MLB Player News

Garcia (1-1) picked up the win Monday in the Marlins' 5-3 extra-inning victory over Atlanta, walking one and striking out one in 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.

The right-hander entered the game with two outs and two runners on in the ninth inning. After understandably pitching around Ronald Acuna to load the bases, Garcia got Ozzie Albies to ground out. He then shut down the middle of Atlanta's order in the 10th after Miami took the lead. Garcia's had a solid start to the season, posting a 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB through 6.1 innings with one save and two holds, and as long as he remains effective, he should be the Marlins' first option for save chances going forward.

The Phillies recalled Howard (back) from their taxi squad and designated him as the 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Mets, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Howard's bid for a spot in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation was foiled by a bout of back spasms in mid-March, but he appears to have returned to full health since the conclusion of spring training. Philadelphia will continue to develop Howard as a starter, but he'll be available out of the bullpen for the twin bill before likely returning to the alternate site.

The Orioles recalled Lakins from their alternate site ahead of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Mariners.

Lakins will be designated as the 27th man for the twin bill, so he'll likely head back to the alternate site after Tuesday's games are completed. The 26-year-old right-hander appeared in 22 games out of the Baltimore bullpen in 2020, posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.48 WHIP.

The Rays plan to recall Fleming from their taxi squad to start or serve as a bulk reliever Wednesday against the Rangers, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Fleming will fill the rotation spot that opened up when Chris Archer (forearm) was placed on the 10-day injured list over the weekend. Whether he works as a starter or a reliever, Fleming will be in line to cover the majority of the innings for the Rays on Wednesday, giving him the most realistic chance of factoring into the decision. He posted an impressive 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over his seven outings as a rookie in 2020, but a 1.4 HR/9 and 13.8 K-BB% suggest he wasn't quite as dominant as that ERA would indicate.

Gallegos allowed an earned run on one hit over two innings while recording one strikeout in a loss to the Nationals on Monday.

Gallegos was called upon for his second multi-inning assignment of the campaign and responded with a solid effort that was marred only by a solo home run. The right-hander hadn't been scored upon in his first four appearances and already boasts two wins and holds apiece, giving him solid fantasy value for a reliever in a non-closing role.

Heuer (1-0) allowed one hit and struck out four over 2.1 scoreless innings to pick up his first win in Monday's 4-3 victory over Cleveland.

Heuer has now delivered four scoreless efforts in five appearances, and this was his longest outing yet. While Chicago's vaunted bullpen has stumbled out of the gate, the right-handed Heuer has been as good as he was in 2020. He's allowed one run, seven hits and one walk while striking out eight over 6.2 innings.

Sims earned his first save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Giants on Monday, striking out the only batter he faced.

Sims entered with a man on second and two outs in the ninth. The 26-year-old did his job, as he struck out Evan Longoria to end the game. The Reds haven't really established a clear-cut closer just yet, as Sims and Amir Garrett have had two save chances apiece through the first 10 games of the year. Sims is now 1-for-2 on save opportunities; he surrendered a game-tying two-run homer against the Diamondbacks on April 9. He's been perfect otherwise and currently owns a 4.91 ERA and 6:1 K:BB across 3.2 innings.

Antone did not give up a hit in Monday's 3-0 win over the Giants, striking out five and walking a batter while firing 3.2 scoreless innings to earn a hold.

Antone entered to begin the sixth after five shutout innings from Wade Miley, and he picked up right where the starter left off. He did walk and hit a batter, but Antone recorded 10 consecutive outs at one point. The 27-year-old did make four starts in 2020 and is a valuable resource out of the bullpen as a guy who can give manager David Bell multiple innings if needed. Antone has gotten off to an incredible start this year, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits while sporting an impressive 9:2 K:BB.

Shaw pitched a perfect inning in Monday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.

Shaw induced three groundouts in the eighth inning to preserve a 3-3 tie. The 33-year-old right-hander is off to a solid start with a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and four strikeouts across four innings. Shaw is expected to see work in the middle innings more often that not, although he does have a hold to his credit in 2021.

Maton pitched one inning with a hit-by-pitch and one strikeout in Monday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.

Maton relieved starter Triston McKenzie for the fifth inning. The 28-year-old Maton plunked Nick Williams on his third pitch, but retired the next three batters without trouble. Maton has tossed 1.1 scoreless innings across his first two outings in 2021. The right-hander will likely work in the middle innings to begin the season.