MLB Player News

Smith hit a walk-off solo home run in his lone at-bat in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Smith pinch hit for Dalton Rushing in the ninth inning and took Arizona reliever John Curtiss deep for the walk-off win. August wasn't kind to Smith -- while he hit three homers over 22 games, he batted just .159 (11-for-69) with 10 RBI and a 15:24 BB:K for the month. He's up to 17 homers, 60 RBI, 62 runs scored and two stolen bases while batting .293 with a .901 OPS through 107 contests this season.

The Cubs are expected to option Caissie to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

After being called up from Triple-A on Aug. 14, Caissie struggled to carve out a regular role in the Chicago outfield and slashed just .208/.240/.375 through his first 25 big-league plate appearances. He'll get the chance to resume playing on an everyday basis at Iowa and will cede his spot on the active roster to Kevin Alcantara, who si expected to be called up from Triple-A on Monday in a corresponding transaction.

Scott allowed three runs on three hits and a walk over one inning, taking a blown save in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

This wasn't shaping up as a traditional save chance for Scott, as he was brought in for a high-leverage spot in the eighth inning. He wasn't up to the task, allowing a three-run home run to Corbin Carroll that tied the game at 4-4. This was Scott's eighth blown save of the year and his first in three outings since returning from a month-long absence due to an elbow issue. The lefty reliever is 20-for-28 in save chances with a 4.44 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB across 48.2 innings this season.

Yamamoto allowed one run on four hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter over seven innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Tanner Scott surrendered the lead in the eighth inning, denying Yamamoto the win, but it doesn't sour the starter's strong performance. This was Yamamoto's third double-digit strikeout game of the year and his first since April 18 versus the Rangers. He's also logged three straight quality starts. On the season, Yamamoto is now at a 2.82 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 167:48 K:BB through 146.2 innings across 26 starts. He's projected to make his next start on the road in Baltimore.

Chapman was pulled from Sunday's game against Baltimore after fouling a ball off his left shin/foot, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Chapman was in clear pain after the foul ball, but he remained in the game and worked a walk. However, he was subsequently replaced at first base by Casey Schmitt. The Giants were up 8-0 in the sixth inning at the time Chapman departed, so it's possible his removal was simply precautionary. San Francisco may provide an update on the veteran third baseman after he gets looked at.

The Phillies plan to have Buehler, who has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, make his first start with the big club Sept. 12 versus Kansas City, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Buehler was assigned to Lehigh Valley after signing a minor-league contract with Philadelphia on Sunday, but he'll remain at Triple-A on a short-term basis before joining the big club when it expands its rotation to six men Sept. 12. With Zack Wheeler (shoulder) out for the season, the Phillies seem to be opting to deploy a six-man rotation down the stretch, with Taijuan Walker and Buehler making up the final two starting slots. Buehler should be able to get in three starts with the Phillies if he indeed debuts with the club against Kansas City.

The Phillies officially signed Buehler to a minor-league contract Sunday and assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Though Buehler's contract is a minor-league deal, it's likely just a formality so that the Phillies can avoid a move when the active roster expands from 26 to 28 men Monday. Since the veteran hurler officially joined the organization before the end of Sunday, he'll still be eligible for the postseason roster. Buehler will likely serve in a swingman role down the stretch while offering the Phillies an experienced arm with past postseason success.

O'Brien has dealt with fatigue in his right shoulder area in recent days and is set to be examined by a doctor Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

According to Goold, the Cardinals are weighing whether to place O'Brien on the injured list, and the results of his upcoming exam will likely be vital in that decision. With the active roster expanding to 28 players Monday, the Cardinals are likely to call up at least one pitcher from the minors, and the team could bring another relief arm aboard if O'Brien heads to the IL in a corresponding move. Since the beginning of June, O'Brien has performed as one of the Cardinals' top relievers, logging two wins, two saves and five holds while pitching to a 1.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 34.2 innings.

Baldwin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Baldwin went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 3-2 loss, which ended a stretch of 11 straight starts without a multi-hit performance. Sean Murphy will catch for rookie righty Hurston Waldrep in Sunday's series finale.

Buehler agreed to a one-year contract with the Phillies on Sunday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Cut loose by the Red Sox earlier in the weekend, Buehler was able to quickly find work with another playoff-contending organization that was looking to bolster its starting depth. Though he owns a lifetime 3.56 ERA over parts of eight big-league seasons, Buehler languished during his time in Boston, submitting a 5.45 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 84:55 K:BB in 112.1 innings over 23 appearances (22 starts) before losing his spot on the roster. The 31-year-old boasts extensive playoff experience dating back to his time with the Dodgers, and the Phillies are hopeful that the right-hander can provide the pitching staff with a lift in September as the team potentially gears up for a deep postseason run. With Zack Wheeler (shoulder) recently getting shut down for the season, the Phillies have kept Taijuan Walker in the fold as their fifth starter and have received decent results from him, so Buehler won't necessarily be in store for a rotation spot right away with Philadelphia. Instead, he could head to the bullpen and serve as a long-relief option initially once the Phillies formally add him to their roster Monday.