RHP Joaquin Benoit (left knee strain) is close to returning from the disabled list. He's been there retroactive to June 1. Benoit will pitch a bullpen session Friday and could be activated as early as Saturday, manager Pete Mackanin said. Benoit is 1-2 with one save and a 3.68 ERA. He hasn't pitched since May 31.

RHP Joaquin Benoit was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday afternoon with a left knee sprain. The move is retroactive to Thursday. The Phillies did not announce how long Benoit would be out. The righty has been one of the club's best relievers this year and owns a 3.68 ERA in 23 innings.

RHP Joaquin Benoit blew a save for the first time this year Sunday. After getting his first save of the year Saturday, he gave up a three-run homer in the last of the ninth to Bryce Harper as the Nationals won 6-4. "He challenged him," manager Pete Mackanin said of Benoit.

RHP Joaquin Benoit was named the Phillies' closer Monday. Benoit has 51 career saves, including 24 with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and 11 in 2014 with the San Diego Padres. He has a 2.39 ERA in 442 appearances dating back eight seasons. Benoit, 39 and in his first season with Philadelphia, has thrown three scoreless innings this season, allowing just one hit and striking four batters in three appearances.

RHP Joaquin Benoit (torn calf left muscle) was injured when he slipped while running to take part in a bench-clearing incident during the second inning of the Sept. 26 game against the New York Yankees. The torn calf muscle kept him out for the remainder of the season and the postseason. He is expected to be ready by spring training.

Baseball bench-clearing incidents usually involve lots of milling around and little activity.An episode Monday at Toronto, however, might impact the Blue Jays' postseason hopes.Toronto reliever Joaquin Benoit tore his left calf muscle when charging onto the field during a dust-up against the New York Yankees, and will be sidelined 2-to-3 weeks.Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis hurt his surgically repaired left shoulder in the same incident, and is day-to-day.Benoit, 39, has been outstanding since joining the Blue Jays in a late-July trade that sent Drew Storen to the Seattle Mariners. In 25 appearances for Toronto, Benoit is 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA (one run in 23 2/3 innings).Travis, 25, is batting .299 with a .331 on-base percentage, a .447 slugging percentage, 10 homers and 49 RBIs in 97 games.The benches emptied twice Monday -- in the second inning when Toronto's J.A. Happ hit New York's Chase Headley with a pitch that the Blue Jays believed was retaliation for the Yankees' Luis Severino plunking Josh Donaldson an inning earlier, and in the bottom of the second when Severino drilled Justin Smoak with a pitch.Severino was ejected along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and bench coach Rob Thomson. The umpires did not eject anyone from the Blue Jays.

RHP Joaquin Benoit was hobbling on a sore calf after the bench-clearing incident in the second inning of the Jays' 7-5 loss to the Yankees on Monday. He was helped from the field. More should be known about the injury on Tuesday. He has been a key performer from the bullpen late in games, usually the seventh inning.

RHP Joaquin Benoit has flourished since being traded from Seattle to Toronto. Including his scoreless inning Wednesday, he has 22 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings to go with a 0.42 ERA. His ERA was 5.18 in 24 1/3 innings with Seattle before the trade.

RHP Joaquin Benoit allowed a home run to DH David Ortiz in the sixth inning Sunday in Toronto's 11-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox. It ended his 18 1/3-inning scoreless streak. He had gone 17 1/3 innings without allowing a run since joining the Blue Jays in a trade with the Mariners.

RHP Joaquin Benoit pitched one inning Saturday in the 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox and has not allowed a run in 18 games covering 17 1/3 innings since joining the Blue Jays in a July 26 trade with the Seattle Mariners.

RHP Joaquin Benoit struck out three in the seventh inning Sunday, giving him 500 strikeouts for his career. He hasn't allowed a run in 16 appearances and 15 1/3 innings since joining the Blue Jays.

RHP Joaquin Benoit's scoreless eighth continued the good streak he's been on lately. He now hasn't allowed a run in his last 15 games (14 1/3 innings overall) and struck out 10.

RHP Joaquin Benoit made his Blue Jays debut in the ninth inning of the 8-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. He survived two walks and had two strikeouts. He was acquired in a trade on Tuesday with the Seattle Mariners for RHP Drew Storen. RHP Bo Schultz was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for him on the roster.

RHP Joaquin Benoit was obtained Tuesday night in a trade with the Mariners, who receive RHP Drew Storen and cash. Benoit, 39, provides experience for the Blue Jays in the bullpen and has proven that he can handle a late-inning role. He has appeared in 26 games this season, and he owns a 1-1 record with a 5.18 ERA. He has a career record of 55-43 with 50 saves and an ERA of 3.87 in 687 games, 55 starts while pitching for the Rangers (2001-2008), Rays (2010), Tigers (2011-2012), Padres (2014-2015) and Mariners (2016).

The Toronto Blue Jays traded struggling reliever Drew Storen to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday for right-hander Joaquin Benoit and cash considerations.The 28-year-old Storen, who has an $8,375,000 salary in 2016, had only three saves and a 1-3 record with a 6.21 ERA in 38 appearances this season for the Blue Jays. Toronto designated Storen for assignment on Monday."Obviously, this has not been Drew's best season, but he is closely linked to a run of great success pitching in the back end of very good bullpens," Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "Hopefully, this serves as a change of scenery and over the next two months we can get him back on track."Storen was obtained by Toronto in a trade with the Washington Nationals before the 2016 season. He has a 21-13 career record with 95 saves and a 3.44 ERA.Benoit, 39, had a 1-1 record with a 5.18 ERA in 26 appearances this season for the Mariners. He has pitched for 15 years in the major leagues and has a 55-43 record and a 3.87 ERA in 687 games.Benoit is making $7.5 million this year and will be a free agent after the season.

RHP Joaquin Benoit, a former Rays pitcher facing his old team, got through a taut eighth inning, seeing runners reach base on an error and hit before getting the final two outs of the inning. He struck out OF Jaff Decker to end the rally, lowering his season ERA to 3.95.

RHP Joaquin Benoit made his first appearance since coming off the disabled list on Thursday and came through it OK physically, but the rust showed. "He wasn't sharp. It was perfect we had a nice little cushion so he could work through it and he did," said manager Scott Servais. "I was close to pulling him because his pitch count got up. He had good life on the fastball. He had life on his fastball. It was understandable. He hadn't been out there in a long time." Benoit, who gave up a run, hit, two walks and a strikeout in one inning, will not be used on Friday, said Servais.

RHP Joaquin Benoit (shoulder inflammation) was activated Tuesday for the series opener in Baltimore. In a corresponding move, RHP Mayckol Guaipe was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Benoit, who pitched in a simulated game Saturday, is primary right-handed setup man and his return could be a boost to the club. "He came out of the last simulated game with a little flare up," manager Scott Servais said. "It was not related to why he was shut down, but we want to make sure that is 100 percent." Benoit went 1-0 with two holds and a 3.60 ERA (two earned runs, five innings pitched) with four strikeouts in five relief appearances before going on the DL April 25 (retroactive to April 22). Benoit was acquired from San Diego this offseason in a three-player trade Nov. 12.

RHP Joaquin Benoit (right shoulder inflammation) was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. To make room, RHP Mayckol Guaipe was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Benoit is 1-0 with two holds and a 3.60 ERA (two earned runs, five innings pitched) with four strikeouts in five relief appearances.

RHP Joaquin Benoit (right shoulder inflammation) played catch in the outfield Sunday and is making progress in his recovery. Manager Scott Servais said, "Felt really good. He's moving in the right direction." Benoit went on the 15-day disabled list April 25, retroactive to April 22.