MLB Player News

Smith notched his seventh save of the season Thursday against the Nationals after pitching a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one.

Smith allowed a double to Ryan Zimmerman to begin the ninth inning, but he settled down quickly and retired Trea Turner, Yadiel Hernandez and Josh Harrison to close things out. Smith has now gone 7-for-7 in save opportunities this season and has not allowed a run in any of his last five appearances.

Sandlin has pitched 4.1 perfect innings with four strikeouts in three appearances.

Sandlin was called up from Cleveland's alternate training site on April 30, and he has yet to allow a baserunner at the major-league level. The 24-year-old right-hander is expected to work mainly in low-leverage roles to begin the season, although he picked up his first hold with a two-inning appearance in Thursday's 4-0 win over Kansas City.

McHugh fanned five of the six batters he faced over two innings in Thursday's victory over the Angels. He didn't factor into the decision.

The righty was sharp Thursday in his first appearance in three weeks, retiring every batter he faced. The 33-year-old threw 17 of his 23 pitches for strikes and now will look to build his stamina back up in order to earn a longer leash from conservative manager Kevin Cash. McHugh will more than likely open for two to three innings in his next appearance.

May pitched a perfect eighth inning while striking out two to secure a hold in Thursday's win over the Cardinals.

May has been stellar so far this season, as he owns a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings and the only earned runs against him came in his first appearance. Edwin Diaz has been inconsistent and banged up at times, which could lead to May receiving some save opportunities in the future. The 31-year-old has certainly been the most consistent pitcher in the Mets' bullpen in 2021.

Pressly allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out two across two innings to earn the save Thursday against the Yankees.

Pressly threw multiple innings for the third time this season, though Thursday's effort was the first time his multi-frame efforts resulted in a save. He allowed an earned run thanks in part to a defensive error behind him but pitched well otherwise. Pressly now has five saves on the season to go along with an excellent 1.93 ERA and 15:3 K:BB across 14 innings.

Garcia allowed one hit during a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save during Thursday's win over Arizona.

The 30-year-old needed 16 pitches to secure the save as he continued pitching well to open the 2021 season. Garcia has a 2-2 record and is 5-for-6 in save opportunities, and he'll be in charge of the Marlins' closing role for the foreseeable future.

Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth inning, working around two hits to earn the save in a win over the Cardinals on Thursday.

Diaz was pitching for the first time since exiting Sunday's game with back tightness. He allowed the tying run to come up to the plate before retiring the final two batters. It was a nice bounce-back performance after surrendering three earned runs in his last outing. The 27-year-old is a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances and has allowed earned runs in only two of his 12 appearances.

Ottavino worked around a walk in a scoreless inning to record a save against the Tigers on Thursday.

With the Red Sox leading 12-9 in the ninth, Ottavino nailed down his first save opportunity of the year. Matt Barnes had pitched the last two games and was presumably getting a breather before the weekend. Over 13 innings this season, Ottavino has compiled a 4.15 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Menez was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday.

Menez was recalled to the big-league club for a doubleheader Tuesday against the Rockies. He didn't appear in a game but will likely serve as depth for the team's pitching staff throughout the season.

Rodriguez (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rodriguez exited Wednesday's contest early after feeling irritation in his right shoulder. The team remains optimistic that he will only be on the injured list for the minimum time.