MLB Player News

Aranda went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Friday against the Blue Jays.

Aranda has started five straight games and 12 of the Rays' last 14 contests. He's played primarily at first base but has also made three starts at second base-- including Friday night. Since Aranda has gotten regular playing time, he's gone 12-for-44 with three home runs, four RBI and seven runs scored while striking out only 14 percent of the time.

Ornelas started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Mariners.

Ornelas appeared in just his third game since being called up at the beginning of the month. He filled in for Josh Jung, who was shut down for a couple of days due to discomfort in the area near where he underwent wrist surgery earlier this year. The Rangers aren't yet mathematically eliminated from the postseason, but that could happen this weekend. At that point, the club may not want to risk bringing Jung back. If that were to occur, Ornelas and Ezequiel Duran would likely share the hot corner for the remainder of the regular season.

Alexander didn't factor into the decision Friday against Toronto, allowing two hits and a walk over 4.1 shutout innings. He struck out six.

Alexander was sharp Friday, holding Toronto to just two singles, though he'd fail to qualify for the win as the Rays turned to the bullpen in the fifth inning after Alexander hit 65 pitches. Still, it was an encouraging performance from the left-hander, who had allowed 20 earned runs and eight homers in his previous six outings (27.1 innings). Overall, Alexander is 6-5 with a 5.35 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 84:24 K:BB over 102.2 innings this year. He's lined up to face the Tigers on the road next week in what will likely be his final start of the season.

Tucker went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Friday's 9-7 win over the Angels.

His sixth-inning blast off Roansy Contreras wrapped up the scoring for the Astros on the night. Tucker has been doing his best to make up for lost time since coming off the IL in early September, and over 12 games since his activation he's slashing .342/.447/.526 with two homers, five RBI and 10 runs.

Hader struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 33rd save of the season in a 9-7 win over the Angels.

The Houston closer has been dominant to close out the regular season, striking out multiple batters in eight of his last 15 appearances while posting a 1.69 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and 22:4 K:BB through 16 innings over that stretch. Hader has reached triple-digit strikeouts on the season for the fourth time in his career, and he's produced at least 33 saves in four straight campaigns.

Verlander came away with a no-decision in Friday's 9-7 win over the Angels, surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

The 41-year-old righty was staked to a 6-1 lead after three innings, but Verlander couldn't stick around long enough to qualify for the win, as he got the hook after 86 pitches (60 strikes). Verlander hasn't lasted more than five innings in any of his six starts since coming off the IL in late August, and his 8.89 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB through 27.1 innings over that stretch makes it uncertain if he even has enough left in the tank to be part of Houston's postseason rotation. Verlander is scheduled to make one more regular-season start, on the road next weekend in Cleveland.

Wagaman went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 9-7 loss to the Astros.

The 27-year-old is having a nice finish to the season in his first look at big-league pitching. Over the last seven games, Wagaman's batting .355 (11-for-31) with four doubles, two homers, five runs and seven RBI, and he's at least put himself in position to compete for a regular spot on the 26-man roster next spring.

Festa yielded a run on four hits and three walks over five innings in a no-decision Friday. He struck out six during the extra-innings win over Boston.

Festa worked through three scoreless frames before the Red Sox scratched across a run in the fourth inning. He's thrown five or fewer innings in each of his four starts this month, posting a 4.58 ERA over 17.2 frames. He's gone 0-4 with a 4.29 ERA over eight appearances since his first career MLB win Aug. 5. Festa is tentatively lined up to take on the Marlins at home next week.

Pillar went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 9-7 loss to the Astros.

In his return from a thumb injury, the veteran outfielder took Hector Neris deep in the seventh inning as the Angels tried to mount a comeback from an early 6-1 deficit, but it was the last run Pillar's team would score on the night. Pillar's 11 steals on the season are his most since 2019, and the 35-year-old has managed a respectable .242/.300/.402 slash line over 291 plate appearances with eight homers, 36 runs and 45 RBI.

Anderson (10-14) took the loss Friday, coughing up six runs (three earned) on eight hits over 2.2 innings as the Angels were downed 9-7 by the Astros. He struck out four.

The southpaw's own error helped cushion the blow to his ERA, but Anderson got hit hard before getting the hook after 75 pitches (50 strikes), with both Alex Bregman and Jake Meyers taking him deep in the third inning. Anderson hasn't lasted more than five innings in any of his last five outings, stumbling to a 5.82 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB through 21.2 innings over that stretch. He lines up to make his final start of 2024 on the road next week against the White Sox.