Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan secured his fourth save of the season on Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning in the Reds' 5-;2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. With closer Alexis Diaz (hamstring) sidelined, Pagan has stepped up as Cincinnati's primary ninth-inning option, converting all four of his save opportunities. He has allowed just one earned run over 7.1 innings, showcasing a 1.23 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP. With his role as the Reds' closer becoming more solidified, fantasy managers in need of saves should turn to Pagan if he is available. He should retain value until Diaz returns, and even then he could push for saves given Diaz's struggles last season.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Emilio Pagan recorded his second save in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the San Francisco Giants. He did not allow a hit or a free pass and needed just seven pitches (six strikes) to close out their National League opponents. Pagan is now 2-for-2 on save chances with three strikeouts and a 0.40 WHIP over his first five appearances -- allowing a single hit and no runs in five innings. Teammate Tony Santillan has also picked up a save in the early going, but it appears Pagan will get most of the opportunities for now. It's also worth mentioning that fellow bullpen arm Graham Ashcraft could eventually be in line for some save chances. He has yet to allow a run in his 5.1 innings and was rumored to be working his way toward high-leverage situations late last month.

Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan could be the favorite for saves after he was seen warming up in the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning of Sunday's loss to the San Francisco Giants. Pagan also pitched in the first two games of the series against San Fran and recorded the save on Saturday. Manager Terry Francona refused to name a set closer to enter the year with Alexis Diaz (hamstring) on the injured list, but after the first series of the season, it looks pretty clear that Pagan is Francona's top option for the ninth. Diaz has no timeline for a return and won't necessarily be handed closing duties when he's back, considering his rough showing in spring training. In addition to Pagan, Tony Santillan might be next in line for fantasy managers scrounging for save opps. He pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth with the Reds up by a run on both Thursday and Saturday.

Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (lat) started his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Pagan is expected to have three to five rehab outings before being activated from the 60-day injured list. He threw live batting practice to hitters on July 30 at Great American Ball Park and is eligible for activation from the 60-day IL on Thursday. The 33-year-old veteran initially went on the 15-day IL back in June but could be back with the Reds before the calendar flips to September. Pagan wasn't exactly pitching all that well in his first year in Cincy before his injury out of the bullpen, as he posted a 4.43 ERA (4.20 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 1/3 innings of work.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (lat), who was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 9 with a right-lat strain, is scheduled to undergo a new can on Monday to check his healing process. If everything goes well, Pagan could be cleared to begin a throwing program this week. However, the veteran reliever isn't expected to be back in the Reds' major-league bullpen until the second half of the season. When the Reds feel good enough about Pagan to bring him back from the injured list, he'll be serving in a late-inning setup role ahead of closer Alexi Diaz, giving him slight appeal in deep holds leagues. Before his injury, Pagan wasn't all that effective, posting a 4.43 ERA (4.18 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Emilio Pagan (triceps) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday due to right-triceps tightness. The move comes after Pagan had not appeared out of the Reds' bullpen since Sunday due to the injury. The 33-year-old veteran setup man had an MRI exam come back negative, so there's hope that he can return to the big-league roster when his 15 days are up. Pagan is a key setup man for the Reds in front of closer Alexis Diaz in his first year in Cincinnati and is currently sporting a 2-3 record, 4.19 ERA (4.32 FIP) and 1.34 WHIP with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 19 1/3 relief innings. With Pagan out of the picture for at least the next two weeks, the Reds will need setup men Fernando Cruz and Lucas Sims to step up in high-leverage roles.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (triceps) showed some discomfort after throwing a pitch to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward in his outing on Sunday in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 3-2 loss. Pagan was removed from the game and replaced by Alexis Diaz, and he complained of trouble with his right triceps, although he said he felt no issues until his last pitch. After undergoing tests, the Reds are optimistic the injury isn't serious, but Pagan will be seen by team doctors on Monday. The 33-year-old didn't allow a run in his inning of work on Sunday while also not allowing a hit while walking none and striking out none. In his first 19 1/3 relief innings for the Reds this year, Pagan has recorded a 4.19 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 21 appearances out of the bullpen.

Cincinnati Reds pitchers Emilio Pagan (sports hernia surgery) and Nick Lodolo (tibia) are both throwing bullpens as Spring Training gets underway, manager David Bell told the media on Saturday. Pagan pitched great as a Minnesota Twin last year, posting a 3.27 FIP, 8.44 K/9, 2.73 BB/9, and 0.65 HR/9. He was also a source of reliability in the Twins' bullpen, tossing 69.1 innings over 66 games, which was just one appearance shy of his career high. Bell did note that Pagan won't be ready for the Reds' opening Spring Training games, but it sounds like he continues to trend in the direction with 26-man roster decisions still more than one month away. Lodolo is also making significant progress, with Bell noting that his bullpen session on Saturday "will shape [the] next steps" in his rehab process. The former first-round pick managed to make just seven starts amidst injuries last year, posting a 5.79 FIP but maintaining a promising 12.32 K/9 and 2.62 BB/9. Assuming he doesn't face any setbacks over the next couple of weeks, Lodolo figures to be ready for Opening Day, too.

Free-agent reliever Emilio Pagan and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract on Wednesday. The pact comes with a player option after the first year as well as a buyout and incentives. The right-hander spent the last two seasons with the Twins but earned his contract with a stout 2.99 ERA across 66 appearances and 69 1/3 innings of work in the 2023 season. A seven-year veteran, Pagan owns a career 3.71 ERA across 369 career appearances while locking down 32 saves in that time. He has posted a pair of sub-3.00 ERA campaigns in his career but also worked to a 4.43 ERA or worse from 2020-2022.

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagan (arm) left Sunday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays early after facing just one batter in relief. Pagan entered the game in the seventh inning and faced one batter, Matt Chapman, who he hit with a pitch. The training staff came out to see Pagan after he hit Chapman, and the 32-year-old left the ball game while favoring his throwing arm. We don't want to speculate, but it's usually not a good sign when a pitcher lacks control and then exits the ball game after a meeting with the training staff. Pagan will undergo further evaluations, and the team should provide an update on his status following the end of the game.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Emilio Pagan closed out the team's 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday to earn his ninth save of the year. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one walk and no hits while striking out two. Pagan is 9-for-12 in save opportunities this year with a 2.45 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and a 2.4 K/BB ratio. Fellow reliever Jhoan Duran was utilized in the eighth inning of Monday's game. Duran has been the team's best reliever this year by most metrics. He's 4-for-4 in save chances this season, but Pagan is still the team's clear favorite for ninth-inning duties.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler and relief pitchers Emilio Pagan, Caleb Thielbar and Trevor Megill have been activated from the restricted list on Monday. In corresponding moves, Jharel Cotton, Mark Contreras and Ian Hamilton were optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. Kepler, Pagan, Thielbar and Megill weren't able to play in the weekend series in Toronto against the Blue Jays because they aren't vaccinated against COVID-19. Pagan should return to the save's mix for the Twins despite converting only one of his last three save chances. Kepler should be back in the team's starting lineup on Tuesday against New York Yankees right-hander Jameson Taillon after their off day on Monday.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler and relief pitcher Emilio Pagan have been placed on the restricted list. The Twins have a series in Toronto, so they will presumably be without these players because they're unvaccinated. Kepler just returned to action last week due to a quad issue, so fantasy managers will be without him again for a few days. The bigger hit to the roster is losing Pagan for this series. Jhoan Duran could be asked to make an appearance or two in the ninth without Pagan available. Fantasy managers should have Duran on their radar this weekend.

Minnesota Twins right-hander Emilio Pagan appeared in the eighth inning of Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. He entered with a 2-1 lead but allowed a one-out single followed by a two-run home run to Daz Cameron. Pagan has solid numbers still, sporting a 3.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts over 18 innings. The former Padre has been treated as the closer, for the most part, this season, picking up seven saves. It might scare fantasy managers that manager Rocco Baldelli didn't preserve Pagan for the ninth. However, he hasn't run into too much trouble in his past few outings, so he should continue finishing games for now.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Emilio Pagan closed out the team's 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday to earn his second save of the year. It wasn't the smoothest of save conversions for Pagan, as he threw 34 pitches and allowed two walks and one hit. However, he managed to prevent the White Sox from scoring and he is now 2-for-2 in save opportunities on the year. No other Twins reliever has earned a save yet this year. It seems safe to say that Pagan is the clear closer for the Twins right now. Tyler Duffey would likely be next in line if Pagan falters, but Pagan is certainly the player to roster for now.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Emilio Pagan closed out the team's 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday to earn his first save of the year. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one walk and no hits. The Twins, who are now 5-8 on the year, hadn't had a save opportunity arise before this one. The team is expected to utilize a committee for the ninth inning, but Pagan has a good chance to be the top dog in the committee. He now has a 2.25 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP over four innings on the year. Jhoan Duran could also be in the mix for saves, but he was utilized in the seventh inning of Thursday's contest. Pagan should be rostered in all leagues where saves are highly-coveted.

BALTIMORE (AP) — J.D. Martinez came off the COVID-19 list and hit three home runs, powering the Boston Red Sox past the Baltimore Orioles 14-9 Sunday for their sixth straight win. Martinez got a chance at a record-tying fourth homer in the ninth inning and struck out swinging. He is the last of 18 major leaguers to homer four times in a game, doing it in September 2017 for Arizona. The 33-year-old Martinez went 4 for 6 with four RBIs and four runs, one day after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list because of cold symptoms. Rafael Devers homered twice and Alex Verdugo added a three-run shot to finish the three-game sweep. Nick Pivetta (2-0) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. Jorge López (0-2) allowed eight runs and seven hits over four innings. DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw pitched six innings of five-hit ball to win an outstanding duel with Max Scherzer as the Dodgers finished a three-game sweep over Washington. Rookie Zach McKinstry homered... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — J.D. Martinez came off the COVID-19 list and hit three home runs, powering the Boston Red Sox past the Baltimore Orioles 14-9 Sunday for their sixth straight win. Martinez got a chance at a record-tying fourth homer in the ninth inning and struck out swinging. He is the last of 18 major leaguers to homer four times in a game, doing it in September 2017 for Arizona. The 33-year-old Martinez went 4 for 6 with four RBIs and four runs, one day after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list because of cold symptoms. Rafael Devers homered twice and Alex Verdugo added a three-run shot to finish the three-game sweep. Nick Pivetta (2-0) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. Jorge López (0-2) allowed eight runs and seven hits over four innings. DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw pitched six innings of five-hit ball to win an outstanding duel with Max Scherzer as the Dodgers finished a three-game sweep over Washington. Rookie Zach McKinstry homered... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres agreed to an $8.9 million, one-year contract with Tommy Pham, avoiding arbitration with the outfielder who was limited to 31 games last season because of injuries. Pham hit .211 with three homers and 12 RBIs after coming over in a trade with Tampa Bay. His 2020 salary of $7.9 million was prorated to $2,925,926. The Padres also avoided arbitration with right-handers Dinelson Lamet ($4.2 million), Dan Altavilla ($850,000) and Emilio Pagan ($1.57 million), and catcher Victor Caratini ($1.3 million). Lamet came out of his final regular-season start with an elbow issue and missed the playoffs. He’s avoided surgery, but the Padres won’t know until spring training how effective his offseason regimen was. He was 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 12 starts. His $1.3 million salary was prorated to $481,481. Altavilla was obtained from Seattle just before the trade deadline. He was 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 appearances with the Padres, and 2-3 with a 5.75... [More]

Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell from the defending AL champions. The teams have an agreement in place and the star pitcher was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Rays would receive 21-year-old pitcher Luis Patiño, catcher Francisco Mejía, pitching prospect Cole Wilcox and catching prospect Blake Hunt in return. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened... [More]