MLB Player News

Langford went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 5-4 defeat to the Rays.

It was the fourth three-hit effort of the campaign by Langford, who registered his first multi-hit game since May 17. The speedy outfielder has been mired in a bit of a slump at the dish, batting .226 (14-for-62) with three homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored over his last 16 games. Langford has stolen four bases during this cold spell, so he's finding other ways to contribute while he works through his hitting struggles.

Lopez was diagnosed Wednesday with a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right shoulder and is expected to be out for approximately 8-to-12 weeks, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lopez reported tightness in his right shoulder during his start Tuesday against the Athletics and requested to come out of the game after throwing a few warmup pitches prior to the sixth inning. After being sent in for further testing, Lopez has now been determined to have suffered a moderate-grade strain that will keep him out for at least two months. The Twins haven't yet announced a replacement for Lopez in their starting rotation, though David Festa looks to be a leading candidate to come up from Triple-A St. Paul to fill the void.

Lowe went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Rangers.

Lowe blasted his 12th homer of the season Wednesday, and he added to a red-hot stretch at the plate recently. Across his last 20 games, the slugging second baseman is batting .359 (28-for-78) with seven homers, six doubles, 15 RBI and 19 runs scored. Lowe has seven multi-hit efforts during this period, also tallying at least one hit in 18 of these contests.

Fairbanks tallied the save in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Rangers, giving up one unearned run on one hit with no strikeouts in the ninth inning.

Fairbanks still hasn't conceded an earned run since May 13, which has been a stretch of seven outings. The 31-year-old right-hander continues to be locked in as Tampa Bay's closer, logging a 1.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB over his last 16.1 innings. Fairbanks has successfully converted eight of his nine save chances during that period.

Baz (5-3) earned the win Wednesday against the Rangers after giving up three runs on five hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.

While Baz did record the most punchouts in his past four outings, he remains without a quality start over his last seven appearances. It's worth noting Jonah Heim's 356-foot two-run shot in the fifth frame would have been a homer in only three MLB ballparks, per Statcast. The right-hander delivered a 2.45 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but he's stumbled to a 7.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB across 36 innings. Baz will look to turn things around the next time he takes the mound, which lines up for early next week against the Red Sox.

Rocker (1-4) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Rays after giving up five runs on six hits and two walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out five.

The hard-throwing right-hander's velocity was encouraging in his first MLB start since April 23, as Rocker induced 16 whiffs and was able to touch 99 mph twice with his sinker, but his return from a right shoulder impingement was still a rocky one overall. Three of his six hits allowed went for extra bases, and Rocker notably failed to cover first base on a groundball that allowed two runs to score with two outs in the third inning. He'll bring a ghastly 8.87 ERA and 1.84 WHIP with 21 strikeouts across 23.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against the Twins, currently projected for early next week.

Schneemann went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Yankees.

Schneemann extended the Guardians' lead to 3-0 in the first inning with a two-run double before swiping third base for his fourth steal in five attempts this season. It's the first multi-hit game since May 6 for Schneemann -- he entered Wednesday with a .188 average (12-for-64) in his previous 21 games. Overall, the 28-year-old Schneemann is slashing .254/.338/.463 with seven homers, 18 RBI and 19 runs scored across 152 plate appearances this season while serving as Cleveland's primary second baseman.

Schmidt (2-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

The Guardians got to Schmidt early Wednesday, scoring three runs on four hits during the opening frame, highlighted by an Angel Martinez two-run homer. While Schmidt managed to keep Cleveland off the board over his final 4.2 innings while matching a season high with eight strikeouts, the Yankees couldn't climb out of the early hole in an eventual 4-0 loss. The 29-year-old Schmidt sports a 4.04 ERA through nine starts (49 innings) this year with a 1.29 WHIP and 50:21 K:BB. He's currently scheduled to face the Royals on the road next week.

Ortiz (3-6) earned the win Wednesday over the Yankees, allowing three hits and three walks over 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

While it's the first win since April 18 for Ortiz, the right-hander has been pitching well lately, posting a 2.27 ERA over his last five starts (27.2 innings). His ERA is down to 4.02 on the year with a 1.40 WHIP and 71:33 K:BB across 12 starts (65 innings). A matchup with Cincinnati likely waits for Ortiz in his next turn through the rotation.

Berrios didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Phillies after giving up one run on four hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out five.

Berrios notably came away from a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with no damage, but he did serve up a solo homer to Nick Castellanos in the second frame. Wednesday also marked Berrios' fourth quality start in a row and his eighth of the season, and the veteran right-hander has allowed greater than three runs just one time over his last nine starts. After logging a 5.16 ERA through his first four outings, Berrios has righted the ship with a 3.04 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 49:21 K:BB over his last 53.1 innings.