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Josh Winder RP | ARI
Twins' Josh Winder: Struggles in relief appearance
Winder gave up five runs over 3.2 innings in a relief appearance in Tuesday's loss at Oakland. He had just one strikeout and allowed nine hits with one walk.
Winder seemed set to maintain his spot in the rotation, so it was a slight surprise he was used in relief. He was used as a tandem long reliever with starter Dylan Bundy on a limited pitch count in his return from an illness. Winder could potentially return to the rotation as a result, though it's not clear if the Twins plan to return to a six-man rotation.
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Anthony Bender RP | MIA
Marlins' Anthony Bender: Collects win Tuesday
Bender (1-3) picked up the win in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Nationals, giving up two hits and striking out one in a scoreless inning of relief.
While the win is nice, it's a little concerning for his long-term fantasy outlook than Bender entered a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. The right-hander has yet to record a save in May after reeling off four in five days at the end of April, and while Dylan Floro has struggled since coming off the injured list, Bender's usage Tuesday suggests he might be moving into a lower-leverage role and out of the ninth inning. On the season, he carries a 3.86 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB through 14 innings while converting six of eight save chances.
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Joan Adon SP | WAS
Nationals' Joan Adon: Stuck with seventh loss
Adon (1-7) took the loss Tuesday, allowing one run on five hits over 4.2 innings as the Nationals fell 5-1 to the Marlins. He struck out two without walking a batter.
The 23-year-old now leads the majors in losses, but this one wasn't really his fault as the Nats gave Adon very little help. He tossed 84 pitches (54 strikes) before exiting, and the right-hander has failed to complete five innings in six of his eight starts this season. Adon will carry a 6.38 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and poor 31:23 K:BB through 36.2 innings into his next outing.
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Taylor Hearn RP | KC
Rangers' Taylor Hearn: Allows three runs in no-decision
Hearn did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Angels, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two over four innings.
The lefty served up a couple long balls but otherwise held his own against the No. 2 scoring offense in MLB. Hearn has endured a tough schedule to date in 2022, facing the Angels twice along with Atlanta and Houston. He's mostly struggled with a 5.46 ERA to this point, though he did have a gem against Kansas City on May 12 (five scoreless innings, one hit allowed). If he can make his layups, Hearn could eventually pop up on the radar as a streamer in shallower leagues.
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Ken Giles RP | ATL
Mariners' Ken Giles: Not yet throwing
Mariners manager Scott Servais said Tuesday that Giles (finger) has yet to begin throwing off a mound, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Giles appears to be fully recovered from October 2020 Tommy John surgery at this point, but his Mariners and season debuts have been delayed due to the right middle finger tendon injury he sustained in spring training. He was cleared to start a throwing program in late April, but at the stage, Giles is still focused on increasing his throwing distance and intensity off flat ground before advancing to mound work. The 31-year-old is likely at least a month away from returning from the 60-day injured list.
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Edwin Diaz RP | LAD
Mets' Edwin Diaz: Collects ninth save
Diaz picked up his ninth save of the season in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, giving up a hit and a walk but striking out three in a scoreless ninth inning.
The 28-year-old righty recorded all his outs via strikeout for the second straight appearance, continuing a dominant stretch that has seen Diaz fan multiple batters in 11 of his 16 outings to begin the season. He boasts an eye-popping 50.0 percent strikeout rate that would be the best of his career if he can keep it up, and Diaz's 1.69 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and nine saves in 10 chances aren't too shabby either.
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Erik Swanson RP | TOR
Mariners' Erik Swanson: Already making good progress
Swanson is no longer experiencing discomfort in the back of his elbow and could be ready to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible May 29, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Swanson was shut down Saturday with right elbow inflammation, but the injury doesn't look to be anything that will result in an extended absence. Manager Scott Servais said he expects Swanson to require just one rehab appearance in the minors before being ready to return from the IL. The 28-year-old has been impressive in a relief role this season, giving up two earned runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out 21 over 14 innings.
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Liam Hendriks RP | CHC
White Sox's Liam Hendriks: Notches 11th save
Hendriks recorded his 11th save of the season during the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Royals, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
The right-hander completed a combined shutout by White Sox pitchers after Dylan Cease had kicked things off with 5.2 scoreless frames. Hendriks has had a bumpy start to the season, with his 4.15 ERA and 1.33 WHIP being his worst marks since 2018, but he still sports a 35.5 percent strikeout rate through 17.1 innings and sits fourth in the majors in saves.
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Josh Staumont RP | CIN
Royals' Josh Staumont: Notches third save
Staumont struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to record his third save of the season in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.
Scott Barlow had pitched on three of the prior four days including Sunday and Monday, so Staumont got the call in the save situation and needed 16 pitches (12 strikes) to convert it. It's his first save since April 19, and the 28-year-old will remain second in line for ninth-inning duty as long as Barlow remains effective. On the season, Staumont sports a 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 21:7 K:BB through 14.2 innings.
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Jon Heasley RP | TB
Royals' Jonathan Heasley: Stuck with loss in Tuesday's opener
Heasley (0-2) took the loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out one.
The 25-year-old righty held Chicago scoreless through four frames before putting the first three batters he faced on board to begin the fifth, with all three eventually coming around to score. Heasley has a superficially tolerable 4.32 ERA through two starts for the Royals, but his 2:7 K:BB in 8.1 innings suggests his luck won't last much longer. With Brady Singer having tossed a gem in the nightcap of Tuesday's twin bill as the 27th man before being optioned back to Triple-A, Heasley doesn't figure to hang onto a rotation spot much longer.