MLB Player News

Verlander allowed a run on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus the Pirates on Tuesday.

Verlander threw 61 of 94 pitches for strikes in one of his better performances this year. A Liover Peguero solo home run was the only blemish on Verlander's line in this start, but the Giants didn't give him enough run support. The right-hander has rebounded in late July thanks to some easier matchups, allowing just one run over his last 10 innings. He's at a 4.53 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 77:34 K:BB through 89.1 innings across 18 starts this season. His next start is expected to be a rematch on the road in Pittsburgh early next week.

Pham went 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants.

Pham's hitting streak is up to nine games, during which he's batting .455 (15-for-33) with five extra-base hits and four RBI. The outfielder has been locked in battles for playing time in left field all year, but he looks to have fended off the latest challenge from Jack Suwinski. Overall, Pham has a .273/.342/.380 slash line with four home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs scored and three stolen bases through 275 plate appearances, offering little category coverage despite a decent share of playing time.

Peguero went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants.

Peguero tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning and added another RBI with a groundout in the eighth. The long ball was his first in the majors since the 2023 campaign, though he's hit a combined 18 homers over 200 games with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2024 and 2025. In the majors this year, he is batting .263 with a 1:5 BB:K across 21 plate appearances. He's made starts at first base, second base and shortstop over the last four games and appears to be a reserve utility infielder at this time.

Santana struck out two in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants.

Santana pitched a scoreless inning for a hold Monday, but he was tasked with closing out Tuesday's game since regular closer David Bednar had a 32-pitch outing Monday. Santana has been the Pirates' top setup man this year and has allowed just three runs with a 17:5 K:BB over his last 22 innings. The right-hander is at a 1.36 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 38:10 K:BB through 46.1 innings overall while adding six saves, 12 holds and a blown save.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that the CT scans Cease (head) received Monday came back negative, per 97.3 The Fan.

Cease was struck in the back of the head by a comebacker off the bat of Francisco Lindor in the third inning during Monday's win, though the ball first hopped off the ground. The veteran hurler remained in the game until the bottom of the fifth inning, and his departure didn't seem to be related to the earlier incident. Nonetheless, Cease underwent precautionary CT scans after the contest, and Shildt indicated that testing revealed no swelling or bleeding or other issues. It thus seems likely that Cease will be able to take his next turn in the rotation, which is tentatively scheduled for this weekend against St. Louis.

Falter allowed a run on two hits and four walks while striking out one over five innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Tuesday.

Falter had not walked more than two batters in any of his last five outings, though his 4.70 ERA over 23 innings in that span wasn't anything special. He limited the damage Tuesday to a Willy Adames solo home run in the fourth inning. Despite some recent mediocre performances, Falter remains fairly steady for the Pirates with a 3.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 70:39 K:BB through 113.1 innings over 22 starts. He's also matched his career high in homers allowed (17) in 29 fewer innings than last season. The southpaw is projected to make his next start at home in a rematch versus the Giants.

Happ may need to spend time on the injured list after suffering a bruised left shin during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

X-rays on Happ's shin came back negative after the game, but with Moises Ballesteros reportedly set to be recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday, the writing is on the wall for Happ's move to the injured list. If the 30-year-old outfielder ends up on the shelf, the Cubs may look to move Seiya Suzuki into the field while using Ballesteros or Justin Turner as their designated hitter.

The Cubs are expected to recall Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Ballesteros went just 3-for-16 during his first MLB stint back in May but has bounced back nicely in the minors since then, slashing .307/.374/.477 with 38 RBI and 28 runs scored over his last 51 games. The corresponding move for the 21-year-old's promotion hasn't yet been announced, though it could foreshadow a move to the IL for Ian Happ, who injured his shin during Tuesday's loss to the Brewers.

Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee.

Hoerner singled in the second and fourth innings before knocking a solo shot in the sixth. He snapped a 23-game homerless drought and now has four home runs in 103 games this season, all of them coming in his last 29 contests. In that same 29-game span, he's stolen only five bags and has not swiped any in his last six appearances. Hoerner is slashing .293/.340/.385 with 58 runs scored this year.

Rea (8-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over four-plus innings Tuesday, striking out two and taking a loss against Milwaukee.

Rea escaped some early trouble with just two runs allowed through four inefficient innings. He was then charged with two more runs in the fifth inning while failing to record an out in the frame. Rea looked impressive during a four-start winning streak but has since been tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) over nine innings in his last two outings. The veteran righty now owns a 4.25 ERA with a 75:28 K:BB through 106 frames this season. Rea will look to turn things around in his next outing, which is currently slated to be at home against the Reds next week.