MLB Player News

It was Schultz’s first MLB start, and to be blunt, it looked like it. He struggled to locate his offerings, as he threw 51-of-82 pitches for strikes and issued for walks. The unearned run was also his fault, as it came on his error. That being said, there were good moments here with a fastball that reached above 98 mph on multiple occasions and a slider that has a chance to be a true swing-and-miss pitch. There’s going to be a lot of up-and-down for Schultz, and don’t be surprised if he’s much better Sunday against the A’s. it just wouldn’t be surprising if the results are similar, either.

Is Elder… good now? Sure, it was still the Marlins, but he was in complete control yet again. He allowed just two total hard-hit balls and very little traffic on the bases. Something has clicked with his slider which has become his primary pitch this season rather than the sinker he’s leaned on in the past. That slider was nasty diving low and below the zone all night while forcing all nine of his swings-and-misses. He’s lined up for a two-start week against the Nationals and Phillies coming up.

Iglesias worked around a two-out single by Xavier Edwards to cruise to another save. He now has four on the young season and is yet to give up a run with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched. The age-less wonder remains a very steady and reliable closer.

Finally, Riley hit his first home run of the season. It was a 400 foot blast at 109 mph off the bat and you could see the weight lifted off his shoulders as he rounded the bases. He still has an uphill climb ahead of him with just a .229 batting average and .645 OPS through 19 games after two consecutive poor seasons.

Hicks just continues to hit. His homerun briefly gave the Marlins a pulse in the eighth innings and his runs batted in gave him 18 on the season which is tied for the fourth-most in the league. He has an elite bat-to-ball ability with some of the lowest strikeout and whiff rates in the league and has found a groove this season by being more aggressive in the strike zone. Also, he’s started every game the Marlins have played against a right-handed pitcher this season and hit fourth in each one. He is a viable option at catcher in practically every league type.

Paddack is what he is at this point: a strike-thrower who will need some batted ball luck to get through an outing. He got that in this start as the Braves hit plenty of hard-hit balls which found gloves. In a bit of a blast from the past, his changeup was especially effective low and below the zone. Alas, Paddack is someone who shouldn’t be on your radar in many fantasy leagues. His next start is scheduled to come at home against the Cardinals.

Fermin was replaced by Luis Campusano behind the plate after taking a foul tip off his catcher’s mask. The 30-year-old will undergo evaluation for a possible concussion. There should be an update on his status following the game.

With the Brewers trailing 1-0 in the eighth, the first two batters against Tyler Rogers reached on 48- and 61-mph bouncers in front of the plate. The second was called an error on catcher Brandon Valenzeula, who seemed to be hoping the ball would spin foul after a high hop but just died in the dirt. Contreras then singled in the first run with the grounder past the second baseman, and the second run scored on a groundout. It turned into a very tough loss for Rogers, who induced six straight grounders in the inning.

Patrick’s previous outing was an odd one, as he was preceded by an opener and lifted after three scoreless innings. Tonight, he topped his previous season high for innings by 1 1/3, needing just 81 pitches to get his 20 outs. He should be of some use in mixed leagues if the Brewers are willing to pitch him five-plus innings at a time, especially if they’d have him do it behind an opener (thus increasing his chances of winning). He’ll likely face the Tigers next week.

Like Trevor Megill, Uribe has been something of a mess this season with his velocity down about 1.5 mph. However, getting a chance in the ninth seemed to have helped there; he averaged 99.0 mph with his sinker and 88.1 mph with his slider tonight, up from 97.5 mph and 85.7 mph, respectively, in his first seven appearances. There’s a chance he takes this opportunity and runs away with the closer’s role, especially if the increased velocity is back to stay.

Cease struck out six before leaving with a 1-0 lead that didn’t hold up. Both hits against him were singles. He’s opened his Blue Jays career with a 1.74 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings in four starts, but he’s yet to factor into a decision. He’ll get the Angels next.