MLB Player News

A complete game! And Valdez was fortunate to be credited with one because this game was knotted at one with two outs in the ninth inning before Yainer Diaz hit a walk-off homer. The Astros also scratched across a run in the eighth on a throwing error from Curtis Mead. He did only have 83 pitches to his ledger though, so it’s likely he would’ve come back out for the 10th inning. Funny enough, the only run he allowed was off a lead-off home run by José Caballero. After that, he retired 27 of the 30 hitters he faced for the rest of the game. In classic Valdez fashion, 15 of the 19 balls in play by Rays were on the ground as he threw maybe five total pitches above the belt in this game. All in all, it was a tremendous, old-school start by the talented left-hander. His next start is scheduled to come against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

It’s the fifth career four-RBI game for McCarthy, who knocked in five in a game earlier this month. He scored three runs for the fourth time. McCarthy should be worth playing in mixed leagues at least until the Rockies outfield gets healthier and maybe beyond. It is, however, likely that the Rockies will trade him in July if anyone offers a decent prospect for his services.

He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out two in improving to 2-1 with a 4.85 ERA. Feltner, who missed five weeks with ulnar nerve irritation, should be locked into Colorado’s rotation until Chase Dollander returns and probably for the rest of the year as long as he pitches up to his ability. His career record stands at 11-27 with a 5.17 ERA, but that says more about the Rockies and Coors Field than it does about him. He’ll pitch in Milwaukee next time out.

Houser surrendered eight hits even though only five of the 15 balls in play against him were hit hard, and his average EV against was 83.4 mph. He dropped to 2-5 with a 5.59 ERA. The velocity gain Houser experienced last year has held up in 2026, but he’s giving up harder contact anyway, and the Giants defense hasn’t done him many favors. He might wind up in middle relief at some point, but he’ll likely start again Thursday against his old friends in Milwaukee.

Gilbert’s homer off Blas Castaño gave the Giants their first runs of the game in the eighth inning of an 8-3 loss. So, it didn’t matter overly much for the team. It was big for Gilbert, though, considering he was hitting .186/.238/.271 in his previous 22 games. He should be in line to start against all righties while Harrison Bader is sidelined.

It’s unclear if it’s because of the groin strain that cost him two games or the elbow bruise he suffered getting plunked as a pinch-hitter last night, but he again appears to be day-to-day. Jose Fernandez started at third base against the Mariners.

The Busch Stadium crowd was chanting “overrated” when Crow-Armstrong silenced them with his seventh homer in the eighth inning tonight. His move to the leadoff spot still figures to prove temporary, but he’s hit .290 with five walks and six runs scored in eight games since the change, which was made mostly out of desperation.

It’s impressive just how efficient Brown has been since moving from the pen to the rotation. He got his 21 outs today on just 82 pitches, throwing 11 pitches or fewer in five of his seven innings of work. Brown is 2-2 with a 1.92 ERA in his five starts and 12 relief appearances and ought to be rostered everywhere by this point. He’ll face the Giants next Friday.

Leahy pitched four scoreless innings before giving up a leadoff double and a one-out single to tie the game at 1-1 in the fifth. That was all the Cardinals needed to see from him, as he was facing the top of the order for a third time and has not done well the third time around thus far. Leahy has averaged exactly five innings per start while going 5-3 with a 4.25 ERA to date. He’s lined up to face the Reds on Friday.

Alec Burleson had the other two. It’s Wetherholt’s second three-hit game as a major leaguer. He’s batting just .244, but that comes with 28 walks and 10 HBPs, giving him a .356 OBP,

The two-homer, two-steal game is a first for Acuña and just the 23rd time it’s happened in major league history. Juan Soto on Aug. 30 and Mickey Moniak on Sept. 7 both did it last year, and Shohei Ohtani accomplished it in his absurd 6-for-6, three-homer, 10-RBI game on Sept. 19, 2024. Chipper Jones in 1999, Rafael Furcal in 2005 and Ender Inciarte in 2017 were the previous Braves to pull off the feat. Acuña has homered in three straight games and is up to .246/.369/.419 on the season.