MLB Player News

Heaney (5-14) took the loss Sunday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings.

All three runs against Heaney came in the opening frame when Mitch Garver crushed a first-pitch fastball out to center field. Heaney had to work around some traffic on the bases in the second, third and fifth innings but ultimately held the Mariners scoreless after the three-run first. The seven hits allowed were the most by Heaney since he allowed seven on July 26 and he's now given up a home run in back-to-back starts. He's also lost to Seattle in all three meetings this year. For the season, Heaney owns a 3.89 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 152:40 K:BB in 150.1 innings. He lines up to face the Mariners again at home over the weekend.

Rodriguez allowed a run on three hits and one walk over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Sunday. He struck out two during the win over St. Louis.

Rodriguez worked through four shutout frames before the Cardinals tallied a run in the fifth inning. He's thrown fewer than six innings in 11 consecutive appearances, registering a 4.75 ERA while going 0-3 over 47.1 frames during that span. Rodriguez owns a 4.29 ERA with a 77:35 K:BB through 77.2 innings on the year. His next start is lined up to be in Tampa Bay.

Green allowed two hits in a scoreless inning Sunday, striking out one and earning a save against the Cardinals.

Green gave up a pair of singles but forced a Jordan Walker pop-out to close out the 3-2 win. Green made his first appearance since coughing up four runs in a loss against the Mets on Sept. 11. It was also his first converted save chance since Aug. 29 after blowing his previous three in September. Green owns a 3.42 ERA with a 44:14 K:BB through 50 innings.

Martinez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Rays.

Martinez was hitless in his return to the majors Saturday, but he followed it up with a better game Sunday. He's had the opportunity to fill in for Steven Kwan (body fatigue) this weekend, though Martinez could later push Will Brennan and Jhonkensy Noel for a piece of right field once Kwan is able to return to the lineup. Martinez has a .241/.318/.371 slash line with three home runs, three steals, nine RBI and 14 runs scored over 133 plate appearances in the majors this year, though his .274/.356/.456 slash line over 55 games with Triple-A Columbus displays some of his contact-oriented upside.

Rutschman went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers.

This was Rutschman's first homer in nearly a month, and he hit just .175 (14-for-80) over 22 contests between long balls. It's been an unusually long slump for the star catcher, which has seen him drop to fifth in the order after most frequently batting second for most of the season. He's still got some time to set aim for his second straight 20-homer year -- he's one shy now while adding 76 RBI, 63 runs scored, one stolen base and a .254/.324/.400 slash line over 137 contests.

Ward went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Astros.

A late surge has seen Ward slug seven homers over his last 15 games to give himself a career-best 24 long balls this season. He's hit safely in 10 of 13 games in September, going 15-for-46 (.326) in that span. The outfielder is up to a .246/.321/.437 slash line with 68 RBI, 70 runs scored, four stolen bases and 26 doubles over 143 contests this season, and he's regularly hit leadoff over the last month.

Dana (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 3.1 innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Astros.

Dana allowed five runs for the second start in a row, though he was able to pitch fairly well the first time through the order. Four of the five runs on his line came in the fourth inning. Dana now has a 10.45 ERA, 2.03 WHIP and 8:7 K:BB over 10.1 innings through three big-league starts. The 20-year-old offers little fantasy appeal in redraft formats, but this rough first stint in the majors shouldn't impact his long-term outlook. He's tentatively projected for a rematch with the Astros in Houston for his next start.

Heyward went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI, one stolen base and two total runs scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Angels.

Heyward opened the scoring with his third-inning homer and added an RBI single an inning later. This was his first multi-hit effort as an Astro, though he's often featured off the bench, going 7-for-26 (.269) over 14 contests since he signed with Houston. Overall, he has a .216/.293/.412 slash line with eight homers, five steals, 34 RBI and 31 runs scored across 77 games between the Astros and the Dodgers. The bulk of Heyward's playing time will come against right-handed pitchers.

Hader allowed a hit and struck out one without being charged with a run over two-thirds of an inning to earn the save in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Angels.

Hader inherited a bases-loaded situation with one out and let all three inherited runners score, but he was able to avoid a total collapse. Caleb Ferguson was charged with all three runs, so Hader was able to log his third scoreless outing over five appearances in September. The closer has 31 saves in 33 chances this year while pitching to a 3.32 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 96:22 K:BB through 65 innings.

Blanco (11-6) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out five over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Angels on Sunday.

Blanco struggled with a 4.98 ERA over 34.1 innings across seven appearances immediately after the All-Star break. He's since turned things around with a 13-inning scoreless streak over three outings (two starts) in September, though it likely helped that he had a turn through the rotation skipped last week. Overall, Blanco has a 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 154:64 K:BB through 156.1 innings this season. If the Astros stick with a six-man rotation this week, Blanco is lined up to face the Angels again, with that outing in Houston.