MLB Player News

Higgins, 30, hit .210/.291/.348 in 254 plate appearances for the Cubs between 2021 and ’22 and .305/.382/.476 for a couple of Triple-A teams last season. He’ll offer Triple-A catching depth behind Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile in the majors.

Davidson hit 46 homers for the Dinos in 2024 and 36 last year, but his .257/.358/.446 line this year was just about 60 points better than the league OPS in the KBO and that apparently was no longer good enough to keep him employed. At age 35, Davidson probably doesn’t have much of a future in MLB at this point, but perhaps some team hungry for power could take him on. He’s a lifetime .220/.290/.430 hitter with 54 homers in 1,112 major league plate appearances.

Escarra was with the big league club for a couple of days while Ali Sánchez was away on paternity leave. With Sánchez set to return on Friday, Escarra became expendable once again. The 31-year-old backstop has hit just .188 (16-for-85) with zero homers and seven RBI in his time with the Yankees this season.

Kent, 28, has made four appearances with the Nationals this season, compiling a 6.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 5/0 K/BB ratio over 5 2/3 frames. He’ll add a fresh arm to a bullpen that has been taxed in recent days.

Varland entered in the ninth inning on Thursday against the Phillies with the score tied 5-5. He served up a two-run homer to Bryce Harper, an RBI double to J.T. Realmuto and a two-run blast to Derek Hill in his lone inning of work. That appeared to have been the final straw. Varland and his 6.25 ERA will attempt to get back on track at the Triple-A level.

Wagaman came off the bench to launch a two-run homer off Hoby Milner and it got the Mets to within a run at 3-2. They would tie it, but they fell in extras for yet another loss in what has been a horrendous first half for the Metropolitans. Wagaman has homered twice in 2026 in his 22 at-bats with the club while slashing .227/.320/.500 in that limited playing time.

Crow-Armstrong also added a single. The 24-year-old doubled home Matt Shaw in the 10th to give The Cugs their lead and ultimately the victory. He’s doubled 13 times in 2026, and he’s up to 45 runs driven in on the season, putting him right around a 90-RBI pace. After a very slow start to the season, Crow-Armstrong has been brilliant with the bat. The question is if he can consistently be this level of player through a full season. If he can, he’s going to be one of the best players in baseball for a long time when you consider how great he is with the glove.

Thornton came in to protect a one-run lead with a runner starting on second in the bottom of the tenth, and he did just that. The 32-year-old has done a nice job in his time with the Cubs, and he was rewarded with his first save of 2026 while lowering his ERA to 2.89 in the process. Thornton has had success in the majors — mostly with Seattle — but it seems unlikely he’s going to get a ton more save chances.

Peralta, 30, allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five. The Mets once again struggled defensively, and errors by Ronny Mauricio and Carson Benge allowed all three runs to not count against Peralta’s ERA. While he did issue just the one walk, he wasn’t exactly a strike-throwing machine, as he landed just 54-of-98 pitches in the zone. He was Greg Maddux mixed with Pedro Martinez compared to his last start when he gave up 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings versus the Phillies, but this wasn’t Peralta at his absolute best; even when accounting for the lack of defensive support. He’s set to face the Blue Jays in Toronto next week.

Boyd didn’t go the necessary five innings to qualify for a win, but he left with the game tied at 0-0, anyway. The 35-year-old made his first start since May 3 due to shoulder and knee trouble, and while there were command issues as seen in four walks and 46-of-76 pitches for landing for strikes, he was able to procure four strikeouts and kept the Mets off the board in one of his best starts of the year. He’s set to face the Padres next week.

Pederson set the tone for the Rangers in this one, battling Kevin Gausman for 11 pitches before slugging a 402-foot (107.2-mph EV) solo shot to open the ballgame. He also singled in the third inning and rode home on Wyatt Langford’s three-run shot. With his two-hit attack, the 34-year-old is now hitting .248/.349/.467 with 12 homers and 28 RBI on the season.