MLB Player News

Rea had his work cut out for him in this one. The veteran righty gave up a solo homer to Will Smith in the second inning and another solo homer to Shohei Ohtani in the third. If that wasn’t bad enough, Rea later watched Gavin Lux take him 428 feet to right center for a two-run shot in the second, only to watch Andy Pages hit a two-run homer of his own in the same inning to give the Dodgers a 7-1 lead after four innings. Rea making it through six innings is surprising, but he also went on to pitch two scoreless frames after the disastrous start. We’ll consider this a one-off for Rea, who has been solid for much of the season. He’ll look to rebound from this outing on Sunday at home against the Guardians.

Hill came on with the Rockies clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth inning with two men on and one out. He hit the first batter he faced to load the bases before recording a strikeout for the second out of the inning. Hill then induced a ground ball to third base from speedy outfielder Jake Mangum and Billy Cook, who was the runner on second, was called out for baserunners interference. Given Mangum’s speed, the play was far from routine for third baseman Kyle Karros, but the Rockies were bailed out when Cook made contact with Karros’ glove. The controversial call ended the game, netting Hill his second save. The Rockies bullpen is still one to avoid in fantasy.

McCarthy’s home run was his fifth of the season. He smashed a line drive to centerfield and after Jake Mangum couldn’t come up with the ball on a dive, McCarthy turned on the jets. The 28-year-old outfielder practically flew around the bases for his fifth home run. McCarthy’s bat against right-handed pitching and speed could help a contender, making him a potential trade chip for the Rockies.

Skenes gave up four hits, walked two and struck out eight. The 24-year-old right-hander fell to 6-7 with the loss. Skenes allowed a lead-off inside-the-park home run to Jake McCarthy. The other Rockies run came on an RBI single by TJ Rumfield in the third inning. Skenes was otherwise excellent on a day where the Pirates offense could only push across one run. His ERA is 2.86. Skenes is lined up to face the Reds at home next weekend.

Sugano gave up four hits, walked none and struck out five. He improved to 8-4 with the win. Sugano lowered his ERA to 4.31, though his xFIP is 4.98. The 36-year-old right-hander has one of the lowest strikeout percentages among starters at 13 percent. Sugano out-dueled Paul Skenes on Saturday, but doesn’t offer much fantasy upside. He’s lined up to face the Twins on the road next weekend.

Benge’s home run was his eighth of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Max Lazar in the seventh inning. Benge got a fastball he liked on the inner half of the plate and deposited it 420 feet into the upper deck in right field. It would’ve been a home run in all 30 ballparks. Benge is hitting .257 with a .709 OPS and 28 RBI.

Peralta gave up 10 hits, walked one and struck out two. He fell to 5-6 with the loss. Peralta uncharacteristically couldn’t get out of the third inning before allowing 10 runs. His ERA ballooned up to 4.83 due to the disastrous start. It was easily Peralta’s shortest start of the season. He had a 2.70 ERA last year, but that appears to be an outlier at this point given his 3.61 career-ERA and how he’s pitched for the Mets this year. Peralta is lined up to face the Cubs at home next week.

Schwarber now leads the league with 28 home runs. He hit two home runs in the third inning, becoming the first player in the Statcast era to have two home runs that each traveled at least 450 feet in the same inning. Then he hit another home run off Tobias Myers in the seventh inning, giving Schwarber the fifth three-homer game of his career. Schwarber is tied with Dave Kingman for most games with at least three home runs and at least six RBI with four. With Bryce Harper hitting for the cycle, it was the second time teammates had hit for the cycle and at least three home runs in the same game (Tony Lazzeri cycle, Lou Gehrig four home runs for the Yankees in 1932).

Add it to the resume that may one day put Harper in Cooperstown. With the easy parts of the cycle out the way, Harper lined a Tobias Myers fastball into the gap in left-center. With the score 11-1, Harper didn’t stop running until he got to third. While there may have been a play on him, the throw from the outfield headed towards home plate. It was ruled a triple, giving Harper the 11th cycle in Phillies franchise history. He’s hitting .259 with an .873 OPS and 43 RBI.

Sánchez gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five. He improved to 9-3 with the win. Sánchez is an ace pitcher headed to another All-Star game this summer, but was just a footnote in the Phillies’ 15-3 win over the Mets. He cruised through six innings, allowing one run. Sánchez has a 1.80 ERA. He’ll face the Nationals on the road next weekend.

Manzardo’s home run was his ninth of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Spencer Arrighetti in the third inning. It’s his second home run in the last three games. Manzardo is now 14-for-47 (.297) with four home runs and nine RBI in 15 games in June. He’s worth consideration in most fantasy leagues given his recent production and more opposing right-handed starting pitchers on the Guardians’ schedule next week.