MLB Player News

That’s eight homers and 26 RBI in 32 games for Naylor. He’s fifth in the AL in both categories (tied for fifth in homers). Maybe he won’t keep up the home run pace, but he should boast exceptional RBI numbers throughout.

This makes two-of-three appearances for Newman where he’s picked up three hits, and it’s helped his average bump up to .272 from the .253 mark he carried prior. The infielder is capable of slashing the baseball around, but he just doesn’t do enough in other categories — and it’s not like he’s close the league-leaders in average — to justify a fantasy spot.

Walker made it 3-0 Diamondbacks in the first inning with his roundtripper off Griffin Canning with a pair of runners on. His second homer of the game came in the third inning, and it traveled an estimated 464 feet. That’s fair. Walker remains one of the more underappreciated sluggers in baseball with 15 homers and a .480 slugging mark over the first 69 games of the campaign.

Pfaadt did have some control issues with three walks and 62-of-108 pitches landing for strikes, but he was able to work out of jams thanks to the punchouts. It’s a much improved effort from last weekend when he gave up nine hits and five runs against San Diego. Pfaadt has shown almost zero consistency in his MLB career — at least not in a positive way — but the stuff is here for him to be a successful fantasy option. His next chance for quality results comes next week against the Nats.

Canning gave up a three-spot in the first and another was charged to his right arm — and the rest of him — in the seventh after he exited. Between that the right-hander was solid while allowing just four total hits, but it’s tough to get a strong fantasy outing when you have three-run innings. Canning has given up his fair share of crooked numbers with an ERA of 4.76 over the first two-plus months of 2024.

Pederson turned a not-so-close game into a really not-so-close game with a grand slam to give the Diamondbacks a 10-1 lead. The 32-year-old has been a relative spot in the disappointing season for Arizona with an OPS of .887, eight homers and 28 RBI in his platoon role.

Pages took Michael Lorenzen deep for the Dodgers only run of the game. That gives Pages seven homers and 20 RBI, and the roundtripper along with a single sees the slash go up to .270/.320/.427.

Langford singled in a run in the first to give Texas a 2-0 lead, and he extended that lead to 3-0 with another run-scoring knock in the third. The rookie outfielder’s pair of hits and RBI improve his slash to .283/.300/.317 with 19 runs driven in. There have been just enough moments like this to suggest Langford isn’t just a long-term option.

Yates did allow a walk, but this was a much better effort than the one he had Wednesday when he picked up a save but was fortunate to not blow the opportunity. The right-hander has been outstanding for the overwhelming majority of 2024, and this scoreless outing gives him a 1.11 ERA along with 10 saves. He isn’t giving up this closing gig. Not anytime soon, anyway.

Lorenzen allowed just a solo homer to Andy Pages. The right-handed hurler wasn’t dominant with just two strikeouts, but he wasn’t challenged often while allowing four hits with one walk. Lorenzen has mostly been solid when available for the Rangers, and this outing lowers his ERA to 2.86. He gets the Mets on Tuesday, if Texas doesn’t make adjustments to the rotation.

Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. went back-to-back in the third inning to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead. He also hit into a fielder’s choice in the 10th that score what ended up being the game-winning run. The first baseman has now homered eight times in 2024, and he’s started to swing the bat at a much better level in June with a slash of .361/.395/.667 over the month.