MLB Player News

Durbin went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Friday's 13-1 win over the Athletics.

Durbin drove in one run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before closing out the scoring with an RBI double an inning later. The third baseman extended hit and RBI streaks to five games, during which he's gone 8-for-20 with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI.

Gomez struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning to collect his 16th save of the season in Friday's 8-6 win over Milwaukee.

Gomez began the frame with a six-pitch strikeout of Jake Bauers and needed just six more pitches to collect the final two outs of the game. He's now tallied a save in back-to-back games and still seems to be the team's preferred closer despite the addition of Jeff Hoffman at the trade deadline.

Culpepper went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Friday's win over the Brewers.

Culpepper took left-hander Shane Drohan deep in the fourth inning of Friday's contest to check off numerous firsts in what was only the second at-bat in the young infielder's MLB career. Culpepper figures to start nearly every day for the Twins now that he's been called up from Triple-A, and he offers plenty of fantasy upside after slashing .271/.367/.478 with 14 homers, 46 RBI, 63 runs and 17 steals across 74 games at Triple-A.

Smith went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and an additional run scored in Friday's 6-3 win over the Padres.

Smith provided one of his best performances of the season, opening the scoring with a solo shot off Robbie Ray in the second inning before going deep again against Yuki Matsui to lead off the sixth, and he later singled and scored in the eighth. The two-homer effort was Smith's second multi-homer game of the season and pushed his total to 15 long balls. The 23-year-old has also gone 10-for-20 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored since the beginning of August, though he's hitting just .222 on the year with a .686 OPS.

Bateman went 1-for-2 with two walks, a double and a run scored in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies.

Making his MLB debut, Bateman got the start in center field and hit ninth and didn't appear overmatched -- the 24-year-old lashed the very first pitch he saw from Zack Wheeler off the wall in left-center field, missing a homer by a foot or two. The Blue Jays have a vacancy in center after trading Daulton Varsho at the deadline, and Bateman could claim the strong side of a platoon with Myles Straw if he keeps producing. Over 84 Triple-A games this season between Buffalo and Iowa, Bateman compiled a .311/.429/.416 slash line with three homers and 20 steals.

Hader struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Padres.

Hader was tasked with protecting a three-run advantage and faced little resistance in locking down Houston's victory. The left-hander retired all three batters he faced while recording one strikeout, needing just eight pitches to finish the job. Hader is now a perfect 16-for-16 in save opportunities this season and owns a sparkling 1.08 ERA with an 0.80 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in just 25 frames across 27 appearances. The veteran not only remains firmly entrenched as Houston's closer, but he also ranks among the most reliable fantasy options at the position.

Abreu (4-3) walked one and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win in Friday's 6-3 victory over the Padres.

Abreu entered with two outs in the seventh and Houston holding a 5-3 advantage, and he recorded four outs without allowing a hit. The right-hander worked around a walk and struck out two before handing things over to Josh Hader for the ninth. Despite a 4.29 ERA, Abreu remains one of Houston's primary high-leverage options ahead of Hader, and he's been on a roll of late. This was his 11th straight scoreless outing, a stretch in which he's posted a 0.64 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB across 11 innings.

Blanco allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.2 innings Friday against the Padres. He did not factor into the decision.

Blanco was handed a 3-0 lead by the third inning but couldn't make it through five frames. The right-hander allowed two runs, including an RBI triple to Jackson Merrill in the fourth, before Fernando Tatis took him deep in the fifth. Blanco was pulled after issuing a two-out walk later in the frame, leaving him one out shy of qualifying for the win. He's now failed to complete five innings in three of his four starts this season, and his ERA sits at an ugly 6.98 with a 17:11 K:BB in 19.1 total innings. Blanco is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Giants.

Contreras (illness) returned to Fenway Park on Friday and participated in baseball activities, MLB.com reports.

Contreras was removed from Wednesday's game with dizziness and high temperatures. He could possibly return to the lineup Saturday.

Smith went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies.

Getting the start at third base while Kazuma Okamoto covered first for Vladimir Guerrero (hamstring), Smith collected his first hits in four games as a member of the Blue Jays, including an eighth-inning long ball off Caleb Kilian. It's been a disappointing season for the 29-year-old utility player, but a fresh start may be just what he needs after being acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline. Smith will likely continue seeing action against right-handed pitching at the hot corner while Guerrero is sidelined.