Lou Trivino Nails Down 17th Save Friday At Angels

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino pitched a scoreless ninth inning to collect his 17th save of the season on Friday at the Angels. Trivino pitched around a leadoff double by inducing three straight groundouts to protect a two-run lead and win the game. The right-hander has been excellent this season as he's sporting a […]

Daily Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the July 31st edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss topics […]

Fantasy Baseball Injury Updates - Week 19

The second half of the baseball season has begun and the trade deadline has come and gone. We are coming up to the stretch run in the baseball season and the fantasy season. Playoff seedings are being determined in the MLB as well as fantasy leagues. Knowing injury timelines is now at a vital part […]

Hirokazu Sawamura Returns From IL Friday

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura returned from the injured list Friday, and threw a scoreless inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed a hit and two walks and struck out one batter. It was a shaky outing for the right-hander who has been quite strong across 39 appearances with a 2.79 ERA, […]

Kyle Finnegan Earns Second Save Friday

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan appears to be the choice as the closer for the closer role with Brad Hand in Toronto, as he locked down his second save of the year Friday. Just one day after earning his first career save, Finnegan allowed just one hit while striking out none against the Chicago […]

Jordan Romano Gets Ninth Save

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jordan Romano recorded his ninth save of the season on Friday as his club surpassed the Royals 6-4. The right-hander did allow a run after giving up a leadoff single which was followed by a steal, wild pitch, and a groundout to cash in the runner in the 17-pitch frame. What's […]

Paul Sewald Earns Eighth Hold Friday

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Paul Sewald seemed momentarily like he might slot into the closer job after the Houston Astros acquired Kendall Graveman days before the trade deadline, but Seattle went on to add Diego Castillo from the Rays, pushing Sewald back into a setup role. He fulfilled that role Friday, striking out two Texas […]

Liam Hendriks Records 26th Save

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks recorded his 26th save of the season versus the Cleveland Indians on Friday. Hendriks was coming off a blown save on Wednesday, but returned to form this evening with a 1-2-3 inning to secure a White Sox victory. Hendriks remains one of the best closers in the game and […]

Diego Castillo Throws Clean Inning In Mariners Debut

Seattle Mariners reliever Diego Castillo threw a perfect ninth inning in the 9-5 victory against the Texas Rangers. It was Castillo's first appearance with the Mariners after being acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. The Mariners dealt closer Kendall Graveman on July 27, meaning Castillo should be the clear closer […]

Jon Duplantier Signs Minor-League Deal With D'Backs

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Jon Duplantier (lat) has resigned with the club on Friday after being released by the Diamondbacks earlier in the week. Duplantier is out for the year with a lat tear but threw 13 innings with a 13.15 ERA and 8.62 FIP before the injury. For his career, he's pitched to a 6.70 […]

Anthony Bass Dealing With Neck Injury

Miami Marlins reliever Anthony Bass (neck) has been dealing with a stiff neck, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. Bass hasn't pitched since July 27, and it is unclear how long he'll be sidelined. This doesn't have much fantasy significance as Bass has no saves but has pitched to a 3.69 ERA with 12 holds […]

Anthony Bender Pitches In The Seventh Inning On Friday

Miami Marlins rookie relief pitcher Anthony Bender came in to pitch the seventh inning in a 1-0 deficit on Friday against the New York Yankees. Bender was thought to perhaps be the next Marlins closer after Yimi Garcia was traded to the Houston Astros, but based on his usage in this game, that may not […]

Tony Watson Returns To Giants Bullpen

The Los Angeles Angels on Friday traded relief pitcher Tony Watson to the San Francisco Giants, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported. Watson was part of the Giants bullpen 2018-2020 before going to the Angels. The 36-year-old southpaw struggled mid-season but has started getting his groove back, posting a 3.52 ERA with eight strikeouts and four […]

Michael Lorenzen Activated From IL Friday

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen was activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday. The Reds optioned right-hander Tony Santillan to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Lorenzen injured his right hamstring while running the bases during his season debut back on July 17. It has been a tough year for Lorenzen, who missed the first […]

John Curtiss Traded To Milwaukee Brewers

The Miami Marlins on Friday traded relief pitcher John Curtiss to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league catcher Payton Henry, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported. The 28-year-old right-hander has been solid this season, posting a 2.72 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 40 strikeouts through 40 innings pitched. Curtiss previously wasn't a good pickup in […]

Anderson Espinoza Traded To Cubs

The Chicago Cubs acquired prospect pitcher Anderson Espinoza in exchange for outfielder Jake Marisnick. The 23-year-old Espinoza is a former top prospect whose career has been derailed by two Tommy John surgeries since 2016. Currently in High-A, the right-hander carries a 5.02 ERA over 28 ⅔ frames. Scouted as a fireballer with three solid pitches, […]

Jordan Luplow and DJ Johnson Headed To Tampa Bay

The Cleveland Guardians traded outfielder Jordan Luplow and pitcher DJ Johnson to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitcher Peyton Battenfield. Luplow was activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday and had been sidelined since late May with an ankle injury. He will head to Tampa Bay and give the Rays outfield depth. […]

Dinelson Lamet Possibly Headed For Bullpen Role

The San Diego Padres are contemplating a bullpen role for pitcher Dinelson Lamet (forearm). After dealing with elbow, forearm and biceps issues this offseason, the 29-year-old fireball has been limited to just 34 ⅓ innings and a 3.67 ERA after myriad stints on the IL. Currently throwing in simulated games, Lamet looks poised for a […]

Richard Rodriguez Traded To Braves

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez has been traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitchers Ricky DeVito and Bryse Wilson, the team announced on Twitter. Over five starts at High-A this year, DeVito is 0-3 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.279 WHIP and 29.7 percent strikeout rate across 20 1/3 innings of work. Wilson […]

Hansel Robles Acquired By Red Sox

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Hansel Robles has been traded to the Red Sox for right-hander Alex Scherff. Robles was a part of a closer committee with Taylor Rogers in Minnesota but now figures to occupy a setup role with Matt Barnes entrenched as Boston's closer. It's a definite downgrade in value, but Robles could still […]

Joakim Soria Heading North To Toronto

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Joakim Soria has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for two players to be named later, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Soria has had decent value with Arizona this year, going 1-4 with six saves, a 4.30 ERA, 1.330 WHIP and 24.8 percent strikeout rate over 29 […]

Myles Straw Traded To Cleveland

Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw has been traded to the Cleveland Indians for relief pitcher Phil Maton, according to Mark Berman of FOX26. Straw has been a solid source of speed this season, swiping 17 bases while slashing .262/.339/.326 with two homers, 34 RBI and 44 runs scored over 98 games. Meanwhile, Houston will get […]

Rangers Receive Trio Of Prospects For Gibson, Kennedy, Crouse

The Texas Rangers are receiving a trio of pitcher prospects from the Phillies for starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and relief pitcher Ian Kennedy, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Along with this update, Levi Weaver of The Athletic now reports that Rangers prospect Hans Crouse is going to Philadelphia in this deal […]

J.A. Happ Traded To St. Louis Cardinals

Updating an earlier report, the Minnesota Twins have traded starting pitcher J.A. Happ to the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher John Gant and relief pitcher Evan Sisk, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB Network. Happ has struggled on the mound this season, going 5-6 with a 6.77 ERA, 1.586 WHIP and 17.3 percent strikeout […]

Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy Traded To Phillies

The Texas Rangers have a deal in place to trade starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and relief pitcher Ian Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. This provides a big boost to the Phillies pitching staff, as Gibson has been having a great season so far while Kennedy has been a […]

Danny Mendick, Ryan Burr Optioned To Triple-A

Chicago White Sox utility player Danny Mendick and relief pitcher Ryan Burr were optioned to Triple-A on Friday, the team announced on Twitter. The moves were made to open up space on the roster for newly acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez and relief pitcher Ryan Tepera. Neither Mendick nor Burr had much in the way […]

Nick Madrigal, Codi Heuer Traded To Cubs

Updating an earlier report, the Chicago Cubs have acquired second baseman Nick Madrigal and relief pitcher Codi Heuer from the White Sox for relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Madrigal is out for the rest of the year with a torn hamstring, and over 54 games this year, he slashed […]

Craig Kimbrel Traded To White Sox

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been traded to the Chicago White Sox, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. There is currently no word yet on what the return for the Cubs will be. Kimbrel has been one of the best closers in baseball for some time, and over 39 appearances this year, he […]

Trade Deadline Analysis - Relievers On The Move

The trade deadline is here! Yet, unlike in years past, we don't have to wait until hours before the deadline to get our fix. We've seen some monster names traded away already, like Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and other players that aren't on the Nationals. However, for today's article, I'm just going to […]

Michael Fulmer Gaining Interest Prior To Deadline

The Detroit Tigers have had discussions with several teams about potentially trading relief pitcher Michael Fulmer, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Fulmer split closing duties earlier this year with Gregory Soto, and over 27 games this season he is 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.262 WHIP and 25.6 percent strikeout rate over 42 […]