MLB Player News

Smith (neck) took part in on-field batting practice Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

The BP session marks a significant milestone for Smith, who has been on the shelf for over two months due to a neck injury. The veteran backstop resumed baseball activities in late July and appears to be moving closer to kicking off a minor-league rehab assignment. If all goes well for Smith moving forward, he could rejoin the big-league club by the final week of August or first week of September.

King (8-8) earned the win over Cleveland on Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out four across six innings.

King fell into an early hole, allowing three runs across the first three innings, including solo homers to Nathaniel Lowe and Brayan Rocchio. San Diego's offense eventually erased the deficit, and King settled down enough to complete six frames and earn his second consecutive win. The right-hander allowed only one additional run over his final three innings, limiting the damage despite giving up a season-high eight hits. King's ERA now sits at 3.41 and he is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Mets.

Tawa went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-0 win over Atlanta.

Tawa gave the Diamondbacks some insurance with a 406-foot blast in the top of the ninth inning. It continued a strong August for the 26-year-old, who's hitting .286 with three homers, six RBI, seven runs scored and four stolen bases through 13 games this month. On the year, he's slashing .233/.284/.394 with seven long balls, 27 RBI, 22 runs scored and six steals across 203 plate appearances.

Garcia earned the save in Friday's 2-0 win over Atlanta, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Garcia was called on to complete a team shutout and slammed the door on just 11 pitches. The 26-year-old has now recorded three of the club's past four saves, allowing just one earned run over seven appearances during that stretch. On the year, he owns four saves and 13 holds while posting a 2.06 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 39:7 K:BB across 35 innings and should remain the ninth-inning favorite for the surging Diamondbacks as long as he continues pitching at this level.

Sale (12-8) took the loss against the Diamondbacks on Friday, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with nine strikeouts over six innings.

Sale allowed a run in the first inning and that was all Arizona needed, as Atlanta's potent offense was shut out Friday. The veteran ace has now logged five straight quality starts since the All-Star break, tallying 43 strikeouts over 31 innings during that stretch. He owns a 2.16 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 160:28 K:BB across 129 frames this season and lines up for a road matchup with the Twins next week.

Pfaadt (7-1) earned the win against Atlanta on Friday, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings.

Pfaadt dominated one of the best lineups in baseball, inducing 13 swinging strikes on 87 pitches while allowing only four hard-hit balls. The 27-year-old has gone four straight outings without yielding an earned run and is now 7-0 while surrendering two earned runs or fewer in each of his nine outings since rejoining the rotation June 30. He'll take a 3.11 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 61:24 K:BB across 92.2 innings this season into a road matchup with the Red Sox next week.

Pratt (hamstring) could be cleared to return from the 10-day injured list after a minimum-length stay, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Brewers originally anticipated getting Pratt back sometime in late August after he landed on the injured list Sunday with a strained hamstring. However, he's already made significant progress in his recovery and could now be on track to return from the IL when eligible Wednesday. The team has already confirmed that Pratt will head out on a rehab assignment before being activated, though he likely won't need more than a game or two to ramp up.

Frelick (shoulder) is slated to begin playing in the outfield at Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Frelick began playing in rehab games at Triple-A last weekend and has gone 3-for-11 with three walks and three runs scored over four games, though he has served exclusively as a designated hitter up to this point. He still has a few tests left to pass as he ramps up his throwing, but he could be cleared to return from the injured list within the next several days if all goes well.

Gonzales was removed from Friday's game against the Red Sox after getting hit on the head by a pitch.

Gonzales was taken out of the game immediately after taking a 94-mph fastball off his helmet in the fifth inning. He's been diagnosed with a facial contusion and is considered day-to-day by the team. Jared Triolo would likely be next in line to start at third base if Gonzales has to miss extra time.

Marte was removed from Friday's game against Atlanta due to left knee soreness.

Marte seemingly suffered the injury while attempting to field a groundball in the first inning and was replaced on defense in the second. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the Diamondbacks may provide more details after the game.