin likely has a path to remain a starter at least until Zach Davies (shoulder) can return, which isn't expected to be until August at the earliest.

Finnegan pitched 1.2 perfect innings to earn the save in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Finnegan entered the contest with one out in the eighth inning and promptly got Christian Walker to ground into a double play. In the ninth, Finnegan retired the side without trouble to protect the one-run lead again. The right-hander is the Nationals' preferred closer with Tanner Rainey (elbow) and Sean Doolittle (elbow) both out for the year. Finnegan has allowed two runs in 8.1 innings in July and sports a 3.76 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 43:13 K:BB through 38.1 innings. He's picked up two saves, 12 holds, three blown saves and a 2-2 record. While he's got the backing of manager Dave Martinez, the Nationals' major-league worst 32-65 record is likely to make save chances hard to come by for any reliever on the team.

Leone (3-3) allowed a run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Sunday versus the Dodgers.

Leone was responsible for the first of the Dodgers' three runs in the seventh inning, and that was enough to stick the reliever with his second loss in as many outings. He's given up three runs in one inning across two appearances since the All-Star break, though that could be a product of facing the Dodgers' formidable offense. For the season, Leone has a 3.97 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB with 10 holds, two saves and three blown saves in 34 innings.

Kimbrel allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Giants.

Kimbrel picked up his second save in three appearances against the Giants this weekend. Dating back to July 9, the Dodgers' closer has pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out six in that span. He's now 17-for-20 in save chances this year despite a middling 3.97 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 49:14 K:BB through 34 innings overall.

Pressly pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 8-5 win over the Mariners.

Pressly was on the paternity list for the last three days to be with his family after the birth of his daughter. He immediately retook the closer role and locked down his 20th save of the season with a drama-free outing Sunday. Even more impressively, Pressly has now pitched 10 consecutive innings without allowing a baserunner, and he's struck out 17 while picking up six saves and two wins in that span. The closer's dominant run has shrunk his ERA to 2.79 with a 0.90 WHIP and 32:8 K:BB across 29 innings this year.

Hader picked up a save Sunday, allowing a run on two hits while striking out two in a 10-9 victory over Colorado.

After striking out the first two batters, Hader gave up a triple and a single to cut the lead to one. With Kris Bryant at the plate, Hader got behind in the count 2-0 before getting Bryant to softly ground out, ending the game. Hader has earned the save in three of his last four opportunities despite allowing 13 runs over his last 6.1 frames. The lefty has seen his ERA jump from 1.05 on July 3 to 4.50 after Sunday's outing. With the Brewers battling for a spot in the postseason, manager Craig Counsell may be less patient with Hader if his struggles continue.

Brazoban had his contract selected by the Marlins on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Brazoban has a 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 59:16 K:BB across 45.1 innings for Triple-A Jacksonville this year, and he'll now receive his first look in the majors. The 32-year-old should fill a low-leverage role while up with the Marlins.

Bender (back) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Bender has already been on the injured list for nearly 60 days, so the transaction won't affect his return timeline. The 27-year-old began a rehab assignment in mid-July, and he could rejoin the Marlins after making a couple more outings in the minors.

Brigham had his contract selected by the Marlins on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Brigham lost his spot on Miami's 40-man roster during the offseason, but he'll now receive his first look in the majors of 2022. The right-hander has a 3.96 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 62:20 K:BB across 38.2 innings for Triple-A Jacksonville this season.