Kittredge picked up the save Friday against the Rays, recording one strikeout while retiring all three batters he faced.

It's the second straight outing with a save for Kittredge, who appears to be manager Craig Counsell's top choice at closer with Daniel Palencia (shoulder) on the shelf. Brad Keller also seemed to be in the closer mix but has worked the eighth inning ahead of Kittredge in those two games.

Vodnik earned the save Friday against the Padres, allowing one run on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning. He struck out one.

Vodnik's scoreless streak was stopped at 11 appearances, but he survived to secure his eighth save of the season. With Seth Halvorsen (elbow) still on the injured list, Vodnik figures to continue splitting ninth-inning duties with Juan Mejia going forward. Through 46.1 innings, Vodnik holds a 3.11 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 45:23 K:BB while converting eight of his 12 save chances.

Saalfrank blew the save Friday against the Twins, walking one in one-third of an inning.

It was Jake Woodford who was responsible for Minnesota's three runs in the ninth inning, and Saalfrank was unable to put out the fire while taking his second blown save of the year. Given that he came away with no earned runs, the 28-year-old southpaw should remain in the mix for saves going forward. Through 26 innings, Saalfrank has a 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while converting three of his five save opportunities.

The Padres placed Morgan on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Sept. 9, due to right shoulder inflammation.

Morgan has been a reliable arm for the Padres out of the bullpen this season, posting a 2.80 ERA across 45 innings. The 25-year-old rookie will head to the injured list Friday, and he'll be eligible to return Sept. 24, two days before the Padres' final regular-season game. Per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, Morgan intends to return once eligible, and his placement on the IL was precautionary. JP Sears was recalled from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.

Megill (elbow) didn't recover as well as anticipated after his most recent bullpen session but will throw another bullpen Saturday before facing possibly batters next week, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Megill has been working his way back from a right flexor strain, and while he didn't recover as well as he hoped, his timeline for return doesn't seem to have changed much. His initial plan was to return Tuesday, but a return later next week seems more likely given his tentatively scheduled live BP session.

The Pirates optioned Holderman to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Holderman will end up as the odd man out of Pittsburgh's bullpen following Justin Lawrence's (elbow) return from the injured list. Holderman has taken a massive step back this year, posting a 7.01 ERA through 25.2 innings in the big leagues after logging a 3.16 ERA in 2024. Despite his performance, he remains a candidate to return to Pittsburgh if/when the Bucs need bullpen depth for their final stretch of games.

The Pirates reinstated Lawrence (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Friday.

Elbow inflammation has kept Lawrence on the injured list since late April, but after more than four months on the shelf, the 30-year-old has been cleared to help out the Pirates for the final stage of the regular season. Lawrence was off to a strong start before getting hurt, posting a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 frames, but he struggled during his rehab assignment while surrendering seven earned runs in 7.1 innings. He'll likely be limited to middle relief upon rejoining Pittsburgh's bullpen. Meanwhile, the Pirates will send Colin Holderman to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear a roster spot.

The Cardinals optioned Raquet to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Raquet was unscored upon in his first two major-league appearances this week, but he'll now head back to Memphis. John King (back) has returned from the 15-day injured list to take Raquet's roster spot.

The Cardinals activated King (back) from the 15-day injured list Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

King hasn't made an appearance for the Cardinals since late July, as he's dealt with an oblique strain and more recently a mid-back strain. The lefty has been deemed ready to return after making one rehab appearance with Double-A Springfield.

Mears (back) threw a 17-pitch bullpen Friday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Friday's session marked Mears' first time throwing off a mound since being placed on the injured list in early September due to back tightness. The 28-year-old is scheduled to throw another bullpen Sunday. He's eligible for reinstatement Wednesday.