MLB Player News

Brown (4-6) took the loss against St. Louis on Monday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Brown began his outing with three scoreless frames before serving up a two-run homer to Lars Nootbaar in the fourth. The right-handed hurler gave up two more long balls -- both of which were also two-run shots -- in the fifth, then served up another two-run blast before being pulled without retiring a batter in the sixth. Brown has struggled with consistency this season, giving up two or fewer runs in eight of his 16 outings but yielding five or more runs six times. Prior to Monday, long balls hadn't been a big problem for him, as he'd given up zero or one homer in 14 of his 15 appearances and had posted a respectable 1.1 HR/9, so his fantasy managers have reason to hope that the barrage of home runs against him Monday was an aberration. However, with Shota Imanaga (hamstring) rejoining the rotation Thursday, Brown or Colin Rea could be moved to a long-relief role or Brown could be optioned to Triple-A.

Ruiz (head) was taken to a local hospital for a CT scan after leaving Monday's game against the Padres, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Ruiz was struck by a foul ball while in the dugout and sent for further evaluation after a lump formed on the left side of his head, per Zuckerman. Riley Adams would be in line for more chances behind the plate if Ruiz is forced to miss time.

Liberatore (5-6) earned the win over the Cubs on Monday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five batters over seven innings.

Liberatore needed a tidy 85 pitches to complete seven frames, throwing 52 of those offerings for strikes. The southpaw recorded his second straight quality start following a rough three-outing stretch in late May and early June during which he went 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA. Liberatore has a 3.96 overall ERA on the campaign, but without that poor three-start span it would be at 2.74 across 72.1 frames. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start in Cleveland.

Gonzales went 5-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in Monday's 5-4 win versus Milwaukee.

The Pittsburgh second baseman completed the first Pirates five-hit game performance since Oneil Cruz accomplished the feat Aug. 2, 2024. In the process, Gonzales roped his second and third two-baggers of the season as he raised his average from .271 to .320 across 19 total games. The 26-year-old has been locked into a starting role at second base since returning from an ankle injury June 3.

Bednar earned the save in Monday's 5-4 victory over the Brewers, allowing a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning with one strikeout.

After yielding a leadoff single to Caleb Durbin, Bednar was bailed out when Durbin was caught attempting to steal second. The Pittsburgh closer then worked around a free pass to Jake Bauers to lock down his 95th career save. Since being recalled from the minor leagues April 19, Bednar has rounded back into All-Star form with a 2.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 37:5 K:BB over 25.2 innings while going a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities.

Ashcraft did not factor into the decision in Monday's 5-4 win at Milwaukee, allowing one hit and no walks over three scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

The 25-year-old rookie made all seven of his previous appearances out of the bullpen, so he wasn't expected to go deep in this contest. Ashcraft managed to stymy the Brewers lineup across his 35 total pitches, 28 of which were strikes. Prior to being called up May 26, the right-hander had started 10 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, so it is possible that the Pirates are seeking to incorporate Ashcraft into the big league rotation. Through 14.2 total major-league innings, he has pitched to a 1.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB.

Lee struck out two batters over 1.1 perfect innings Monday while earning a save over the Mets.

Lee entered with two on and two out in the eighth inning, tasked with protecting a 3-2 lead. He struck out Juan Soto to end the threat before retiring the Mets' 4-5-6 hitters in order during the ninth inning to finish off the win. Raisel Iglesias recorded two outs and put two runners aboard in the eighth before Lee took over, while Pierce Johnson -- who hasn't pitched since Friday -- remained in the bullpen. Lee earned his second save of the year and first since April 26. He dropped his ERA to 1.77 across 36 appearances and has not allowed an earned run in his last 13.2 frames.

Acuna went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and a stolen base in Monday's win against the Mets.

Acuna singled and stole second in the first inning before knocking a solo shot in the third. He went deep for the ninth time and stole his third bag of the year. It was the first time since September of 2023 that Acuna had a home run and a steal in the same contest. He owns a ridiculous .396/.500/.713 slash line through 122 plate appearances.

Patrick did not factor into the decision in Monday's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.

The rookie right-hander had a game of contrasts in this 99-pitch performance. Although Patrick collected a career-best nine punchouts, he also conceded a season-worst nine hits as he coughed up four or more earned runs for the third consecutive start. The 26-year-old will carry a 3.72 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 85:27 K:BB across 84.2 innings into his next start, which is currently slated to be a juicy matchup against the Rockies at home this weekend.

Blackburn (0-2) yielded three runs on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings Monday, striking out five and taking a loss against Atlanta.

Blackburn gave up a run in the second inning, followed by two in the third, including a solo shot by Ronald Acuna. It was Blackburn's second straight loss and he failed to complete five innings in either of those outings. After tossing five scoreless frames in his season debut, he's been tagged with 14 runs (13 earned) over his last 12.2 innings, resulting in a 6.62 ERA. On the bright side, he generated a season-high 14 whiffs Monday. Blackburn is currently slated to take the mound in Pittsburgh this weekend.