MLB Player News

Sasaki didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 2-1 win over the Yankees, allowing one unearned run on five hits and one walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander was lifted just short of his fifth quality start of the season after 94 pitches (58 strikes) with the Dodgers down 1-0, but a seventh-inning rally took Sasaki off the hook for the loss. It was an encouraging performance after he'd given up at least three earned runs in his last five starts before the All-Star break, a stretch in which he stumbled to an 8.61 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 20:12 K:BB over 23 innings while serving up nine homers. Sasaki will look to build on this effort in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next weekend against the Mets.

Saalfrank (shoulder) has begun a throwing program, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

The throwing program began with Saalfrank tossing out to 60 feet. The left-hander underwent shoulder surgery ahead of spring training and is considered out for the season.

Kelly did not factor into the decision Friday, giving up three runs (one earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks over five innings against St. Louis.

The Cardinals tallied two unearned runs on two hits, a walk and an error during the opening frame, but Kelly then kept St. Louis off the board until JJ Wetherholt's solo homer during the fifth inning. The veteran right-hander was unable to extend his win streak to three games, but he continued a strong run of form with a 2.12 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB across his last 17 innings. Kelly still has a lot of work to do to bring down his 5.20 ERA and 1.49 WHIP for the campaign.

O'Brien allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning to pick up the save Friday against the Diamondbacks.

The 31-year-old produced an eighth straight scoreless appearance and is once again tied with Mason Miller atop the National League with 25 saves. During that scoreless stretch, O'Brien has surrendered just three hits and three walks while recording seven saves, though he hasn't been particularly dominant with seven strikeouts.

McGreevy did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk over 6.1 innings in a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks. He struck out five.

McGreevy was unable to pick up a second straight victory since St. Louis didn't score the game-deciding run until the ninth inning, but he delivered a fourth consecutive quality start and now has seven quality starts in his past eight outings. The 27-year-old seems to have found his footing during his first full season as a big-league starter with a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 71:24 K:BB across 108 innings (19 starts).

Adames went 1-for-5 with a grand slam and two strikeouts in Friday's victory over Seattle.

The veteran shortstop came through his 16th homer of the year with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, pushing San Francisco's lead to 7-0. Adames otherwise didn't do much at the plate and is now batting .220 (9-for-41) with one double, two homers, nine RBI and six runs through 11 games in July.

Roupp (7-8) earned the win Friday, allowing two hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings against the Mariners. He struck out two.

Roupp surrendered just one run over eight innings during his final start before the All-Star break versus Toronto on July 6, and he delivered another strong performance Friday to secure his second straight victory. The right-hander won five of his first six starts of the season and had a 2.55 ERA during that span before stumbling to a 5.77 ERA in his subsequent eight outings, but he's found his footing of late with a quality start in four of his past five appearances. Roupp will take a 3.98 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 106:45 K:BB across 104 frames into his next start, which tentatively lines up to come in Kansas City.

Shaw is still feeling discomfort related to his left hand sprain and has yet to resume swinging a bat, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Shaw has been sidelined by his sprained hand since late June, and he likely will remain without a timeline to return until he's able to swing a bat without any pain. In the meantime, Seiya Suzuki should continue to receive the majority of the starts in right field, with Michael Conforto and Kevin Alcantara getting occasional reps.

France went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored while striking out once in Friday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to Kansas City.

France came up with two outs in the ninth, with his team trailing 3-2, and blasted a game-tying solo home run off Alex Lange to send the game to extras. The 32-year-old's home run marked his second blast in his last three games. On the season, France has batted .268/.328/.502 with 12 homers and 34 RBI in 233 plate appearances.

Manager Pat Murphy said after Friday's win over Miami that he believes Frelick (shoulder) "won't be able to go anytime soon," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The Brewers pulled Frelick out of Friday's contest when he reported soreness in his shoulder after making a throw from right field in the fourth inning, and although no decisions have been made just yet, Murphy's comments suggest that the 26-year-old will have to spend some time on the injured list. Frelick will presumably head in for imaging to determine the severity of his injury, at which point a timeline for his return could emerge. In the meantime, Luis Lara figures to receive regular opportunities in the outfield.