MLB Player News

Halvorsen picked up the save in Friday's 6-4 win over the Twins, allowing one hit and no walks during a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out two.

The save was the ninth of the year for the 25-year-old right-hander, who fanned multiple batters for the first time since June 18. Halvorsen surrendered five runs while failing to record an out his last time out in Boston, so he bounced back nicely from that meltdown as well. The last-place Rockies do figure to rank toward the bottom of the major leagues in save opportunities the rest of the way, but Halvorsen at least seems to be first in line for those chances despite submitting a 5.15 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 2025.

Beck went 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 6-4 win over the Twins.

The triple was Beck's fifth of the season, and he also belted his 11th homer of the year while falling a double short of hitting for the cycle. The 24-year-old has seen close to everyday reps as Colorado's primary left fielder in 2025, and he should continue to see a boost in fantasy appeal whenever he gets to work from hitter-friendly Coors Field. Beck is hitting just .218 and slugging .419 on the road, but he's batting .310 and slugging .494 with 19 extra-base hits, 20 RBI and 26 runs scored at home.

Machado went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Friday's 7-2 win over the Nationals.

Machado launched the dagger Friday, crushing a grand slam off Kyle Finnegan in the top of the ninth as part of a five-run inning for the Padres. It was the 33-year-old's 18th long ball of the year and fourth in the last eight games, a stretch in which the veteran slugger is batting 10-for-32 (.313) with eight RBI and a 1.110 OPS. Machado has been excellent at the plate this season and continues to come through in big moments for San Diego.

Soroka did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in the loss to the Padres.

Soroka turned in a solid outing Friday, with the only damage coming on a second-inning sacrifice fly from Jake Cronenworth. However, a lack of offensive support from Washington's lineup once again left the right-hander without a chance at a win. Still, it was a step in the right direction for the 27-year-old, who has now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. Soroka will carry a 5.10 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 77:21 K:BB into his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Reds.

Albies went 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBI during Friday's 7-3 win over the Yankees.

Albies knocked a three-run home run in the third inning that broke the game wide open. The 28-year-old's four RBI are the most he's had in a game this season, and he is now up to 33 RBI and eight homers through 96 games. Despite that, Albies is still largely struggling at the plate this season, slashing just .221/.290/.324, on pace to be the worst numbers of his nine-year career across the board.

Strider (4-7) picked up the win after throwing six shutout innings Friday, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out eight during a 7-3 win over the Yankees.

As far as starts to the second half go, it'd be hard to imagine a better one for Strider. He put up all zeros in a start for the second time this season, with the other start coming June 14 against the Rockies. That start against Colorado marked the beginning of a seven-start streak of allowing three runs or fewer that is still ongoing. Over that time, the 26-year-old is 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 58 strikeouts across 42.2 frames.

Cease did not factor into the decision in Friday's win against the Nationals, dealing 5.1 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts.

Cease bounced back in dominant fashion Friday, silencing the Nationals into the sixth inning while racking up double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season. The right-hander had been in a rough patch leading up to this start, posting a 6.51 ERA over 27.2 innings over his previous five appearances. While consistency has eluded the 29-year-old ace at times this year, his ability to miss bats remains intact, as he's now tallied 139 strikeouts across 108.2 innings. Cease will look to build on this performance when he takes the mound against the Marlins next week.

Thielbar tossed a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts to earn a hold in Friday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

After allowing two runs in his last appearance before the All-Star break, Thielbar got back into a groove Friday. The veteran lefty has been scored upon only six times in 41 outings this season, leaving him with a solid 2.23 ERA to go along with 10 holds and two wins out of Chicago's bullpen. After posting a 5.32 ERA last year for Minnesota, Thielbar has bounced back in his first year with the Cubs, working as an effective bridge to closer Daniel Palencia, who earned his 13th save of the season Friday.

Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

Suzuki's 26th home run of the season with two runners on in the first inning ended up being the difference in the game. The outfielder has already set a new career high in long balls, and he's now up to sixth in the majors this year. Suzuki's 80 RBI, which are also a new career best, are good for third in MLB, trailing only sluggers Cal Raleigh with 82 and Aaron Judge with 81. Now in his fourth season since coming over from Japan, Suzuki is really taking off as an offensive force for the Cubs.

Palencia picked up the save Friday, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to close out a 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

Called upon to protect a three-run lead, Palencia continued his excellent run in the ninth Friday, working around a base hit to record his 13th consecutive save and improve to 13-for-14 in save opportunities this season. The 25-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.53 and has now tallied 39 strikeouts across 35.1 innings of work.