MLB Player News

Salazar has had a few chances at the big league level this season, but with Jake Meyers needing to be activated from the Paternity List today, the Astros will no longer carry three catchers on their active roster.

With both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts resting, Smith made his first ever start as a leadoff hitter and wasted no time in putting the Dodgers on the board against Landon Roupp. It was technically his second homer as a leadoff man. He’d come off the bench to occupy that spot twice previously, and one of those two at-bats produced a walkoff three-run homer against the Rockies’ Scott Oberg on June 23, 2019. Smith has yet to get hot at any point this season, but he surely will. He’s currently hitting .258/.329/.379 with four homers through 140 plate appearances.

The two runs came on a fluky inside-the-park homer from Jung Hoo Lee. That Sheehan racked up 19 whiffs and allowed just two hard-hit balls tonight makes this easily his second most impressive performance of 2026, behind only his 10-strikeout game against the Cubs. It’s still an issue that he just can’t maintain his best velocity for more than an inning or two, but as long as the Dodgers keep starting him, he’ll probably be worth using in mixed leagues. He’ll make his next start Wednesday versus the Padres.

Scott lowered his ERA to 1.47 ERA while picking up his fourth save in four tries. He’s walked just two of the 65 batters he’s faced this year, giving up a three percent walk rate that is just one quarter of his career mark of 12 percent. Scott did pitch Wednesday, too, so he might get Friday off. If so, Alex Vesia, who earned a hold tonight, could be the choice to close.

Roupp struck out seven and departed a 2-2 game in the sixth before both runners he left on base came around to score off Matt Gage, putting him in line for the loss. He’s 5-4 with a 3.49 ERA despite having struck out 58 and having allowed just two homers through 49 innings. He’ll pitch in Arizona next week.

Lee’s homer was a 73-mph fly down the left field line that landed just fair and then took an odd bounce off the side wall past a rather nonchalant Teoscar Hernández. It went as his third homer of the year. He’s batting .267/.313/.394 in 179 plate appearances. It’s not quite what the Giants were hoping for, but at least he’s been a league-average hitter and fielder after moving from center to right.

Palencia opened the inning by striking out Michael Harris II and Mauricio Dubon before allowing a two-out single to Austin Riley that brought the tying run to the dish. That’s where Palencia dug deep and got Dominic Smith on a line drive to center to end the threat. For the season, the 26-year-old hurler now boasts a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 9/2 K/BB ratio over eight innings while converting each of his first three save opportunities.

The 26-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk on the evening. Brown got stretched out to 65 pitches in this one, throwing 40 of those for strikes and getting nine swings and misses, leading to a CSW of 29 percent. Brown has proven that he belongs in the Cubs’ rotation and needs to be rostered and started in all fantasy leagues for Tuesday’s divisional showdown against the Brewers.

As a team, the Braves had just five hits in the contest — all of them singles — so Kim wasn’t solely responsible for the ineffective night at the plate. He has struggled since returning from the injured list, slashing just .111/.200/.111 with zero RBI through his first 10 plate appearances on the season.

The 37-yeear-old southpaw racked up eight strikeouts on the night while issuing a pair of walks. The lone tally against him came in his final inning of work as Ian Happ worked a leadoff walk, advanced on a fielder’s choice, took third on an error and then scored the game’s first run on a bounce out off the bat of Matt Shaw. Sale got 16 whiffs on 100 pitches on the evening — eight of those on his slider — while posting a strong CSW of 32 percent. He has been as good as advertised through his first nine starts on the season, going 6-3 with a minuscule 1.96 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 64/14 K/BB ratio across 55 innings. He’ll try to get back in the win column when he takes on the Marlins in Miami on Tuesday.

Schwarber finally broke a scoreless tie as he clobbered a 417-foot (110.4 mph EV) two-run shot off of Tyler Samaniego. That would be his only time reaching base in five plate appearances while striking out three times in the contest. For the season, the 33-year-old slugger is now slashing .226/.355/.610 with a monstrous 18 homers and 30 RBI.