MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Yankees.

The three RBI matched a season high for Encarnacion-Strand and were his first in nine games. He supplied plenty of pop early in his return from the injured list but entered Tuesday with a .107 average and zero extra-base hits over the previous eight contests. Across his 49 at-bats since returning from a back injury, the slugging infielder is batting a healthy .265 with three home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI. Encarnacion-Strand remains in a timeshare with Spencer Steer at first base, however, and the former could face even more competition for playing time once Noelvi Marte (oblique) is ready to rejoin the Reds.

Nelson allowed one run on one hit and three walks while striking out seven in five innings Tuesday against the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.

Nelson recorded six of the first seven outs via strikeout. He relied heavily on his four-seamer, throwing it nearly 80 percent of the time, and racked up six of his seven punchouts with the pitch. Nelson has allowed just two hits over his last two starts and has allowed two earned runs over his last 15.2 innings. He lines up for a home start versus the Giants to begin next week.

Ortiz went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's win against Pittsburgh.

Ortiz opened the game's scoring with a two-run shot in the third inning and added a solo blast in the fourth. It was his first long ball since May 23, snapping a 28-game drought. Ortiz has gone 14-for-33 (.424) over his last eight games and now owns a .217/.275/.297 slash line through 78 appearances.

Heaney (3-7) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks over four-plus innings Tuesday, striking out three and taking a loss against Milwaukee.

Heaney delivered a pair of scoreless innings before his outing unraveled. He gave up three total home runs in the third and fourth frames, including two by Joey Ortiz. The Brewers tacked on another run in the fifth inning. Heaney has given up seven runs across four innings in back-to-back starts, driving his season ERA up from 3.33 to 4.48 through 86.1 innings. He hasn't won a start since May 21, going 0-4 with a 6.46 in six outings since then. Heaney is expected to face the Cardinals at home next week.

Olson went 2-for-4 with three RBI, a double, a run scored and a walk in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Mets.

Olson extended his on-base streak to 25 games in his big night at the plate, during which he racked up three RBI for the fourth time in June. Over his last 112 plate appearances, the star first baseman is slashing .304/.420/.522 with three home runs, 11 doubles and 23 RBI. Olson has also tallied at least one hit in 13 of his last 15 outings.

Peralta (8-4) yielded three runs on seven hits over five-plus innings Tuesday, striking out eight and earning a win over the Pirates.

Peralta rolled through five shutout frames before stumbling in the sixth inning. He gave up three straight hits without recording an out, capped off by Nick Gonzales' three-run shot, which ended his outing. Peralta has won three straight starts but has completed only five innings in each of his last two appearances. It was his first start without issuing a walk since April 2. The 29-year-old righty now owns a 2.90 ERA with a 98:34 K:BB through 93 frames. Peralta is lined up for a road matchup against the Mets next week.

Iglesias secured the save in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Mets, allowing one hit and recording the final two outs. He struck out one.

Enyel De Los Santos was unable to slam the door on the Mets, which prompted manager Brian Snitker to turn to Iglesias for his ninth save of the season. It was Iglesias' first save opportunity since he gave up three runs during his June 5 outing, and Tuesday was his first converted save since May 16. Pierce Johnson worked the sixth inning Tuesday, while Dylan Lee may not have been available after throwing 1.1 innings for a save Monday, but it was still an encouraging outing by Iglesias as he tries to reclaim the closer role -- he's posted six straight scoreless appearances with a 5:0 K:BB.

Tucker went 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI in a loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Tucker went 0-for-4 in Monday's contest but has been mostly locked in lately, and Tuesday was no exception. Over his last 10 games, the outfielder has gone 14-for-36 with six extra-base hits, five RBI and eight runs scored. This was the second three-hit effort for Tucker during his recent hot stretch, and he remains an elite fantasy option across all formats, especially when he's seeing the ball this well.

Vargas was removed from Tuesday's game against the White Sox with a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Vargas took a pitch off his foot during the second inning of Tuesday's contest but remained in the game until the fourth. A trip to the injured list is likely in the 33-year-old's future, though there's currently no telling how long he'll be sidelined.

With Ben Brown getting optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Horton figures to stick in the Cubs' rotation when Shota Imanaga (hamstring) returns later this week.

With Imanaga's return imminent, Chicago has to make room in the rotation, and for now it seems like Horton will keep his spot. The Cubs could have gone with a six-man rotation or moved Colin Rea into a long-relief role. However, with Brown getting tagged for eight runs in his start Monday, the team decided he's the one to go for now, with Horton and Rea sticking as starters along with Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. Horton has pitched well during his rookie campaign, compiling a 3.73 ERA across his first eight MLB appearances. He's penciled in to start Friday against the Astros on the road.