MLB Player News

Martinez struck out one over a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Monday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Martinez's hold felt like a save. He entered the eighth inning with none out and the bases loaded and got a strikeout, popout and groundout. At the time when Martinez was activated off the injured list, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo indicated he'd prefer to ease him back before returning Martinez to a ninth-inning role, but Monday's outing may have jump-started the move back to closer.

Tawa started in center field and went 0-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 5-0 win over the Pirates.

Tawa filled his usual role, replacing Alek Thomas whenever the Diamondbacks face a left-hander. He knocked in Arizona's first run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and then stole his sixth base of the season in the eighth inning. He's stolen four bases over 15 contests since second baseman Ketel Marte returned from an injury and adjusted Tawa's role to a degree. Tawa is batting .227/.297/.423 with five home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored in 34 contests.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and two walks versus Cleveland in a 7-2 win Monday.

Smith capped the scoring in the contest with a 409-foot solo shot in the ninth inning. The backstop has belted a modest five homers on the season, but he's been among baseball's most reliable hitters by other metrics. Smith ranks second in the majors in both OBP (.456) and walk rate (18.1 percent). He also leads MLB with a .476 batting average with runners in scoring position, going 20-for-42 with 25 RBI in those situations.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and three total runs in Monday's 7-2 win against the Guardians.

Ohtani belted a leadoff homer for the second straight contest, this time swatting a 378-foot shot on Gavin Williams' first pitch of the game. The two-way star leads the majors in both total home runs (19) and leadoff long balls (five) this season. With 11 thefts to his name as well, Ohtani is currently the only hitter in the majors with at least 15 homers and at least 10 steals.

Megill picked up his 10th save during Monday's 3-2 victory over the Red Sox, allowing one run on one hit and three walks.

It wasn't pretty, but Megill was able to get the final three outs of the Brewers' Memorial Day victory to cash in on his ninth straight save opportunity and 10th overall this season. He needed 34 pitches and walked three batters along the way -- a shock considering he had walked three batters combined in his 10 other appearances in May. It was the first time the 31-year-old surrendered an earned run since late April, a span of 12 appearances.

Patrick did not factor into the decision during Monday's 3-2 win over the Red Sox, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks and striking out six.

Patrick departed the game with the Brewers out in front, but did not quite make it the five innings required to qualify for the win. Still, he held his own against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in a pitcher's duel. It continues a pattern for the 26-year-old as he has failed to reach five innings in five of his 11 starts, but he hasn't allowed over three runs in a single one all season. By keeping the Brewers in every game he's pitched in, the right-hander, even without a high volume of extended starts, is making a compelling case to stick in the rotation once the team gets healthier. His next scheduled start is on the road against the NL East-leading Phillies.

Yamamoto (6-3) earned the win over Cleveland on Monday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Yamamoto allowed just one extra-base hit (a double) and finished with his third straight quality start. The right-hander has fanned at least six batters in four of his past five outings and moved up to eighth in MLB with 75 strikeouts on the campaign. He also ranks second among qualified NL starters with a 1.97 ERA and ranks fifth in the majors with a 0.91 WHIP to put his name into firm early contention for Cy Young consideration. Yamamoto is tentatively projected for a tough challenge his next time out, as he's lined up to face the Yankees in Los Angeles this weekend.

Chourio was 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-2 win over the Red Sox.

Chourio snapped a 14-game home run drought after leading off the game with his eighth home run of the season. The 21-year-old has been feeling good at the plate over the last week, hitting .310 with four walks in 29 at-bats.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Monday's 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Padres.

Sanchez extended the Marlins' lead to 3-0 in the second inning, but their offense was stymied from that point on. The outfielder has gone 12-for-46 (.261) with four extra-base hits, an 11:9 BB:K and seven RBI over his last 13 games. For the season, he's at a .231/.338/.347 slash line with three homers, 14 RBI, 12 runs scored and five stolen bases on six attempts over 34 contests. Sanchez should have a little extra security in a starting role in the outfield after Derek Hill (wrist) landed on the injured list, though Dane Myers (oblique) has started a rehab assignment and could be back soon.

Weathers allowed two unearned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Monday.

Weathers continued his strong start to the campaign Monday, coming up one out short of a quality start against his former team. This was the first time he's been tagged for multiple runs across three starts, as a two-out error by Connor Norby allowed the Padres to extend a rally in the fourth inning. Weathers threw 94 pitches (53 strikes) in this outing, displaying a bit of shaky control, but he looks fully stretched out at this point after opening the year on the injured list due to a forearm strain. Weathers has a 1.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB across 15.2 innings. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Giants over the weekend.