MLB Player News

O’Neill showed some signs of life with an RBI double off Will Warren in the sixth inning, though it came on a ball Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham ultimately could’ve caught. It was just O’Neill’s second extra-base hit this season in 60 at-bats. The Orioles signed him through the 2027 season, so O’Neill will be given some kind of leash, but he could be phased out if he doesn’t start hitting soon.

Susana had lat surgery in September of last year and has just begun his rehab assignment. His command was a bit iffy, walking two in the outing, but he also struck out two and touched 103 mph on the radar gun, which is great to see after such a long layoff. The oft-injured 22-year-old was at Double-A when his injuries began last year, so he may return there early in 2026 or perhaps get a chance to start the year at Triple-A.

Alexander has been on the injured list since July 16th, when he suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch. The fielding drills obviously involved him fielding balls with his glove hand, which is his left hand, and even though they weren’t hit hard off the bat, it’s a nice step in the right direction. There is still no stated timeline for his return.

Jenkins has been producing consistently since the middle of July, but he’s now 13-for-35 (.371) in August with two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, and three steals. If the Twins are really making a run at the postseason, they should probably give him a shot in the outfield.

With Endy Rodriguez (hip) headed to the injured list, the Pirates will simply use Rafael Flores Jr. as their backup catcher, so they can call up Brannigan as a reserve infielder. He has hit .217/.324/.447 with 14 home runs in 69 Triple-A games this season.

Mattson was only in Triple-A for 11 days. He’ll return to a 4.93 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and a 33/16 K/BB ratio over 34 2/3 innings in 36 appearances with the Pirates this season.

Sisk was activated from the injured list a little over a week ago and has allowed a run in each of his last three outings. This may just be a brief reset for the 29-year-old.

Jones has plenty of power, so hitting him in the middle of the lineup makes sense. However, in 17 games since the All-Star break, he’s also hitting .196 with a 25.4 percent strikeout rate, 17.2 percent swinging strike rate, and 68 percent contact rate. The power and solid walk rate have given him a usable .756 OPS, but he remains a risky bet given his contact profile.

Sadly, injuries are becoming far too prevalent in Rodríguez’s career. The 26-year-old has produced when healthy for the Pirates this season, but this is now his third stint on the injured list this year, following previous injury-plagued seasons. There is no timeline for his return right now.

Weissert was optioned on Friday but can return right away, with Garrett Whitlock (elbow) heading to the IL. Weissert has a 3.97 ERA in 41 1/3 innings this year for Boston.

Whitlock claims he doesn’t think the injury is serious, but he also said the discomfort had been building for weeks and peaked in the bullpen on Tuesday. That’s not a great sign. This is a huge loss for the Red Sox’s bullpen, as Whitlock had posted a 2.05 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 49/7 K/BB ratio in 44 innings this season.