MLB Player News

Megill (elbow) could be unavailable to pitch for a few days, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Megill was struck on the right elbow by a comebacker in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs. While X-rays came back negative and he has avoided the injured list for the time being, Megill might need a little time for the elbow to calm down. Joel Payamps would seem to be the most likely candidate for saves while Megill is unavailable.

The Mets placed Diaz on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement.

Left-hander Josh Walker was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Diaz's spot on the 26-man active roster and in the New York bullpen. After a string of rough appearances, Diaz had already been expected to get a break from closing duties, and his injury will only further delay his opportunity to resurface as the Mets' preferred ninth-inning man. Reed Garrett and Adam Ottavino likely represent the best bets for saves out of the Mets bullpen while Diaz is on the shelf.

The Dodgers optioned Ramirez to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Ramirez will head back to the minors after he was called up from Oklahoma City to serve as the Dodgers' 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Mets. He didn't appear in relief in either game of the twin bill.

The Mets returned Nunez to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

As expected, Nunez will head back to Syracuse one day after he was called up to serve as the 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Dodgers. Nunez appeared in relief in the Mets' 3-0 loss in the second game of the twin bill, covering two scoreless innings while giving up one hit and one walk and striking out three.

Middleton (forearm) will undergo an MRI on Friday and could require season-ending surgery on his pitching arm, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton was evaluated by team doctors Tuesday, and the organization seems to have concern that he's dealing with a significant arm injury. If he does ultimately require surgery, his season would end before it began, as Middleton has been shelved since spring training with what's been termed a right forearm strain. The reliever signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cardinals back in February.

Iglesias struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Nationals.

The right-hander topped out at 97.5 mph and fired nine of 11 pitches for strikes as he breezed through the top of Washington's order. Iglesias appears to be finding his peak form, reeling off four straight scoreless appearances with a 5:0 K:BB. On the season, he sports a 2.21 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB through 20.1 innings.

Ottavino blew his second save of the season in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers, giving up a run on three hits in the ninth inning while striking out one.

Called upon to protect a 2-1 lead, Ottavino instead gave up three straight singles to begin the frame, although the third one came on a safety squeeze by Chris Taylor that the right-hander couldn't field cleanly. Ottavino hasn't been able to take advantage of Edwin Diaz's recent struggles, and he's stumbled to a 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over his last 10 appearances. The back of the Mets' bullpen is a mess right now, and it's not clear who manager Carlos Mendoza might turn to the next time the team has a late lead.

Hjelle (2-1) earned the win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night after tossing two scoreless innings and intentionally walking a batter.

The Giants were without Camilo Doval and Ryan Walker Tuesday night because of their recent workloads, so Hjelle was called upon to work the ninth and 10th innings with the game at 0-0. He executed perfectly, getting through two frames by generating weak contact and coming out with a win after Luis Matos knocked in the winning run on a sacrifice fly. It was a huge result for Hjelle after allowing runs in back-to-back outings coming into the game. The 27-year-old now owns a 2.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB in 21.1 innings.

Atlanta optioned Herget to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

He'll head back to the minors to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach, who was called up from Double-A Mississippi to start Wednesday's game against the Nationals. Herget's stint with Atlanta lasted just four days, with the right-handed reliever making two appearances and striking out four over three scoreless innings.

Howard didn'tt factor into the decision in Tuesday's 1-0 extra-inning win over the Phillies, striking out four over four scoreless innings while scattering five hits and no walks.

Howard ended up being the third pitcher to enter the game for the Giants after Erik Miller pitched one inning as the Giants' opener before reliever Taylor Rogers completed two more innings after him. Howard, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento earlier Tuesday, kept his former team scoreless through the seventh but couldn't get a win after the Giants poked the game's only run across in the 10th. Given the current back-end rotation issues, Howard certainly has given himself a good chance to stick around for now, though the Giants have yet to announce any official plans for the 27-year-old moving forward.