Leclerc struck out the side in a clean ninth inning to earn the save Friday against the Angels.

Leclerc came into the ninth with a two-run lead and got all three batters to strike out swinging. Leclerc is now 4-for-4 in save chances since the Rangers dealt Keone Kela at the trade deadline, and he's solidifying his role as the primary closer with continued success. The young righty has surrendered only one hit and one walk while striking out 11 in his last six appearances. Leclerc has a stellar 1.97 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while holding opponents to a .144 batting average on the year.

Hutchison (2-2) allowed two runs on five hits in a win over the Angels on Friday, striking out six and walking one in five innings.

Hutchison made his third start for the Rangers this season, picking up his first win with the new ball club. In three starts Hutchison is 1-1 with a 7.43 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP. On the season the right-hander has a 5.71 ERA with a 27:21 K:BB in 34.2 innings. He's slated to take on the A's in Oakland for his next start, but that may change if Mike Minor (back) returns to the starting rotation soon.

Ahmed was ejected from Friday's game against the Padres after arguing balls and strikes, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Ahmed wasn't pleased with the strike zone, and he was tossed in the third inning after giving the home plate umpire an earful. He went 1-for-2 prior to being tossed from the ballgame. Ahmed was replaced at shortstop by Daniel Descalso.

Despaigne (2-1) allowed five runs on seven hits in a loss to the Rangers on Friday, striking out three and walking one in four innings.

Making his second start of the season (the other coming on March 31 as a member of the Marlins) Despaigne allowed all five runs in the second inning and ended up throwing 78 pitches (47 for strikes) in the outing. The 31-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to make the start Friday, and it's yet to be seen if he remains in the rotation, especially considering that the Angels have days off Monday and Thursday of next week.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's 7-5 loss to New York.

Diaz delivered a two-run single to center field in the first to cap off a four-run first inning, but the Yankees would rally to nab the victory. With Yangervis Solarte (oblique), Brandon Drury (hand) and Lourdes Gurriel (ankle) all on the 10-day disabled list, Diaz should see plenty of starts throughout the infield until his teammates return to health. The 28-year-old shortstop is slashing .256/.291/.453 with a .744 OPS through 93 games this season

Williams (10-9) took the loss Friday as the Pirates fell 1-0 to the Cubs, giving up one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out four.

The right-hander continued his excellent run, even if he wasn't rewarded for his efforts in this one -- Williams now has a 0.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his last six starts, although his 18:11 K:BB during that stretch indicates how narrow his margin for error has been. He'll try to stay locked in when he next takes the mound Wednesday at home against the Braves.

Hunter was waived by the Rockets on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Hunter has struggled to find NBA run since being drafted 28th overall by the Celtics in 2015. Over the past two years, he's appeared in eight NBA games, spending most of his time in the G-League. However, despite averaging just over 20 points per game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' G-League affiliate, the organization apparently didn't feel he was worth the investment.

Black has agreed to a one-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.

Black appeared in 51 games with the Rockets last season, averaging 3.5 points and 3.2 rebounds across 10.5 minutes. The 26-year-old big man will head overseas for the upcoming season, as it's unlikely he garnered a significant offer from an NBA team.

Haslem is likely to return to the Heat for a 16th NBA season, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports.

While nothing is finalized at this point, Haslem's camp and the Heat have engaged in conversations in recent weeks, and the Heat are apparently now "even more convinced," in Reynolds' words, that the veteran will be back in Miami in 2018-19. The 38-year-old hasn't been a regular rotation player since 2014-15, but he remains a valuable veteran presence and is one of the more recognizable faces in franchise history, having been with the Heat organization since 2003. If Haslem does return, as anticipated, it seems rather likely that it would be his final NBA season.

Dinwiddie recently had his $1.65 million contract for the 2018-19 season guaranteed by the Nets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

With starting point guard D'Angelo Russell going down for nearly half of last season, Dinwiddie was able earn a significant role in the backcourt and finished the year averaging 12.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 three-pointers across 28.8 minutes. He wasn't the most efficient player when looking at his percentages, but he still was a reliable ball-handler and could lead the offense when needed. As a result, it was a no-brainer for the Nets to guarantee his contract for a meager $1.65 million. With Russell entering the season healthy, Dinwiddie will likely be stuck in a reserve backcourt role, so he should struggle to match his numbers from the 2017-18 campaign.

Carter underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.

News broke last week that Carter suffered the "freak" injury when his thumb got caught in an opposing player's jersey. Following surgery, the medical staff re-iterated that a full recovery is expected. A timetable for his return has not been announced, but updates will be provided as he continues to reach milestones in his recovery.

Muhammed agreed to a training-camp deal with the Bucks on Monday, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports.

Muhammad ended last season with Milwaukee after beginning it with Minnesota, averaging 5.0 points in 9.7 minutes over 43 games. He will add some more wing depth for Milwaukee, but will likely continue to play a small role with the team if he's able to break camp with a roster spot in hand.

Skinner is projected for a top-line assignment flanking Jack Eichel to open the season, according to John Vogl of The Athletic Buffalo.

Acquired from the Hurricanes on Aug. 2, Skinner is also expected to join forces with Sam Reinhart to serve as the elder statesman of a young but potentially lethal first line in Buffalo. While Skinner is only 26 years old, he already has eight years of NHL experience. The skilled sniper has recorded 204 goals and 175 assists over 579 career contests but hasn't been involved in playoff hockey since averaging a goal per game with OHL Kitchener as part of the 2009-10 campaign. While Skinner only averaged 16:42 of ice time last season, he could approach the 19-minute mark if he manages to stay healthy and exhibits solid chemistry with Eichel and Reinhart.

Jensen is no lock to be a regular with the Red Wings this season, MLive.com reports.

There are a handful of blue-line prospects that could render Jensen the odd man out as soon as training camp rolls around. He's a low-end contributor, having collected four goals and 24 assists over his first 130 games at the top level, and fantasy owners similarly have found no use for his cumulative minus-15 rating over that span. Prospect Joe Hicketts sampled life in the NHL last season and is considered a leading candidate to break camp with the Red Wings. Jensen would then be placed on the trade block and/or relegated to the minors with AHL Grand Rapids.

Despite the Red Wings having acquired Jonathan Bernier in free agency, Howard could still play in 50-plus games this season, MLive.com reports.

Staying healthy will be key for Howard, as he will be playing for a new contract. The American backstop went 22-27-9 with a 2.85 GAA and .910 save percentage over 60 games last season. While that was his heaviest workload since the 2010-11 campaign, Howard's save percentage dipped from the career-high .927 mark he achieved in 2016-17. Bernier, on the other hand, has shown over the years that he's not quite starter material, but unquestionably a solid backup option, in case Howard sustains an injury or falters.

Monahan (wrist) believes he's 100 percent healthy and recovered from offseason surgeries, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Monahan underwent wrist, groin and two hernia surgeries in April, but his recovery from those numerous procedures has evidently gone swimmingly, as he's already declaring himself fully healthy one month ahead of training camp. The 23-year-old pivot, who racked up 31 goals and 64 points in 74 games last season, could offer fantasy owners fantastic value in the middle rounds of drafts this year.

Gaborik (back) could be placed on long-term injured reserve to open the 2018-19 season, Sporting News reports.

The veteran winger went under the knife in April to repair a herniated disc in his back. There hasn't been any new information on Gaborik since the operation, but that's actually an ominous sign as it implies that he's still rehabbing the injury and not making any obvious strides in his recovery. Placing the 37-year-old on LTIR would be a prudent move for the Senators considering it would free up salary-cap space against the upper limit, though it would further decimate what little fantasy value Gaborik even has left.

Bjork (shoulder) will participate in the Stars and Stripes Showdown on Aug. 26 to honor the late Jim Johannson, who had been an executive for Team USA Hockey, The Hockey Writers reports.

A report from May suggested that Bjork would be ready for training camp, and his expected inclusion in a charity game more than two months later provides even more evidence that he's now healthy. The Wisconsin native registered 12 points (four goals, eight assists) over 30 games at the top level last season, but his fantasy prospects figure to remain minimal so long as he continues to ride the shuttle between Boston and AHL Providence. Bjork is on a two-way deal through the 2019-20 season, so he'll presumably need an incredible showing in training camp to avoid such a fate.