MLB Player News

Romano threw two-thirds of an inning in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Orioles, allowing no baserunners in the seventh frame.

That's now seven scoreless outings in the last eight appearances for Romano, who has tumbled down Philadelphia's bullpen pecking order after opening the season as its closer. The 32-year-old right-hander has managed to produce a strong 0.72 WHIP since the start of July, and although his 4.66 ERA during that span (9.2 innings) certainly has room for improvement, a portion of that figure is attributable to a pair of mistake pitches that culminated in home runs. While his recent form is encouraging overall, it's also worth noting Romano's average fastball velocity is down under 96 mph for the first time since 2019, which bears noting considering he's coming off a 2024 campaign that was ruined by right elbow troubles.

Backhus (0-2) took the loss and was charged with a blown save against the Padres on Wednesday, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one batter over one inning.

Backhus got the call in the eighth inning after San Diego put two runners on base with one out. The lefty reliever managed to get the next two batters out to preserve an Arizona one-run lead, but he couldn't carry that over to the ninth. In that ninth frame, Ryan O'Hearn led off with a solo homer that tied the score, and a Jose Iglesias RBI single three batters later gave the Padres the lead while setting Backhus up for the loss. Backhus had earned his first career save two days earlier and appears to be in contention for save chances in an unsettled Diamondbacks bullpen that just lost Kevin Ginkel (shoulder) for at least 60 days.

DeSclafani allowed three hits and struck out four batters over 4.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Wednesday.

DeSclafani jumped into the Diamondbacks' rotation at the beginning of August and struggled in his subsequent start, giving up four runs over 2.1 frames. He was much better Wednesday, limiting the Padres to three hits and no runs. DeSclafani threw 71 pitches (50 strikes) in the appearance, so he doesn't appear to be ready to handle a full starter's workload quite yet. Nonetheless, the right-hander may have earned himself the opportunity to continue being a part of Arizona's rotation. If that's the case, his next start is lined up to come against Texas on the road.

Miller earned a save against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, striking out three batters and walking one over one hitless and scoreless inning.

The Padres rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth frame to take their first lead, and Miller got the call to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning. He issued a two-out walk but overpowered the other three batters he faced, striking them out on a combined nine pitches. Miller's first two outings with the Padres weren't great -- he allowed two runs on three hits over two frames -- but his dominance Wednesday emphasizes what a tremendous impact he could make on the team's already great bullpen. That said, Miller's fantasy value actually took a hit with his move to San Diego, as he probably isn't going to be the full-time closer given the presence of All-Star Robert Suarez. Though Miller closed Wednesday, that may have been at least partly due to Suarez tossing 1.2 frames one day earlier.

Cortes allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Arizona on Wednesday.

Cortes made his debut with San Diego after joining the club via a trade from Milwaukee on July 31. The veteran lefty was wrapping up his rehab from an elbow injury at the time of the deal and was able to jump into the Padres' rotation Wednesday and handle a relatively healthy workload of 76 pitches. However, he seemed to have some rust in his first big-league start since April 3, as he threw just 45 strikes and walked three batters. Cortes also served up a long homer to Corbin Carroll, though he was at least able to keep San Diego from falling too far behind, and the Padres eventually pulled out the win with a comeback in the ninth inning. Cortes is slated to make his second start with his new team next week in San Francisco.

Vaughn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI against Atlanta in Wednesday's 5-4 win.

Vaughn contributed a solo homer to center field in the fourth inning and added an RBI on a groundout in the following frame. The veteran first baseman is in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak during which he's batting an impressive .435 (20-for-46) with five home runs, 10 runs scored, 16 RBI and a 4:8 K:BB. Rhys Hoskins (thumb) is expected to be absent until at least late August, so Vaughn should have ample opportunity to continue to rack up stats -- and even when Hoskins does come back, it seems likely the Brewers will continue to give Vaughn everyday at-bats if he's still hitting as well as he is now.

Perkins went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two total runs and two total RBI in a 5-4 win against Atlanta on Wednesday.

Perkins' two-run homer to right field in the fifth inning gave the Brewers a 5-1 lead, and that held up as Atlanta fell short by a run. Perkins continues to thrive in the absence of Jackson Chourio (hamstring); since Chourio got hurt July 29, Perkins has started seven straight games in center field and is batting .323 with three homers, nine runs, six RBI and a stolen base during that span. Perkins went deep just six times over 121 regular-season games last year, and he's already halfway to that mark with three home runs through just 17 contests this season.

Strider (5-9) took the loss against Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowing five runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 4.2 innings.

Strider not only gave up a bloated 11 hits during his time on the mound, seven of those knocks -- five doubles and two homers -- went for extra bases. He did flash his usual swing-and-miss stuff with 15 whiffs and six punchouts, but the Brewers' quality of contact when they did hit the ball doomed the right-hander to a poor outing. The five earned runs Strider allowed tied his season-worst mark and pushed his ERA on the campaign to a below-average 4.04. However, the veteran hurler had been hitting his stride prior to Wednesday, completing at least five innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his previous 10 starts. He'll look to get back on that track in his next appearance, which is projected to come on the road against the Mets.

Megill earned a save against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and striking one out batter over one inning.

Megill had a two-run lead to work with when he entered in the ninth inning, which proved to be important when Michael Harris tagged him for a two-out solo homer. The Brewers closer was able to bounce back and strike out Drake Baldwin to notch the save. Megill had a nine-game scoreless streak snapped, but he nonetheless managed to extend his streak of successful save conversions to eight. Megill has blown only three save opportunities all season and is tied for fourth in the majors with 26 saves on the campaign.

Quintana (9-4) earned the win over Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Quintana had a rocky start to his outing, allowing three singles that created one run in the first inning. He then settled down, keeping Atlanta off the board for the next three frames before surrendering a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Quintana's seven punchouts marked a season high, and this was just the fourth time over 17 outings that he didn't issue a free pass. With nine victories so far, the veteran left-hander has a legitimate chance of surpassing his career-high mark of 13 regular-season wins, which he has achieved on three separate occasions.