MLB Player News

Raleigh went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's 12-3 win over the Tigers.

Raleigh put on another show, launching a solo shot in the eighth before blasting a grand slam an inning later, pushing his league-leading home run total to 38, just one shy of tying the MLB record for homers before the All-Star break. While the 28-year-old is now batting just 6-for-36 (.167) over his last 10 games, all six hits have left the yard, a testament to his elite power even amid contact struggles.

The White Sox returned Ellard to Triple-A Charlotte following Friday's doubleheader against Cleveland.

Ellard struck out a batter while tossing a scoreless inning during the first game of the twin bill. Now that his duties as Chicago's 27th man have been fulfilled, the 27-year-old will return to Triple-A, where he owns a 3.27 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 11 innings.

Skubal (10-3) took the loss Friday, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings in the 12-3 defeat to the Mariners.

Skubal kept the Mariners in check early but ran into trouble in the fifth, surrendering a two-run homer to Julio Rodriguez as part of a three-run frame that ended his day. It marked the ace's shortest outing since April 20 and just the fourth time all season he's allowed more than three earned runs. Despite the setback, the left-hander still owns a stellar 2.23 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 153 strikeouts through 121 innings this season.

Caratini went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

Caratini left the yard for the 10th time this season Friday, clearing the right-field wall to account for two of Houston's three runs in the game. The 31-year-old has a hit in four straight games and has been red-hot to start July, slashing .345/.323/.724 with two doubles, three homers and 11 RBI. The latter two numbers already have matched or eclipsed his highs from any other month this season, and there are still 15 games on the schedule before the calendar turns again.

McCullers (2-4) took the loss after throwing three innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five, during Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

McCullers' struggles on the season continued as he failed to make it through five innings for the sixth time in 10 starts. He needed 83 pitches to get through three innings, an alarming level of inefficiency, The 31-year-old has a 6.48 ERA on the season, well off the eighth-year pro's career 3.60 ERA. With 49 strikeouts in 41.2 innings this year, he's still striking out batters at a decent rate, but he must bring down his allowed walks (26) and home runs (nine) if he's to find his form again after the All-Star break.

Castillo (6-5) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out six in the 12-3 victory over the Tigers.

Castillo shined early, yielding just one earned run through the first five innings before running into trouble opening the sixth, allowing back-to-back hits and another run before being removed with a runner on third. The 32-year-old entered the matchup coming off his best start of the season and has now posted a 3.60 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 11 walks over his last six outings.

Burger (quad) said after Friday's win over Houston that he expects to play in Saturday's contest, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Burger had to come out of Friday's game after injuring his left quad while running to first base in the fifth inning, but it doesn't seem like the damage will be enough for him to miss any starts. The 29-year-old has been hot since returning from an oblique injury July 2, going 10-for-35 (.286) with a home run, six RBI and six runs scored over nine games.

Langford went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run during Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Langford kept the momentum going after his great series against the Angels and was retired only one time in Game 1 against the Astros. In the last four games, the outfielder has multiple hits in three of them, compiling a .563 batting average, two home runs and seven RBI. After hitting another homer Friday, the 23-year-old is up to 15 on the season, only one off his total from his entire rookie season.

Schultz (finger) threw a bullpen session on Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Schultz has been on the IL since late June due to inflammation in his right middle finger, and Friday is the first time since then that he's thrown off a mound. He figures to have a good chance to return when eligible immediately after the All-Star break, though his job security in Toronto's bullpen is less certain.

Garcia went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Garcia homered in back-to-back games for the first time since late March, taking Lance McCullers deep in the third inning. The 32-year-old is in the midst of his most consistent stretch of hitting this season, up to a season-long seven straight games with at least one hit. He is slashing .234/.277/.398 on the season with 12 home runs and 54 RBI.