MLB Player News

Beeks came in to get the final out after David Bednar wasn’t able to close out the contest. The left-hander has his 10th save of the season and first with the Pirates since joining Pittsburgh before the trade deadline.

Realmuto fouled a ball off his left foot and was forced to depart the contest with Rafael Marchán taking over behind the plate. There should be an update on his status shortly.

Valera hit the injured list at the end of spring training with a left calf strain and figures to remain stationed on the doorstep of the majors once he wraps up his rehab assignment. The 25-year-old was one of the most promising prospects in Cleveland’s system a few years before injuries stalled his progress.

McLain turned a 3-2 lead for the Reds into a 5-2 cushion when he doubled for the second time in the contest to score Tyler Stephenson and Dane Meyers. The 26-year-old has driven in four runs, stolen two bases and forged a .670 OPS over the first 11 games.

Marsee went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk, as well. The four steals brings his total to five, and the 24-year-old still hasn’t been caught in his MLB career after going 14-for-14 in 2025 over 55 games. Marsee has been awful prior to Tuesday, but the ability to swipe bases was readily apparent Tuesday.

Bender came in with two runners on and one out, and the inherited runners from an otherwise-brilliant Sandy Alcantara both scored; one on a sac fly, one on a wild pitch. Pete Fairbanks is expected back shortly from the paternity list, and will resume closing duties once that takes place.

Abbott allowed six hits, two walks and struck out two. It was far from a dominant effort from the 26-year-old with only six swing-and-misses generated, but a vast improvement from his scuffles against the Pirates on Wednesday (four runs, 5 2/3 innings). Abbott will look to continue to improve against the Angels over the weekend.

The box score doesn’t begin to tell the story, as once again, a vintage Alcantara outing. The 30-year-old wasn’t able to complete his second-consecutive shutout as he gave up a double and walk in the ninth, and two runs scored on a sac fly and a wild pitch in that frame after he exited. He struck out six, walked two, and wasn’t hit hard for the overwhelming majority of the game against a solid Cincinnati lineup. Alcantara will look to keep up this good run — good run seems like such an understatement — against the Tigers on Sunday. Fantasy managers who took a chance on Alcantara have to be thrilled.

Drohan will make his major-league debut against his former club after being shipped to Milwaukee as part of a six-player swap back in February. The 27-year-old lefty spent a half-decade in Boston’s system after being taken in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. It’ll likely be a one-and-done spot start for Drohan, who isn’t a viable streaming option outside of extremely deep formats.

Skenes took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled with one out. Jake Cronenworth had already walked to lead off the inning, so the Padres had a threat going in a 2-0 game. Jackson Merrill, though, grounded into a double play to end it. Skenes lost the shutout when Xander Bogaerts homered with one out in the seventh and was removed immediately afterwards. Skenes has allowed precisely one run in both of his starts since his Oneil Cruz-fueled Opening Day disaster against the Mets. He’ll likely make his next start Monday versus the Nationals.

This would have been a Dennis Santana blurb, as he was certainly going to follow Soto and close tonight, but the Pirates busted out for five runs in the bottom of the eighth and then used Yohan Ramírez to finish a 7-1 win. Santana will now almost certainly be in line to close again tomorrow, since Soto has worked back-to-back days and Santana hasn’t worked since Saturday.