MLB Player News

Bautista pitched a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 17th save of the season in a 3-2 win over Atlanta.

He didn't strike out a batter in an appearance for the first time since June 4, but it was still another impressive performance from Bautista. The right-hander has blown only one save chance all season, and since May 26 he's gone 10-for-10 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB through 15 innings.

Megill gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 19th save of the season in a 6-5 win over the Marlins. He struck out one.

Miami's hitters made him work, fouling off 10 of his 32 pitches (20 total strikes), but Megill finally got the job done. The right-hander bounced back nicely from his third blown save of the season, and he's two saves shy of matching the career-high 21 he racked up last year. Since the beginning of June, Megill has a 2.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB through 12.1 innings.

Holton (4-3) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians. He allowed one hit and struck out four.

After starter Reese Olson (finger) logged 4.1 innings in his return from the injured list following about six weeks on the shelf, Holton stepped in and provided valuable relief. The lefty has had a few rough outings this season, but he's now made five straight scoreless appearances (7.2 innings) and has lowered his ERA to a solid 3.86 overall. The 29-year-old has also contributed eight holds to go along with his four wins. Holton is one of Detroit's top bullpen arms with a flexible role, giving him some fantasy value in deeper formats.

Perkins allowed two runs on three hits and struck out five without walking a batter over three innings to earn the save in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Perkins was scored upon for the first time in his major-league career when he gave up a solo home run to Brett Wisely in the eighth inning. He's maintained a starter's schedule despite pitching out of the bullpen in all three of his appearances with the Athletics, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts so far. He's also earned a pair of saves, but he's not in contention for closing duties while serving as a multi-inning reliever. There's no path to a starting role just yet, but Perkins has made an excellent first impression and will be a candidate to make starts if a rotation spot opens up.

Casparius (6-3) allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out three over three innings to take the loss versus the Astros on Friday.

Casparius had made his last two appearances as a bulk reliever behind Shohei Ohtani. His return to a starting role didn't go any better than his last turn out of the bullpen, as the Astros tagged Casparius for three home runs. He's now yielded seven long balls on the year while adding a 4.68 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 57:12 K:BB across 59.2 innings through 26 appearances (three starts). Casparius continues to provide multi-inning abilities for the Dodgers as they put together a patchwork solution for their rotation. With Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) nearing a return and Emmet Sheehan expected to be called up to pitch Sunday, it seems like Casparius is on borrowed time to stay in the rotation.

Funderburk is expected to be optioned to Triple-A before Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, MLB.com reports.

Funderburk threw a scoreless inning in Thursday's loss at Miami, his only appearance since he was called up Wednesday. He'll likely continue to shuffle between Triple-A and the majors when the Twins need an extra lefty in the bullpen.

DeSclafani will start Sunday's game against the Royals at Chase Field, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The 35-year-old righty has made four appearances out of the bullpen since joining Arizona in mid-June, but he'll make his first start of the season Sunday. During his time in the bullpen, DeSclafani logged a 4.82 ERA through 9.1 innings, but he could be in position for a bounce-back outing against a Kansas City offense that owns a .666 OPS on the season (26th in MLB). Though he's worked three innings or fewer out of the Arizona bullpen, DeSclafani should be able to provide a little bit of length beyond that Sunday after tossing six innings in his final start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization on June 10 prior to being granted his release from his minor-league deal.

The Twins plan to recall Adams from Triple-A St. Paul to serve as a starter, a bulk reliever behind an opener, or as a reliever in a bullpen game Saturday versus the Rays, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.

The Twins have an open spot in their rotation after Bailey Ober (hip) was placed on the injured list Wednesday, and Adams looks like he'll get the first chance to fill the void. Adams has started in five of his 19 appearances with St. Paul this season, logging a 3.68 ERA with a 21.8 percent strikeout rate and 7.5 percent walk rate. Adams most recently covered 2.2 innings for St. Paul on Tuesday, and because he'll be pitching Saturday on three days' rest, the Twins may be more inclined to use him out of the bullpen rather than as a traditional starter.

Kuhnel signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday.

Kuhnel didn't have to wait long to find his next gig after being released by the Phillies on Thursday. The 30-year-old reliever turned in a 3.62 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 32.1 frames at Lehigh Valley and will remain an organizational depth piece upon joining his new club.

The Cubs released Bickford on Wednesday.

Bickford has spent all season with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, logging a strong 2.43 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with 37 strikeouts over 29.2 innings. The 29-year-old's impressive performance should be enough to draw attention from other clubs, and continued success could buy him another shot in the big leagues.