MLB Player News

The homer off Connelly Early in the second just barely made it over the Green Monster for his fifth of the year. He had been 1-for-12 in four games since Danny Jansen went on the injured list.

García got New York back within a single run by taking Blue Jays side-winding reliever Tyler Rogers deep in the eighth inning. It was his second big fly in his last three games and third time leaving the yard in 16 games since coming over from the Nationals at the trade deadline.

Varland got the call to protect a one-run lead in the final frame at Yankee Stadium and managed to work around a leadoff double by Jazz Chisholm Jr. to preserve the narrow victory. He struck out Austin Wells, coaxed a ground ball from José Caballero and struck out Trent Grisham to strand the potential tying run in scoring position. The 28-year-old has been a revelation this season, converting 29 of 30 save chances to go along with a microscopic 1.22 ERA and 82/18 K/BB ratio across 66 1/3 innings of work. He’s one save away from becoming the sixth stopper to reach the 30-save plateau this season.

Cease walked five batters and managed to keep a no-hit bid alive until Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled on his 106th pitch of the contest with two outs in the seventh inning. He finished with eight strikeouts in his second consecutive outing against New York. The 30-year-old All-Star righty has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts since July 3. He’ll carry a stellar 2.37 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 209/64 K/BB ratio across 144 1/3 innings into a face off against the struggling Mariners in his next start on Friday.

The 23-year-old Sears only just made his Triple-A debut, throwing 9 2/3 scoreless innings in two starts at the level. He previously has a 2.57 ERA in nine outings in Double-A. It’s possible he’ll just be up for the one outing. The Tigers have next Thursday off, so they probably wouldn’t need him again next weekend.

Pages had been alternating between hitting second and third of late. Betts, who had mostly been batting fifth recently, has reached six times in his last two games, but that still leaves him with just a .295 OBP on the season. Eventually, it might be Will Smith hitting third to help break up the lefties.

Mullins has occasionally hit eighth against lefties, but this is just the second time this season he’s hit this low against a righty; he hit ninth against one on May 29. Mullins is batting just .207/.285/.353 on 422 plate appearances. He’d probably be a backup by now if Jacob Melton had been able to stay healthy in Triple-A.

He’s sitting even after going 3-for-5 with a homer last night. It’s unclear if this is easing Lawlar in as he returns from the IL or if sitting him against righties is just part of the plan. Things are also complicated by Nolan Arenado being locked into the DH spot at the moment. Lawlar has mixed-league upside while healthy, but he’s probably not a great bet here for the final five weeks.

The previous four games were all versus lefties, but the D-backs are facing a righty today and Kepler still isn’t playing. One wonders if he might get released once Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returns. He’s hitting just .216/.282/.333 in 124 plate appearances, and he won’t be eligible to play in the postseason after his steroid suspension.

Peña missed two starts after leaving Wednesday’s game with a hand injury suffered on a HBP.

It looks like Lee might have overtaken Javier Báez on the depth chart for now, as Báez has now sat against the last two righties the Tigers have faced. Lee went seven straight games without starting earlier this month, but he’s gone 8-for-19 with a 2/4 K/BB over the last two weeks.