MLB Player News

It obviously didn’t do him any good, but McKenzie averaged 95.9 mph with his fastball today. He was at 92.5 mph during his breakthrough 2022 with the Guardians before experiencing arm issues in 2023 and fading to 91.2 mph in 2024. It doesn’t seem like a fluke, either, as he averaged 94.6 mph as a Triple-A reliever last year. It’s hard to say what the future holds in store for McKenzie at this point, given his big-time control issues, but the added velocity will definitely earn him extra opportunities.

Mastrobuoni returns to Seattle’s bench mix as a versatile multi-position specialist after missing the first 10 weeks of the season recovering from a calf strain that he suffered while playing in the World Baseball Classic.

González provides Seattle with a fresh arm for the final two contests of a four-game series against Baltimore. The 26-year-old tossed 5 2/3 scoreless frames over four appearances for the Mariners last month during his first taste of the majors.

Return timelines for shoulder injuries are typically measured in months, not weeks, making this a concerning development for Seattle’s high-leverage mix. The 28-year-old missed nearly three weeks with a lat strain last month. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the near future. He’ll likely be on the shelf through next month’s All-Star break given the nature of the ailment.

Bliss went 1-for-6 during a pair of contests during his latest stint with the Mariners, which wound up lasting roughly 48 hours. His return to the minors coincides with versatile Miles Mastrobuoni returning from the injured list for his season debut.

Zulueta never wound up making an appearance for Seattle after being acquired from the Reds in a trade back in January. The 28-year-old righty figures to pass through waivers unclaimed since he holds a pedestrian 5.32 ERA and 25/11 K/BB ratio across 23 2/3 innings at the big-league level since 2024.

Fortes couldn’t quite muster a homer, with 406- and 399-foot flies both going for doubles, but it was still quite a day. It’s the second time in 454 major league games that he’s managed four hits and the seventh time that he’s scored three runs. He had seven hits in all in the series against Boston, raising his OPS from .585 to .664.

Rasmussen had just one previous 10-strikeout game, finishing with exactly 10 against the Yankees on Sept. 9, 2022. He got 20 missed swings and allowed just two hits and two hard-hit balls today. The Red Sox swung at 15 of the 23 four-seamers he threw and racked up eight whiffs without ever putting any of them in play. Rasmussen has pitched seven scoreless innings in three of his last four starts and is 6-2 with a 2.71 ERA on the season. He’ll face the Dodgers next week.

Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly had the day off after pitching both Monday and Tuesday. Cleavinger got the ninth as a result. He gave up a solo homer to Caleb Durbin, but he had a three-run cushion to work with. He has a 4.70 ERA and eight holds over 17 appearances in his setup role.

Bennett pitched well, but things fell apart after a leadoff double in the fifth. A bunt single, an infield single and then an infield double followed; the last hit bounced off Bennett’s leg and into no man’s land on the left side of the infield. The Rays scored three of their four runs in the frame. Bennett struck out four and his only walk was intentional. He made a case for sticking around in Brayan Bello’s spot, but the Red Sox do have some flexibility here with Thursday and Monday as off days. If they stay in rotation, then Bennett would face the Blue Jays next Wednesday.

Díaz already has four three-hit games this month. He leads the AL and is fourth in the majors with a .331 average. He’s fourth in both the AL and the majors with a .940 OPS.