MLB Player News

Polanco was supposed to play again Saturday after going 0-for-2 with two walks for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, but either player or team decided that was a bad idea. He’ll be reevaluated in New York.

Bleday drew a two-out walk off of Paul Skenes in the opening inning and raced around to score the Reds’ first run on an RBI double by Tyler Stephenson. He then smacked a 386-foot (105.7-mph EV) solo shot off of Skenes in the third inning that tied the score at 3-3. For the season, the 28-year-old outfielder is slashing .229/.341/.472 to go with 19 long balls and 46 RBI.

Caminero hit his 30th homer of the season in the fourth inning off White Sox starter Erick Fedde. It was the first homer for Caminero in nearly two weeks, as the slugger has struggled to produce many extra-base hits over that span. That said, he concludes the month with a .245/.336/.529 slash line with seven homers and 14 RBI.

Pagan entered in the ninth inning with the Reds leading 8-7 and he retired all three hitters that he faced in order to close the game out. The official scorer deemed Pierce Johnson ineffective though and awarded Pagan the victory instead of the save. He continues to get better as the season goes on.

Martinez fell victim to the long ball twice in the first two innings, allowing solo blasts to Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi to put his team down 2-0 early. In the third inning, Martinez gave up a two-run homer to Munetaka Murakami to push the White Sox’s lead to 4-0. It was the worst outing of the season for Martinez, who hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any start this season. He’ll look to bounce back in his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Rockies.

Fedde had one of his best starts of the season in this one. His six strikeouts tied a season high, and the lone earned run he allowed came on a solo homer to Junior Caminero in the fourth inning. Fedde was in command of the strike zone and didn’t walk a batter, and he ends July with a 3-0 record while posting just three walks over 17 2/3 innings. He’ll look to carry his strong month into August, and is next scheduled to toe the rubber on Thursday against the Red Sox.

Greene punched out four batters in the contest while issuing a pair of walks. The Pirates got to him for two runs in the opening inning, then Greene allowed a solo homer to Jake Mangum in the second and a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. He generated 13 swings and misses on 91 pitches in the contest, posting a CSW of 27 percent. He’ll attempt to get back in the win column as he brings a 6.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a 33/9 K/BB ratio (27 2/3 innings) into Thursday’s battle against the Athletics.

Mangum ambushed a first-pitch slider from Reds’ right-hander Hunter Greene for a 336-foot (100.1-mph EV) solo shot in the second inning that gave the Pirates a 3-2. He also added an RBI single during the Pirates’ three-run uprising in the eighth inning. With his two-hit attack, the 30-year-old outfielder is slashing .304/.353/.382 with three homers, 23 RBI and 20 stolen bases on the season.

On the plus side for fantasy managers, Skenes punched out seven batters on the night while also issuing four free passes. The Reds got to him early and often in this one, scoring twice in the first before Skenes served up a solo shot to JJ Bleday in the third and a two-run bomb to Sal Stewart in the fourth. Skenes got 15 swings and misses on 100 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll carry a 3.90 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 156/32 K/BB ratio (124 2/3 innings) into Wednesday’s
showdown against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday that Stewart is dealing with a minor shoulder issue and isn’t expected to be sidelined for much longer than the minimum stint on the injured list. Cole Irvin was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move on Friday to take his place in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

The 32-year-old left-hander has made 20 starts at the Triple-A level this season, compiling a 3.58 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and a 55/43 K/BB ratio over 98 innings of work. He’s likely to log multiple innings in what will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers on Friday night.