MLB Player News

It didn’t make a ton of sense for the Rangers to continue carrying three catchers with Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka healthy. Barnhart figures to pass through waivers unclaimed and head to free agency, unless he wants to stick around at Triple-A Round Rock.

Luzardo allowed one hit and three walks on the afternoon as he did his part to help Philadelphia avoid the sweep. The left-hander is tracking to be one of the first starting pitchers off the board in 2027 fantasy drafts. He’s on pace to exceed 30 starts for the third time over the past four years while recording the highest average fastball velocity of his career. In Wednesday’s win, Luzardo became the fourth big-league pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in 2026. He’ll be on the road against the Diamondbacks next time out.

Harper’s two-run blast in the top of the first extended his on-base streak to a career-best 29 games. In the bottom half of the inning, he made a leaping catch in right field to rob Julio Rodríguez of extra bases. He’s up to 27 long balls this season, tying the mark he reached last year. The last time he hit more than 30 was back in 2021, when he finished with 35. Wednesday’s homer also marked the 390th of his career.

Schwarber is the first player to 40 homers this season, a mark he has reached four times in his career. All four have come in the past five years with the Phillies, tying Ryan Howard for the most 40-homer campaigns in franchise history. Wednesday’s three-run blast was also the 380th of his career, putting him on track for a meaningful milestone early in 2027. The Phillies had won nine straight before dropping the first two of this three-game set with the Mariners. Schwarber’s efforts helped them avoid the sweep.

Woo struck out five and allowed two homers on the afternoon. He served up a two-run shot to Bryce Harper in the first and a three-run blast to Kyle Schwarber in the second. The right-hander was making his first start since August 16 after his weekend outing was skipped due to shoulder soreness. Philadelphia is a tough matchup to return to after a longer-than-usual gap between starts. Woo will look to rebound next time out against the Red Sox at Fenway.

Vazquez grabs a spot on Baltimore’s bench with Tyler O’Neill hitting the injured list with a shoulder issue. The 26-year-old has hit .145 (9-for-62) with one homer and two steals in 47 games in the big leagues since 2024.

O’Neill told reporters an MRI revealed a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder. It’s unclear whether it’s serious enough to require surgery, but it feels like his season is over. He suffered the injury while trying to make a diving catch over the weekend. The power-hitting 31-year-old has hit .212/.300/.377 with 10 homers, 23 RBI and one steal in 260 plate appearances this season. He’s under contract for $16.5 million for 2027.

Rodriguez allowed two hits and three walks in the 104-pitch outing, which came against the highest scoring offense in MLB. The nine strikeouts tied a season high as he lowered his ERA to 2.50. It’s the continuation of a career-best campaign for E-Rod, who never had an ERA below 3.30 prior to 2026. He also posted an ERA over 5 in each of the past two seasons. Rodriguez continues to overperform his peripheral stats, but he’s simply been one of the best values in fantasy this year. He’ll draw a tough matchup with the Phillies next time out.

Left-hander Brandyn Garcia was used in the eighth to face Pete Crow-Armstrong, giving Morillo the chance to earn his second save of 2026. This marks the sixth save for Arizona since Paul Sewald’s last. Garcia has three of them while Kevin Ginkel has two. Now Morillo has one, and Justin Martinez also recently returned to the bullpen. Expect manager Torey Lovullo to continue mixing and matching as the Diamondbacks fight for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Boyd struck out five as he lowered his ERA below 4 with the quality start. His one mistake was an opposite-field solo shot off the bat of Jordan Lawlar in the sixth. Homers have been an issue lately, as he’ll finish August with nine allowed. Limiting the long ball was one of the keys to his 3.21 ERA last season. He’ll draw a tough matchup against the Brewers next time out.

Lawlar’s solo blast was an opposite-field shot off Matthew Boyd in the sixth, breaking a scoreless tie. The former top prospect is up to three homers and four stolen bases in his first 20 games with the big league club this season. Arizona has faced a plethora of lefties since he was recalled on August 17, and he has started against all six of them. However, he has started against only one of three right-handers. Ryan Waldschmidt played center field in the other two games to make room for Max Kepler in left, so the playing time is worth monitoring.