MLB Player News

Walker gave up a leadoff walk to Adolis García and a game-tying triple down the right-field line to Bryson Stott. A comebacker from Edmundo Sosa was the second out, but Justin Crawford was able to leg out a walkoff groundball single on a ball deep into the hole. Walker, carrying a 1.50 WHIP and 4.26 ERA, had looked to have finally made inroads on the Giants closer role after back-to-back saves on April 21 and April 22. But he’s just not pitching well enough to say he has it for sure right now.

The homer was Acuña’s 200th, making him the 57th player in MLB history to hit 200 homers and steal 200 bases. He’s also the eighth active player to accomplish the feat. The steal was his 20th of the season, and only the fourth time in his career he’s reached that mark given how many injury-shortened campaigns he’s had. 2026 hasn’t been one of his better seasons, so it’ll be interesting to see where his ADP settles this offseason. Set to enter his age-29 season in 2027, Acuña still possesses plenty of high-end fantasy upside whenever he’s healthy.

Holmes struck out one and didn’t allow any baserunners. He was cruising, needing only 26 pitches to record nine outs before a rain delay interrupted his day. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.62, and he’s had just two starts all season where he gave up more than three earned runs. A home matchup against the Rays is up next.

Lord allowed two hits and one walk over 55 pitches. The 10 outs were the most he’s recorded in a game this season, and he lowered his ERA to 3.58. He’ll continue in a bulk reliever or opener role for the Nationals down the stretch.

Murphy broke a scoreless tie by swatting a three-run homer in the sixth inning, and he later added another RBI. The veteran catcher has been sidelined for much of the season due to a broken finger, but he has now started seven of Atlanta’s past 10 contests. Drake Baldwin’s status as an everyday player caps Murphy’s upside, but Baldwin has been shifting to DH when Murphy is in the lineup.

Riley drove in two with a base hit in the eighth, extending Atlanta’s lead to 8-0. He’s been better in the second half than he was before the All-Star break, but by wRC+ it’s still been nothing more than league-average production. The Braves continue to start him every day, though he hasn’t hit higher than seventh in the order since July 24.

The Padres appear to be pulling back on Musgrove’s throwing progression since he’s struggling to recover between starts and continues to experience fatigue in his arm and elbow. It’s not uncommon for a pitcher coming off major surgery, but the Padres don’t have the luxury of waiting around and giving him additional time with the postseason just a few weeks away. At this point, it’s challenging to envision a scenario where Musgrove comes back before the end of the regular season. He looked sharp during his latest minor league rehab start for Triple-A El Paso last Thursday. The 33-year-old veteran hasn’t pitched in the majors since the 2024 postseason.

Tong was hit extremely hard in three starts for the Mets last year, but has always been able to miss bats at a rate that forces fantasy managers to pay attention. The 23-year-old prospect has put together a handful of encouraging starts at Triple-A Syracuse recently, allowing just two runs with a 23/10 K/BB ratio across 21 1/3 innings since August 11. It seems like a no-brainer for the Mets to give him a look down the home stretch with their playoff hopes basically nonexistent. It’s challenging to recommend Tong in shallow fantasy leagues given his wide range of outcomes, but he offers enough strikeout upside that he’s worthy of a speculative stash in deeper formats.

McGonigle has found himself at the hot corner and leading off in back-to-back games since Riley Greene returned from the injured list earlier this week. He mostly hit third or cleanup while Greene was on the shelf. It’ll be rookie John Peck getting some run at shortstop with veteran Gleyber Torres, who had been leading off in recent weeks, seeing his playing time slashed during the final month. The 22-year-old hitting machine is the presumptive favorite for the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .274/.374/.414 with 85 runs scored, 14 homers, 58 RBI and 12 steals in 601 plate appearances. His ability to control the strike zone and generate consistent hard contact is going to make McGonigle a fantasy force for years to come.

Kuhnel loses his spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster after wrapping up a minor league rehab assignment. He’s been on the shelf with a shoulder impingement since early July. There’s a chance another team out there brings him in as emergency relief depth. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames for the Brewers after being acquired from the Athletics in early June.

Matt Shaw gets another opportunity at second base with Ramírez on the bench for a third straight contest due to back spasms. The 22-year-old rookie figures to be ready to return at some point this week, otherwise the Cubs are going to have to consider putting him on the injured list.