MLB Player News

Dion struck out four and allowed one hit and two walks over three innings in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Marlins.

Brad Lord made his third consecutive appearance as a starter but was once again held under three innings, clearing the way for Dion to follow him in bulk relief. Dion has looked sharp in each of his three outings behind Lord, yielding no runs and giving up just two hits while posting a 12:3 K:BB in 10.1 innings during that stretch. The Nationals are likely to eventually get a potential starter in DJ Herz (elbow) back from the 60-day injured list in September, but until that happens, the Lord and Dion tandem could remain in place when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up.

Lord struck out a batter and allowed no hits and one walk over 2.2 innings in a start during Friday's 3-2 loss to the Marlins.

Though Lord has now started in three consecutive appearances, the Nationals don't seem to be looking to stretch him out. He's seen his pitch count drop in each successive start, as he threw just 31 pitches before getting pulled midway through the third inning Friday. Will Dion has worked in bulk relief in each of Lord's last three starts, and the two could continue to work in tandem when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up until the Nationals get one of DJ Herz (elbow) or Connelly Early (elbow) back from the injured list.

Williamson (shoulder) allowed one run on four hits and four walks while striking out five over four innings for Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

It was Williamson's fifth rehab appearance and fourth with the Bats. He faced adversity throughout his four innings Saturday but managed to limit the damage. The left-hander upped his pitch count to 75 (41 strikes), which indicates a return to the majors could be on the horizon.

Gurriel (adductor) started in left field and went 0-for-3 with an RBI for Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

This was the fourth rehab game for Gurriel and second of a back-to-back sequence playing left field. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that there have been convesations about Gurriel's lower-body strength and making sure he's ready to return. The back-to-back games in the field indicate he's on the verge of returning; however, a surplus of outfielders on the 26-man roster means Gurriel may not have an everyday spot in the starting lineup when he returns.

Marte (knee) is throwing and doing upper-body work at the Diamondbacks' spring training facility Saturday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Marte will add hitting to his rehab next week. The second baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday and could rejoin the club Aug. 31, when the Diamondbacks open a homestand against the Phillies.

Merrill went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a second RBI and a walk in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Twins.

Merrill had gone 0-for-4 over his previous three games, accumulating nine strikeouts in that span. He put an end to the slump with his 20th homer of the season, going deep in the second inning. Merrill was limited to 16 long balls in 115 regular-season contests last year. The outfielder is batting .241 with a .704 OPS, 65 RBI, 66 runs scored, 24 steals, 20 doubles and two triples over 127 games this year.

Miller struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Twins.

Miller retired the side on 10 pitches (eight strikes) to pick up his 32nd save of the season. This was his third perfect inning in his last three appearances, though he has pitched consecutive days and may be unavailable Sunday if a save chance arises. Miller has maintained a superb 0.83 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 99:19 K:BB through 54.1 innings this season as arguably the most reliable closer in the majors.

Tawa went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 11-5 loss to the Reds.

Tawa has gone 12-for-38 (.316) with two homers and six RBI over his last 10 games. The utility man has found a home at first base lately, and it looks like he'll stay there while Ildemaro Vargas fills in for Ketel Marte (knee) at second base. Tawa is hitting .245 with a .707 OPS, eight homers, seven stolen bases, 32 RBI, 25 runs scored and 10 doubles over 73 contests, but he's been a little better lately, batting .266 since the All-Star break.

Arenado went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and three total runs scored in Saturday's 11-5 loss to the Reds.

Arenado is up to 21 homers this season, including seven over 17 games in August. He's hitting .254 (16-for-63) with 15 RBI this month. The third baseman is batting .243 with a .768 OPS through 121 contests. Arenado battled an intercostal injury earlier in the week, but he looks set to play through it with little impact on his performance -- he's hit safely in three straight games since he returned from missing two contests due to the injury.

Soroka (8-4) allowed six runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out three over 3.1 innings, taking the loss Saturday versus the Reds.

This was Soroka's worst start in three outings since he returned from a strained glute. He didn't give up a home run, but the Reds' top half of the order was able to collect two doubles and a triple off of him. Soroka is now at a 3.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 91:24 K:BB through 95.1 innings over 18 starts this season. This was just the fourth time he's allowed four or more runs, so consider it a blip on the radar. Soroka has a good chance to bounce back since his next start is projected to come in San Francisco.