MLB Player News

Fairbanks (3-4) blew the save and took the loss Sunday against the Brewers after allowing three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning.

Fairbanks entered in the ninth inning tasked with protecting a one-run lead but allowed a leadoff single before issuing a walk to Brice Turang. He briefly settled down with a strikeout, but William Contreras followed with a three-run walk-off homer to hand Fairbanks his fourth loss of the season. The right-hander has now blown three of his 16 save opportunities, and after posting a 6.83 ERA and 1.41 WHIP during the first half, Sunday's outing did little to inspire confidence for fantasy managers heading into the future.

France went 2-for-6 with two home runs and five RBI in Sunday's 19-2 win over the Royals.

France surged late, launching a grand slam in the eighth inning before following it up with a solo shot in the ninth. The 32-year-old is riding a seven-game hitting streak, going deep four times with four multi-hit efforts, nine RBI and seven runs scored during that stretch. On the season, he's slashing .275/.335/.537 with 14 homers, 39 RBI, 28 runs scored and a stolen base across 243 plate appearances.

Gasser did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Marlins, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five over five innings.

Gasser's only blemish came on an Esteury Ruiz solo homer in the third inning, and he closed his outing by retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced. He exited the outing in line for a loss until Milwaukee broke through in the ninth for a walk-off win. The left-hander bounced back nicely after surrendering seven runs over three innings against the Pirates in his final start before the All-Star break. He'll carry a 4.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48:14 K:BB into his next scheduled start at home against the Rockies. Until Kyle Harrison (elbow) returns from the injured list, Gasser should continue to have a spot in Milwaukee's rotation.

Merrill went 4-for-6 with two home runs, four RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 19-2 win over the Royals.

Merrill went deep in the fourth and ninth innings while reaching the 20-steal mark for the first time in his career. It was the 23-year-old's first four-hit and two-homer effort of the campaign, as he snapped an 0-for-13 skid over his previous three games. On the year, he's slashing .221/.277/.363 with 12 homers, 42 RBI, 45 runs scored and 20 steals across 407 plate appearances.

Tatis went 2-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday's 19-2 win over the Royals.

Tatis drove in runs on three separate occasions, highlighted by a solo shot in the sixth inning. It marked the second straight contest in which the 27-year-old tallied a homer and a stolen base, and he's gone 6-for-12 overall in three games since returning from the All-Star break. On the season, he's slashing .284/.347/.393 with seven long balls, 41 RBI, 49 runs scored and 25 steals across 430 plate appearances.

Marquez did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 19-2 win over the Royals, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over three innings.

Marquez was staked an early lead but departed at just 59 pitches after loading the bases and failing to record an out in the fourth inning. The 31-year-old has yielded three or fewer earned runs in each of his four July outings (three starts), though he's completed five frames just once during that span. He owns a 5.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 30:22 K:BB across 44.2 innings this season and lines up to face the Marlins on the road next weekend.

Perez did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Brewers, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out nine over six scoreless innings.

Perez threw 66 of his 93 pitches for strikes and generated 17 whiffs in a dominant outing to start his second half of the season. He never faced more than four batters in an inning and struck out the side twice. The Marlins were unable to hold the lead in the ninth, costing Perez the win. The right-hander picked up where he left off before the All-Star break, as he has now posted a 1.14 ERA and 46:9 K:BB across 39.1 innings in his last six starts. He'll carry a 3.53 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 104:37 K:BB into his next scheduled start at home against the Padres.

Mead went 1-for-3 with two walks, one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Athletics.

Mead has gone 19-for-46 (.413) over 12 contests in July, hitting safely in 10 of those games. He's also logged nine extra-base hits and nine RBI in that span. He's up to a .256 batting average and .861 OPS on the year while adding 17 home runs, six steals, 48 RBI, 47 runs scored, 16 doubles and one triple over 83 contests in a breakout campaign.

Ford went 1-for-3 with a double, a hit-by-pitch, one RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Athletics.

Ford was in the lineup for the second time in three games coming out of the All-Star break. The catcher has gone 3-for-8 with two extra-base hits and four RBI in those contests and looks to be in position to challenge Keibert Ruiz for playing time, particularly against left-handed pitchers. If Ford can hit well, he could also be in the mix for time as the designated hitter.

Young went 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Athletics.

Young has logged three steals over his last three games. He continues to fill a part-time role in the Nationals' outfield, though he has gone 6-for-20 (.300) at the plate over his seven games in July. Overall, he's batting .225 with a .654 OPS, eight home runs, 11 steals, 32 RBI and 36 runs scored over 298 plate appearances.