MLB Player News

Loáisiga opened the season as perhaps the most intriguing alternative to Paul Sewald in the closer’s role for the Diamondbacks, but he hasn’t much helped himself since. His 4.00 ERA in nine innings isn’t so bad, but three blown leads is a problem. He gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Pete Alonso in a one-run game tonight.

Wetherholt’s clutch homer against Pirates closer Dennis Santana traveled 408 feet into the right-center field seats. It was his only hit in four at-bats, but it ignited a four-run rally as the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit after being shut out through eight innings. The 23-year-old rookie sensation has homered in back-to-back games and is up to six round-trippers through 28 games. The early returns suggest he’s on track to be one of the top second basemen in the fantasy landscape for years to come.

Santana was tasked with preserving a two-run lead in the final frame after six Pirates relievers combined for eight scoreless frames to open the contest. He served up back-to-back solo homers to Pedro Pagés and JJ Wetherholt. Thing spiralled immediately afterwards as he allowed three consecutive batters to reach before coughing up a go-ahead two-run double to José Fermín.

Soriano received his opportunity with both Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero and Ryne Stanek presumably unavailable for workload reasons after each of them threw over 30 pitches during a two-game span over the weekend. The 27-year-old righty was charged with preserving a two-run lead and managed to work around a two-out single by Nick Gonzales to slam the door.

With all eyes on the Battle of Pennsylvania between the Flyers and Penguins, Dotel and the Pirates nearly threw the first combined perfect game in baseball history. The 23-year-old rookie took over after Mason Montgomey and Justin Lawrence retired six straight batters to open the contest. He sat down all 12 batters he faced, recording three strikeouts in the process, before handing the ball to Evan Sisk in the seventh. He notched a pair of outs before Alec Burleson broke up the perfecto and no-hitter with an infield single. In case you were wondering, the closest any team came previously was the Rays back in 2019 when Ryan Yarbrough and Ryne Stanek took a perfect-game bid into the ninth inning before giving up a hit.

Bazzana, the first-overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, will make his big-league debut on Tuesday against the Rays at Progressive Field. The 23-year-old second baseman was raking at Triple-A Columbus, slashing .287/.422/.511 with two homers and eight steals, along with more walks (25) than strikeouts (21) over 24 games. He may not project as an immediate fantasy superstar, but he profiles as an impact power/speed contributor at a relatively thin position. He’s expected to slot into the lower third of Cleveland’s lineup initially, though his advanced hit tool gives him a chance to climb into a more prominent role over time. He’s worth a speculative roster spot in all formats.

Vilade put Tampa Bay on the scoreboard with a run-scoring single against Guardians starter Parker Messick in the sixth inning before adding a go-ahead single in the eighth inning. The 27-year-old has seen action consistently against left-handed pitching and continues to take advantage of those opportunities.

Aranda’s clutch homer came against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis to open the eighth inning as Tampa Bay managed to rally late for a comeback win. The 27-year-old first baseman has gone deep four times in his last six games and is up to seven round-trippers on the year.

Schneemann supplied Cleveland’s lone runs of the contest with a two-run shot off Rays starter Steven Matz in the fifth inning. It was his fourth long ball of the season. The 29-year-old stepped to the plate with a chance to deliver a walk-off hit with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but wound up striking out to end the contest.

Baker was summoned to protect a one-run lead in the final frame and immediately found himself in hot water following back-to-back hits by Kyle Manzardo and Chase DeLauter that put the potential tying and winning run in scoring position with one out. He managed to wriggle out of the jam and preserve the victory by striking out George Valera and Daniel Schneemann to end it. The 31-year-old has notched four saves in the last four days alone and appears firmly entrenched as Tampa Bay’s primary closer.