MLB Player News

Backhus (0-2) took the loss and was charged with a blown save against the Padres on Wednesday, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one batter over one inning.

Backhus got the call in the eighth inning after San Diego put two runners on base with one out. The lefty reliever managed to get the next two batters out to preserve an Arizona one-run lead, but he couldn't carry that over to the ninth. In that ninth frame, Ryan O'Hearn led off with a solo homer that tied the score, and a Jose Iglesias RBI single three batters later gave the Padres the lead while setting Backhus up for the loss. Backhus had earned his first career save two days earlier and appears to be in contention for save chances in an unsettled Diamondbacks bullpen that just lost Kevin Ginkel (shoulder) for at least 60 days.

DeSclafani allowed three hits and struck out four batters over 4.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Wednesday.

DeSclafani jumped into the Diamondbacks' rotation at the beginning of August and struggled in his subsequent start, giving up four runs over 2.1 frames. He was much better Wednesday, limiting the Padres to three hits and no runs. DeSclafani threw 71 pitches (50 strikes) in the appearance, so he doesn't appear to be ready to handle a full starter's workload quite yet. Nonetheless, the right-hander may have earned himself the opportunity to continue being a part of Arizona's rotation. If that's the case, his next start is lined up to come against Texas on the road.

Miller earned a save against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, striking out three batters and walking one over one hitless and scoreless inning.

The Padres rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth frame to take their first lead, and Miller got the call to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning. He issued a two-out walk but overpowered the other three batters he faced, striking them out on a combined nine pitches. Miller's first two outings with the Padres weren't great -- he allowed two runs on three hits over two frames -- but his dominance Wednesday emphasizes what a tremendous impact he could make on the team's already great bullpen. That said, Miller's fantasy value actually took a hit with his move to San Diego, as he probably isn't going to be the full-time closer given the presence of All-Star Robert Suarez. Though Miller closed Wednesday, that may have been at least partly due to Suarez tossing 1.2 frames one day earlier.

Munoz earned a save against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and two walks while striking out one batter over one inning.

Munoz entered with a three-run cushion in the ninth frame, but the last-place White Sox certainly made him work for the save. Munoz's outing began with a solo homer by Michael Taylor, and the All-Star closer then walked the next two batters to put the tying runs on base with no outs. However, Munoz was able to right the ship, retiring the next three batters to escape the jam. Though his eight-game scoreless streak came to an end, he nabbed his 26th save of the campaign, tied for fourth most in the majors.

Megill earned a save against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and striking one out batter over one inning.

Megill had a two-run lead to work with when he entered in the ninth inning, which proved to be important when Michael Harris tagged him for a two-out solo homer. The Brewers closer was able to bounce back and strike out Drake Baldwin to notch the save. Megill had a nine-game scoreless streak snapped, but he nonetheless managed to extend his streak of successful save conversions to eight. Megill has blown only three save opportunities all season and is tied for fourth in the majors with 26 saves on the campaign.

Hatch (1-0) earned the win against the Tigers on Wednesday, allowing two hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 4.1 scoreless innings.

Hatch was excellent in bulk relief, throwing 38 of 56 pitches for strikes while limiting the Tigers to just two singles. The 30-year-old gave up two runs in a one-inning outing for the Royals on Friday and had posted a 4.22 ERA with a 78:28 K:BB over 91.2 innings at Triple-A Omaha before being claimed off waivers by the Twins this week. Though he's made just two major-league appearances this season, Wednesday's performance likely earned him another look with Minnesota.

Bachar allowed one hit and no walks in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Wednesday against the Astros. He struck out one.

The Marlins' closer picture remains a mess. Calvin Faucher worked the eighth inning in a 6-4 game Wednesday, which allowed Bachar to enter for the ninth and nab his second save of the year, both of which have come since the start of July. It's difficult to gauge if Bachar will see additional save opportunities given how Clayton McCullough has managed his bullpen this season, but Faucher likely remains the favorite to handle those situations. That said, Bachar is clearly in the mix with a 3.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 57:22 K:BB through 50.1 innings.

Garcia (1-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Yankees, giving up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

Making his first appearance since a bout of back spams last weekend, Garcia was brought into a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning and served up what proved to be a game-winning solo shot to Paul Goldschmidt. Garcia has been taken deep in three straight games, and since the beginning of July he's stumbled to a 4.82 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB in 9.1 innings, ratios that would be even worse if it weren't for four unearned runs on his ledger. Phil Maton got the save for the Rangers on Tuesday, and Garcia's hold on the closer role could be hanging by a thread.

Bednar struck out five batters over 1.2 scoreless innings Wednesday, giving up one hit and two walks, to record his 18th save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Rangers.

The trade-deadline acquisition collected his first save in pinstripes with the rest of the Yankees' high-leverage crew having seen heavy usage lately -- Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval all pitched both Monday and Tuesday, forcing Bednar to throw 42 pitches (25 strikes) Wednesday to get the job done. That said, Williams has been struggling again of late, getting tagged for runs in four straight outings and taking two blown saves and a loss in his last three. If he gets removed from the closer role again, Bednar might be the next man up, although Weaver has been very effective of late with a 2.13 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB over his last 12.2 innings. Despite the team's efforts to bring in help, the back of the Yankees' bullpen appears to be just as unsettled as ever.

Fairbanks earned the save in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Angels, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

After blowing his last save chance on July 30 against the Yankees, Fairbanks has responded with three straight scoreless appearances, striking out six over three innings in that span. Overall, the right-hander is 19-for-23 in save chances this year with a 2.70 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB across 43.1 innings.