MLB Player News

Rodriguez struck out six and walked two in the game. His stamina still isn’t where it needs to be, as he was limited to just 78 pitches on Tuesday, but he may have done enough to earn another start down the road. The right-hander was optioned back to the minors after Tuesday’s game.

Larnach also was able to put down his first career sac bunt after the D-backs brought in a lefty to face him in the sixth inning today. It didn’t lead to a run, but that’s a worthwhile tactic for Larnach against lefties, considering he’s hitting just .148 against them this season and .210/.272/.305 for his career. Fortunately, Larnach has been strong enough against righties that he’s hitting .281/.378/.427 overall this year.

Paredes left down 2-0, but the Twins came back and won the game. The 25-year-old rookie has a 4.05 ERA through three starts and two relief appearances. The plan likely was to return him to Triple-A this week with Mick Abel returning, but after Abel’s setback with his elbow, Paredes figures to keep his spot for now. Those in deep leagues could look at him as a streaming option in a home start against the Rockies next weekend.

Yoendrys Gómez seems like the favorite for saves in Minnesota right now, but the Twins had him work the eighth today. Banda then retired Adrian Del Castillo, Tommy Troy and Ketel Marte in order in the ninth. It’s the fifth career save for the 32-year-old Banda; he had one for the Rays in 2020 and two for the Dodgers in 2024. Banda possesses a 4.22 ERA in 32 innings this season.

Cabrera gave up five hard-hit balls, including a 392-foot bomb from Luke Keaschall, but they all turned into outs. He also walked none, and while he settled for three strikeouts, he was able to generate 11 whiffs on 35 swings. He’ll almost certainly get a chance to stick around after this, and he should face the Rays on Friday.

Marte delivered hard-hit balls all five times up today, topping 105 mph on three occasions. His numbers aren’t quite as excellent as usual this season, but he doesn’t seem far off; he’s currently sporting a 46.4 percent hard-hit rate and a 14.3 percent strikeout rate.

This was a high-scoring game as Wetherholt’s second homer came in the second inning, putting St. Louis up 7-2 at the time. Each of his long balls came against Royals right-hander Stephen Kolek. The rookie infielder has been locked into the leadoff role this season, and he’s now hitting .268 with a .778 OPS. Still just 23 years old, Wetherholt has 12 homers and eight stolen bases through 324 big-league plate appearances.

May struck out two, walked one, and allowed two homers in the abbreviated outing. His last start was a one-hit, complete-game masterpiece, and he had been on a roll dating back to mid-April. The Cardinals still found a way to win 12-10, so it was a high-scoring game outside of May’s role. Despite the tough result, he’ll remain a streaming option next time out, at home against the Marlins.

Kolek had given up two runs or fewer in five of his past six starts. His ERA estimators hinted at regression, and it hit in a major way versus the Cardinals. He allowed three homers in his abbreviated outing, including two off the bat of rookie JJ Wetherholt. Things won’t get easier in his next matchup, a road game against the White Sox.

Herrera’s three-run shot was one of four the Cardinals hit on the afternoon, a fifth-inning blast that gave them a 12-7 lead at the time. He has made 28 starts behind the plate this season but has been in the lineup and hit second in every game the team has played. He’s a high-end fantasy catcher from here on out.

Winn’s homer was a three-run shot in the top of the first that gave St. Louis a 5-0 lead. The slick-fielding shortstop still hasn’t made an impact with the bat in the majors, as his wRC+ is below league average for the second straight campaign. Winn’s glove keeps him in the everyday lineup, but he hasn’t contributed much to the Cardinals’ surprisingly strong offensive start.