MLB Player News

Matz picked up a save in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Twins after striking out two while allowing one hit and no walks over four shutout innings.

Matz entered the game with a six-run lead and had no problem finishing off the game for St. Louis. He fired 39 of 51 pitches for strikes and allowed just one runner to reach scoring position. The veteran southpaw should continue seeing long-relief action and likely won't be used in many save situations.

Fairbanks picked up the save in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Rockies, pitching a scoreless inning while allowing two hits. He struck out two.

Fairbanks worked around two hits to lock down his first save of 2025, securing the win with a punchout of Mickey Moniak to end the game. The right-handed flamethrower has notched 64 career saves with the Rays, which ranks fifth in franchise history. After an uneven 45.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA in 2024, Fairbanks looks secure in his role as the Tampa Bay closer, opening the season with a 4:2 K:BB in his first two innings.

Bednar (0-2) took the loss Sunday against the Marlins, allowing a run on one hit while not securing any outs.

Bednar capped off an opening weekend to forget in Miami, as he suffered his second walk-off loss in three appearances on the season. The Pittsburgh reliever allowed a leadoff hit to Derek Hill, who then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by Endy Rodriguez. Bednar subsequently allowed Hill to score on a wild splitter he threw in the dirt to Nick Fortes. The 30-year-old has now pitched to an unsightly 27.00 ERA and 5.00 WHIP while retiring just three of the nine batters he's faced over three outings. Bednar is likely skating on thin ice as the closer for the Pirates, who could turn to Colin Holderman or Dennis Santana in future save situations.

Doval earned the save in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Reds, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

With closer Ryan Walker sidelined by back tightness, Doval stepped in and locked down the save on just 11 pitches. If Walker remains unavailable, the 27-year-old Doval's experience in the role should give him the edge to handle the team's save opportunities moving forward.

Hoffman earned the save in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Orioles, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Hoffman retired all three batters he faced, capping off a 10-pitch battle with Gary Sanchez to record a game-ending strikeout. The 32-year-old excelled in a shared closer role for Philadelphia last season, converting 10 of 13 save chances while posting a 2.17 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 89 strikeouts. Now in Toronto, he has the opportunity to thrive as the full-time closer for another playoff contender.

Morgan (0-1) allowed six runs on six hits and a walk while retiring only two batters to take the loss Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Morgan, who had tossed three scoreless innings of relief across two appearances to start the season, quickly saw his ERA climb to 14.73 with the awful outing. The righty allowed only nine earned runs in 42 innings with Cleveland all of last year as he posted a 1.93 ERA and 0.98 WHIP for the Guardians. Morgan should be able to right the ship, though his ERA may take a while to recover.

Munoz earned the save in Sunday's 2-1 win over the A's, allowing one hit while striking out a pair in a scoreless ninth inning.

Munoz now has two saves through the Mariners' first four games this season, posting three strikeouts over two innings. The 26-year-old Munoz was excellent in 2024, converting 22 of 27 save opportunities while posting a 2.12 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 77 strikeouts across 59.1 innings. Munoz should be one of the top closers again in 2025.

Finnegan earned the save in a 5-1 win against the Phillies on Sunday, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Finnegan was called upon to protect a 5-0 lead with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and retired three straight batters on just five pitches. The 33-year-old finished third in baseball last season with a career-high 38 saves and remains firmly locked in as the Nationals' closer.

Walker has been unavailable the past couple days due to back tightness but could be ready to pitch Monday against the Reds, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The right-hander picked up the save Opening Day, but it was Camilo Doval that was called upon for Sunday's save chance. Walker appears to still have a firm grip on the closer role, and he should be back soon after contending with the back issue.

Taylor (lat) was spotted playing catch Sunday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma this week, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Seattle placed Taylor on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right lat strain, which he suffered in late January while going through his offseason throwing program. While Taylor wasn't able to return to game action before the end of spring training, he looks like he'll be ready to head to the minors in the coming days. Taylor will be eligible to come off the IL on April 8.