MLB Player News

Cruz secured the save Sunday against the Tigers, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk in the ninth inning. He struck out two.

Closer Alex Lange was presumably getting Sunday off after picking up the save Saturday against Detroit, allowing Cruz to get a save opportunity. Cruz does have his two saves for the season in his past three appearances, so he at least appears to have worked his way into Kansas City's high-leverage mix along with Lucas Erceg, Matt Strahm and Daniel Lynch. Through 37 innings, Cruz has a 4.62 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 45:17 K:BB.

Lewis went 1-for-5 with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Athletics.

Lewis is up to 10 steals on the year, including four over his last four games. The infielder has struggled at the plate a bit since the All-Star break, going 5-for-32 (.156) over his last nine games, though he's also drawn six walks. Lewis is still batting a mere .212 with a .672 OPS, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, 35 runs scored and 13 doubles over 72 contests this season, and he looks to have a fairly secure starting role in the Twins' flexible infield.

Jeffers went 3-for-5 with three RBI in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Athletics.

Jeffers picked up his first multi-hit effort since he returned from a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. He has gone 10-for-35 (.286) over nine contests since his return, picking up where he left off before the injury. The catcher is batting .293 with a .930 OPS, nine home runs, 35 RBI, 29 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple and one stolen base over 46 games on the year.

Avila took a no-decision Sunday against the Tigers, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

Avila struggled for efficiency Sunday, as he was unable to complete five innings despite throwing 89 pitches (50 strikes). The 24-year-old right-hander has battled control issues all season long and particularly as of late -- he's issued at least three walks in seven of his last 10 starts and four free passes on three occasions during that span. Avila is unlikely to have much streaming appeal for his next scheduled outing in Colorado, where he'll take a 4.81 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and an alarming 59:39 K:BB over 67.1 innings.

Clemens went 3-for-5 with two triples, one RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Athletics.

Clemens has three multi-hit efforts over nine games since the All-Star break, going 9-for-37 (.243) in that span. He's logged five extra-base hits (one double, two triples, two home runs) during that stretch, but his performance is otherwise in line with what he's done all year. The utility man is batting .243 with a .787 OPS, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, 49 runs scored, 19 doubles, five triples and seven stolen bases over 92 contests. Clemens has seen most of his time at second base lately, but he can play in both the infield and outfield -- he started in right field Sunday since Luke Keaschall shifted to center while Byron Buxton slotted in as the designated hitter.

McMahon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

The left-handed-hitting McMahon will take a seat for a third day in a row to close out the series while the Phillies send another lefty starter (Cristopher Sanchez) to the bump. Amed Rosario will fill in for McMahon at third base and will bat third.

Kreidler went 3-for-4 with a triple, two doubles, one RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Athletics.

Kreidler hasn't been a regular source of speed this season, but that may be changing. He's logged all three of his steals over the last two games, and he's also up to three triples on the year. Kreidler had gone 13 games without a multi-hit effort prior to Sunday, batting just .114 (4-for-35) in that span, but he has a path to a near-everyday role since Tristan Gray was optioned Monday. Overall, Kreidler is batting .244 with a .720 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored across 62 contests this season.

Valdez took a no-decision Sunday against the Royals, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out four.

A fielding error by Hao-Yu Lee with two outs in opening frame put an unearned run on Valdez's line. The 32-year-old southpaw has pitched at least five innings in all but three of his 21 starts this year, so he's providing fairly consistent length in spite of the shakiness he's shown overall during his debut season with the Tigers. Valdez's 4.53 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for the campaign are his worst marks since 2019 with Houston, and he's also registered a career-worst 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2026.

Prielipp (3-5) allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Athletics on Sunday.

Prielipp faced the minimum through five innings, thanks to a pair of double plays. He was pulled after the Athletics turned the lineup over in the sixth, and Cole Sands wound up giving up a home run to Nick Kurtz that put a run on Prielipp's line. It was still an encouraging performance for Prielipp after the southpaw was sidelined by a blister. He's now at a 4.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 76:26 K:BB through 72.1 innings over 14 starts this season. The rookie is projected to make his next start in Seattle.

Kurtz went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 11-8 loss to the Twins.

Kurtz returned from a thumb injury Saturday, but he stayed cold at the plate. When he went deep Sunday, he snapped an 0-for-25 stretch at the plate that dated back to July 3. The first baseman should be able to turn things around, though his 32.1 percent strikeout rate is an obvious flaw, especially since he's struck out 17 times over nine contests in July. Kurtz is batting .264 with a .901 OPS, 21 homers, 69 RBI, 62 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple and seven stolen bases over 94 games this season.