MLB Player News

Matthews allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six batters over four innings in a no-decision against Detroit on Saturday.

Matthews was relatively fortunate to have just two runs scored against him, as he didn't pitch any clean innings and saw at least two batters reach in three of his four frames. It took him 92 pitches to get through those four innings, and he threw just 51 of those offerings for strikes while issuing a season-worst four walks. Matthews did flash impressive strikeout stuff with 15 whiffs and six punchouts, and he's posted a robust 11.8 K/9 on the campaign. Despite that, Matthews has struggled to a 5.06 ERA, and he's been unable to complete five innings in half of his 10 starts.

Mize (12-4) earned the victory over Minnesota on Saturday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over 6.1 innings.

Three of the four runs and half of the four hits Mize allowed came in the fifth inning, prior to which he retired 11 straight batters. That one tough frame wasn't bad enough to ruin a very impressive outing by the right-hander, however, as he tied a career high with 10 punchouts. Mize also registered his third straight victory, and with 12 wins on the campaign he's tied for fourth in the majors. Though he's had a few clunkers on the campaign, Mize's 3.63 ERA is on track for a career-best mark. He's lined up to face the Royals at home in his next outing.

Schanuel went 3-for-4 with a walk in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Athletics.

Schanuel was able to account for one-third of the 12 baserunners the Angels earned in this contest. This was a slump-breaking effort for the first baseman, who had gone 0-for-14 over his previous four games. He's been held hitless in four straight games on just two occasions all season, demonstrating consistency at the plate. He's posted a .267/.355/.387 slash line with 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 59 runs scored and five stolen bases over 119 contests.

Anderson (2-8) allowed four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one over four innings to take the loss versus the Athletics on Saturday.

Anderson essentially got skipped in the rotation when back stiffness forced him to miss his scheduled start Tuesday. He wasn't that sharp in his return to action -- he's now walked five batters in two of five starts since the All-Star break. In that span, he's surrendered 18 runs over 24.2 innings while adding just 16 strikeouts. Anderson is at a 4.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 98:52 K:BB through 126.1 innings over 24 starts. The southpaw is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Cubs.

Thomas went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Angels.

Thomas is starting to look comfortable in the majors, having hit safely in each of his last five games. He's also gone deep in two straight contests against the Angels. Overall, he's posted a .255/.298/.490 slash line with three homers, 12 RBI, eight runs scored and two stolen bases across 57 plate appearances in his first taste of the majors.

Rooker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a second RBI, a walk and two total runs scored in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Angels.

Rooker is up to 25 homers on the year, including five over 27 games since the All-Star break. He's been steady in August, batting .286 (16-for-56) over 14 contests while adding 10 RBI and seven extra-base hits. The slugger is up to a .275/.348/.501 slash line, 72 RBI, 79 runs scored and five stolen bases over 125 games this season.

Newcomb allowed an unearned run on two hits and a hit batsman and struck out three without walking a batter over 1.2 innings to earn the save in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Angels.

Tyler Ferguson put two runners on in the eighth inning, but Newcomb was able to defuse the situation. Newcomb then allowed a run in the ninth, but the Athletics' lead was never in any real danger after the team padded its advantage in the eighth. This was Newcomb's first save since the 2021 campaign with Atlanta. He's allowed just the one unearned run over his last nine appearances, a stretch that covers 11.2 innings and includes a 16:3 K:BB. He's in a late-inning role for now, but Saturday's usage doesn't suggest he's a primary option for saves, and the Athletics' overall struggles make those opportunities hard to come by anyway. Newcomb has maintained a 2.97 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 82:28 K:BB over 78.2 innings across 38 appearances (five starts) between the Athletics and the Red Sox this year.

Morales (1-0) allowed a run on five hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings to earn the win over the Angels on Saturday.

Morales had mixed results in his first start last Sunday versus the Orioles, but he was steady after a shaky first inning in his second start. This was a good enough effort for Morales to come away with his first big-league win in just his third appearance. He's pitched to a 1.86 ERA despite a 1.66 WHIP and 9:8 K:BB through 9.2 innings since he was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. Morales is tentatively projected for a somewhat tough road start versus the Mariners next week.

Holliday went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in an extra-innings loss to the Astros on Saturday.

Holliday's homer was a clutch one, as it knotted up the game 4-4 in the eighth inning. The long ball was also his first since July 23. Holliday batted only .188 with just two extra-base hits during the 20-game power drought, lowering his season OPS by 50 points to .685. He does have 15 homers and 11 thefts on the campaign, but he hasn't quite broken out yet, at least not to the degree typically expected of a first-overall draft pick.

Povich did not factor in the decision against Houston on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters over five relief innings.

Baltimore opted to deploy righty Rico Garcia as an opener before turning to the lefty Povich to begin the second frame. It was just the second time Povich has worked as a bulk reliever this season, and he handled the role fairly well, notching a season-high 10 strikeouts and tallying an impressive 18 whiffs despite giving up three runs. Povich handled a typical starter's workload with 91 pitches (60 strikes), so it seems likely that he'll remain synched up with the rest of the rotation regardless of whether he returns to a traditional starting role or is used behind an opener again. He's lined up for a rematch against the Astros his next time out.