MLB Player News

Naylor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays.

Naylor tied things up at 2-2 in the fourth inning, when he took Chris Bassitt deep to center field for a 410-foot solo homer. Naylor has struggled offensively this season and is slashing .192/.277/.425 in 84 plate appearances. However, he has homered in three consecutive starts, which may be an indication that the 25-year-old catcher is settling in at the plate.

Santana went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI single in Friday's 5-3 loss to Toronto.

Santana put the Guardians on the board in the second inning on a solo home run off Chris Bassitt, and the former tied things up at 3-3 in the eighth after his single to right field brought Daniel Schneemann home. Santana is up to three home runs on the season, though his last one before Friday was April 9 against the White Sox. He's slashing .229/.306/.330 with two stolen bases, 13 runs scored and nine RBI in 124 plate appearances this season.

Allen didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four across 5.2 innings.

It was a nice bounce-back effort for Allen on Friday after he gave up seven runs to the Red Sox on April 27. He tallied 16 first-pitch strikes and nine whiffs across 104 pitches (66 strikes), and he was one out shy from logging his first quality start of the season. He's yielded two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five outings and has a 4.02 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB across 31.1 innings. Allen's next start is slated for next week on the road against the Nationals.

Hoffman logged a save in Friday's 5-3 win over the Guardians, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.

Hoffman was brought in for the ninth inning to preserve a two-run lead, but it wasn't an easy going for the 32-year-old right-hander. He had runners on second and third after yielding a walk and a double, but Hoffman was able to escape unscathed after getting Gabriel Arias to ground out to third base. Hoffman needed 26 pitches (16 strikes) to secure his seventh save of the season, which may impact his availability for Saturday's contest.

Bassitt didn't factor into the decision in Friday's game against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four over 5.1 innings. He did not issue a walk.

Bassitt gave up solo home runs to Carlos Santana and Bo Naylor in the second and fourth innings, respectively, and Bassitt was tagged for a third run in the sixth before being lifted for Chad Green. Bassitt was able to generate 11 whiffs on 98 pitches (65 strikes) but fell two outs short of logging his third quality start of the season. He's allowed 11 runs over his last three outings and is up to a 2.95 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 39.2 innings. Bassitt is in line to face the Angels on the road next week.

Kirk went 3-for-4 with a two-run single in Friday's 5-3 win over Cleveland.

Kirk put the Jays on the board in the third inning on a single to left field that brought Vladimir Guerrero and Anthony Santander home. It was Kirk's ninth multi-hit game of the season, four of which have come over his last six games. Over that span, the 26-year-old backstop has gone 10-for-24 with one home run and six RBI.

Lukes went 1-for-2 with a two-run single in Friday's 5-3 win over the Guardians.

Lukes pinch hit for Myles Straw in the sixth inning and struck out, but the former bounced back in the eighth, when he smacked a two-run single to right field to give the Blue Jays a two-run lead. With Daulton Varsho back from the injured list, Lukes is competing with Straw, Alan Roden and Addison Barger for reps in the outfield. Lukes has gone 7-for-17 with one home run and four RBI over his last six games.

Springer went 1-for-1 with two walks, two runs scored, one stolen base and a solo home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Guardians.

Springer was back in the starting lineup after getting Thursday off and played a key role in the Blue Jays' victory Friday. He belted a solo home run off Logan Allen in the fifth inning to give Toronto a lead, and after stealing second base in the eighth, Springer came around to score on a two-run single by Nathan Lukes. Springer ranks fourth and sixth in the American League in OPS (.946) and batting average (.314), respectively.

Joyce (shoulder) said Friday that he's no longer throwing but will try again next week, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The fireballing reliever indicated that he has paused his throwing program because he didn't feel right while recently playing catch. Joyce was placed on the injured list April 11, and given his continued shoulder discomfort, he's likely at least a few weeks away from a potential return. Per Fletcher, tests on Joyce's shoulder haven't revealed anything beyond his original diagnosis of inflammation.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 13-1 loss to the Mariners.

Smith's ninth-inning blast off Troy Taylor kept the Rangers from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive they could take from the game. Smith had gone just 5-for-28 (.179) over nine contests since his last homer against the Athletics on April 22. The utility player has slowed down a bit but still has a .296/.380/.457 slash line over 93 plate appearances this season. He's added three homers, seven RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases and four doubles in 27 games.