MLB Player News

Cease (4-3) picked up the win in Tuesday's 6-1 victory over the Red Sox, allowing four hits and four walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

The right-hander tossed 66 of 108 pitches for strikes and kept Boston off the board despite putting runners in scoring position in every inning he worked. It was Cease's first win since May 8, but he's hardly been pitching poorly -- in five trips to the mound since then he sports a 2.93 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 44:13 K:BB over 27.2 innings. Cease's 110 strikeouts on the season put him third in the majors behind Jacob Misiorowski's 131 and Cristopher Sanchez's 116, but his 13.6 K/9 is tops in MLB among qualified pitchers. Cease will look to stack another strong effort in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend against the Cubs.

Gasper (groin) went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter and played the final inning as the catcher in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

With two outs and two runners on in the eighth inning, Gasper pinch hit for starting catcher Connor Wong but struck out against Toronto closer Louis Varland. That Gasper could operate behind the plate -- even for only one inning -- indicates he could rejoin Boston's starting lineup Wednesday after opening the last two games on the bench.

Gonzalez (shoulder) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run for Double-A Portland on Tuesday.

Gonzalez, who opened a rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs, started at second base and played seven innings. It's unclear how many at-bats he'll need while on rehab, but Gonzalez has been taking batting practice off the Trajekt machine, which has helped rehabbing players shorten their rehab times, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. He's next scheduled to serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday followed by a day off Thursday. If he responds well, Gonzalez will likely play three consecutive days over the weekend.

Smith started at second base and went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Twins.

Smith started for the first time since being activated from the injured list Monday. A glute injury landed him on the IL in early May and was followed by a wrist issue and a case of viral meningitis. At the time of his injury, Smith was batting .217 with six RBI through 31 games and his hold on the starting job at second base was tenuous. Ezequiel Duran was making a push for more playing time and nothing has changed since. Lately, Duran has covered shortstop while Corey Seager (concussion) works his way back, but Smith is still in jeopardy of sliding back to a utility/part-time role.

Walcott (elbow) will begin to ramp up his activity soon and is still on track for a late-July or early-August return to a minor-league affiliate, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Walcott, who has played catch at moderate distances and swung off a tee while rehabbing in Arizona, was brought to Arlington over the weekend for a change of environment. His rehab from an internal brace procedure on his right elbow has gone according to plan. "I feel pretty good, I feel physical," Walcott said. "I'm looking forward to being back soon. The rehab has been going really smoothly, so I'm happy with that." Walcott's career left off at Double-A Frisco, for whom he played 124 games in 2025, and he could rejoin the organization at Triple-A Round Rock when ready to return.

Rocchio was moved up to second in the order and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Brewers.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was left scrambling over the weekend following several injuries, with Jose Ramirez's hand injury the most severe. Ramirez had settled in at the second spot in the batting order, but Vogt needs to find a replacement for the next 5-to-7 weeks. Rocchio, who's mostly batted ninth this season, got the first shot and deserved the opportunity. While his offense has slowed during the first half of June (.504 OPS), Rocchio outperformed expectations over the first two months of the season, posting a .293/.374/.415 slash line with four home runs, 27 RBI, nine steals and 26 runs across 58 games through the end of May. The configuration of the batting order could change when Chase DeLauter (ribs) and/or Angel Martinez (foot) are ready to return.

Arias started at third base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Milwaukee.

In Cleveland's first game without injured third baseman Jose Ramirez (hand), Arias got the call at the hot corner against a left-hander. It was his first appearance since being activated off the injured list Sunday. Ramirez's injury is expected to keep him sidelined between five and seven weeks, so there will be more opportunities for Arias. He could share third base with the left-handed-hitting Daniel Schneemann, while both have the ability to defend multiple positions around the diamond.

Benintendi went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Yankees.

Benintendi provided an early spark for Chicago, taking Gerrit Cole deep in the opening frame for a solo shot that gave the White Sox an early lead. The homer accounted for one of just two runs Chicago managed on the night and was Benintendi's eighth long ball of the season. The veteran outfielder has provided solid power lately, homering five times over his last 15 games. On the season, Benintendi is slashing .239/.300/.424 with 10 doubles, two triples, 33 RBI, 29 runs scored and one stolen base across 228 plate appearances.

Jones went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 12-2 win over the White Sox.

Jones got the Yankees on the board in the second inning, taking Davis Martin deep for a solo shot that marked his second homer of his rookie campaign. In his next trip to the plate, the outfielder drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another run. Since being recalled June 5, Jones has looked comfortable at the big-league level, going 7-for-22 (.318) with three extra-base hits and four walks. With how he has performed, the 25-year-old should continue to be in starting lineups against right-handers.

Gelof went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk, two total runs, two total RBI and a stolen base in a loss to the Pirates on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh was unable to retire Gelof, who collected three of the Athletics' eight hits. He knocked an infield single in the first inning that resulted in three runs, though Gelof was credited with just one RBI, as two of the scores were the result of an error. Gelof added a solo homer in the sixth, but his performance wasn't enough to prevent the Pirates from pulling out the win via a late comeback. Gelof has somewhat quietly put together a 20-game hitting streak, during which he's batting a scorching .372 with four homers, six doubles, 13 runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases.