MLB Player News

Smith (ankle) threw a 55-pitch live batting practice session Saturday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. "Yeah, it felt good to be back on the bump," the right-hander said after the session. "The soreness is pretty much gone. I threw a bullpen the other day and it felt pretty good. Today, I didn't feel anything."

Smith faced a few big-league hitters and simulated throwing three innings. He'll set to throw another bullpen session, and the White Sox are hoping he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation before the end of the month without needing a rehab assignment.

Pepiot came away with a no-decision Saturday, allowing two unearned runs on two hits and four walks over six innings in a 6-2 loss to the Reds. He struck out six.

Neither team got on the board until the sixth inning, when a Taylor Walls error put the Rays in a 2-1 hole, but Pepiot was taken off the hook for the loss when Tampa Bay tied it up in the top of the seventh. The right-hander had to settle for his 14th quality start of the year, including four in five trips to the mound in July. He'll look for his first win since July 2 in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next week against the Yankees.

Skubal didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-1 loss to Toronto, allowing five hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

The left-hander made a dominant return from the paternity list and ran into trouble only in the sixth inning, when he was able to escape a bases-loaded jam in part due to a heads-up defensive play by Matt Vierling in center field. It was Skubal's 13th quality start of the season, but he's gone four straight outings without collecting a win despite a 1.82 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 33:5 K:BB in 24.2 innings over that stretch. He'll look to get back in the win column in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Philadelphia.

Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Tigers.

That's now five straight multi-hit performances for Guerrero, and he capped the latest one with a ninth-inning homer off Chase Lee that left his bat at 105.3 mph, the third of three Blue Jays long balls in the final frame. Guerrero has been locked in since missing a game in early July after fouling a ball off his foot -- over his last 17 contests, he's slashing .385/.481/.569 with two of his 14 homers on the season, along with six doubles, two steals, 10 RBI and 15 runs.

Gausman came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Tigers, allowing one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out 10.

Neither team got a run across until the eighth inning, as Gausman and Tarik Skubal engaged in an impressive pitchers' duel through the first six frames. Gausman racked up a stunning 21 swinging strikes among his 96 pitches (62 total strikes) while tying his season high in strikeouts and recording his 10th quality start of the campaign. The veteran righty hasn't given up more than three earned runs in six straight outings, posting a 1.96 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 38:13 K:BB over 36.2 innings during that stretch. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Royals.

Cruz (3-1) earned the win Saturday against the Guardians. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one inning.

Cruz found himself in a jam in the top of the 10th inning but limited the damage to one run and ultimately earned the win after Jonathan India walked it off in the bottom half of the frame. The reliever entered July with a 2.20 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 32.2 innings but has struggled this month, posting a 6.14 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 7.1 innings. Despite the rough stretch, his season-long numbers remain strong, with a 2.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 40 innings, backed by a fastball that regularly touches 98 mph.

Ryan (10-5) took the loss Saturday, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk over five innings against the Nationals. He struck out five.

The right-hander wasn't at his best Saturday, giving up a run in both the third and fourth innings before allowing a bases-loaded double to CJ Abrams in the fifth inning. While far from his strongest outing, Ryan has been excellent overall this season, posting a 2.82 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 21 starts, with an impressive 10.2 K/9 and a 1.8 BB/9. His strong performance, despite the Twins sitting below .500, has sparked trade rumors, though it would likely take a significant return for Minnesota to consider moving him.

Duran went 3-for-4 with two triples, a double, a run and two RBI in a 4-2 victory against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Duran was responsible for three of Boston's five extra-base hits in the win, with his biggest knock being a two-run triple in the second inning. The speedy outfielder added another three-bagger in the sixth frame for the first multi-triple performance of his career. This was the first multi-hit game of any sort for Duran since July 9, as he had been slumping entering Saturday, batting just .161 with 13 strikeouts across 31 at-bats over his previous 10 contests.

Chapman earned a save against the Dodgers on Saturday, issuing one walk and striking out one batter over one scoreless and hitless inning.

Chapman took the mound with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth frame. He retired the first two batters he faced before walking Esteury Ruiz. That brought Mookie Betts up to the plate as a pinch hitter representing the tying run, and Chapman was able to whiz a 97 mph heater past the former MVP for strike three on a 3-2 count to end the game. Chapman's save was his 18th of the campaign, his most since he logged 30 with the Yankees in 2021. The seemingly ageless closer has also registered an impressive 1.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 61:11 K:BB through 41.1 innings spanning 44 appearances this season.

Crochet (12-4) earned the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters over six innings.

Crochet endured a rough first frame, giving up two runs on a pair of solo homers. The southpaw bounced back quickly, however, keeping Los Angeles off the scoreboard for the remainder of his six frames. The All-Star hurler racked up an impressive 20 whiffs en route to 10 strikeouts, marking the fifth time this season he's recorded double-digit punchouts in an outing. Crochet now lead leads the majors with 175 Ks on the campaign, and he ranks fourth among qualified starters with a 2.23 ERA. He's also tied for the league lead with 12 wins while registering a 1.09 WHIP through 141.1 innings spanning 22 starts.