MLB Player News

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday in a loss to the Brewers.

Ohtani batted second in the lineup for the first time this season, and the move paid off when he followed a Mookie Betts single in the third inning with a two-run blast to left field. The two-way superstar has homered in each of his past two contests and is up to 34 long balls on the campaign, though he's been passed for the NL lead by Eugenio Suarez, who has 35 home runs after going deep four times over the weekend. Suarez is also up on Ohtani by 20 RBI, which is due in part to the latter hitting leadoff throughout the season until Sunday. If Betts can get his bat back on track while taking over in the leadoff role, Ohtani could see more run-scoring opportunities moving forward.

Horton didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Boston, allowing two hits and three walks across 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four.

Horton has endured a rollercoaster stretch on the mound, logging three scoreless starts in his last six appearances while allowing at least four runs in the other three. Despite some excellent individual performances, Horton hasn't added a tally to the win column in seven outings. Overall, the 23-year-old owns a 4.04 ERA and a 47:21 K:BB across 62.1 innings. He's slated to make his next start against the White Sox.

Farmer went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Sunday against the Twins.

The Rockies' middle infield has been in flux with the return of Ezequiel Tovar, while both Ryan Ritter (finger) and Thairo Estrada (thumb) are on the injured list. Tovar was on the bench Sunday, allowing Farmer and Orlando Arcia the chance to be in the lineup -- with the former at second base. Moving forward, Arcia will presumably get the first chance at the role, though he and Farmer have split time evenly since Estrada has been sidelined.

Moniak went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday against the Twins.

Moniak accounted for the Rockies' only run with his 14th home run of the season in the third inning. He now has at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games, during which he's gone 18-for-42 (.429) with three homers, nine RBI, eight runs scored and two stolen bases. Moniak also led off Sunday with Tyler Freeman (illness) sidelined, which will be something worth monitoring if Freeman is forced to miss additional time.

Marte started in right field and went 1-for-4 in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mets.

Marte made his first career start in the outfield and fielded just one ball in right field. He handled it cleanly, scooping up a groundball single and making a nice one-hop throw to the plate. Reds manager Terry Francona told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that Marte's not ready to play everyday in right field but could see occasional work there against certain lefties.

Diaz went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Nationals.

Diaz chased MacKenzie Gore with a two-run homer in the third inning and later added a single in the seventh. It was a much-needed effort for the 34-year-old, who entered Sunday in an 0-for-17 slump to begin July. For the year, he's slashing just .198/.270/.307 with five home runs, 16 RBI and 23 runs scored across 214 plate appearances while sharing time behind the plate with Martin Maldonado.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Nationals.

Bogaerts got the scoring started early with a grand slam off MacKenzie Gore in the first inning, marking his first long ball since June 29. The 32-year-old has now hit safely in nine of his past 11 games, tallying five multi-hit efforts along with five runs scored, five RBI and three steals during that stretch. For the year, he's slashing .267/.344/.378 with six home runs, 35 RBI, 41 runs scored and 16 stolen bases across 393 plate appearances.

Pivetta (10-2) earned the win against the Nationals on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts over six innings.

Pivetta was given an early lead and ran with it, with his only blemish being a solo homer in the fifth inning. The 32-year-old has now delivered four quality starts while allowing just two earned runs over his last five turns, a stretch that includes an impressive 36:6 K:BB. He'll take a 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 127:30 K:BB across 115.1 innings this season into a road matchup with the Cardinals next weekend.

McLain went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mets.

McLain had a hand in both Cincinnati runs. His first-inning single contributed to the the first run, and then he walked and stole a base before scoring a game-tying run in the eighth. The steal was his 14th through 90 games, tying the career-high mark he established as a rookie over 89 games in 2023.

Heaney (4-9) yielded seven runs on nine hits and two walks over four-plus innings Sunday, striking out one and taking a loss against the White Sox.

Heaney struggled right out of the gate Sunday, coughing up four runs in the first inning. All four runs came via the long ball; Miguel Vargas ripped a three-run shot before Mike Tauchman knocked a solo homer just two pitches later. The White Sox later scored another run in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth, all being charged to Heaney. Heaney produced a 3.33 ERA through his first 14 starts of the year but has been tagged with 28 runs over his last 23.2 frames, driving his season ERA up to 5.03 across 102 innings. Heaney is 1-6 with a 7.58 ERA over his last 10 outings. Heaney is projected for a home matchup against the Diamondbacks next weekend.