MLB Player News

Sheets went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in a loss to the Cubs on Tuesday.

With Chicago sending out lefty Matthew Boyd as the team's starter, Sheets began Tuesday's contest on the bench in favor of Jase Bowen. However, Sheets entered to pinch hit for Bowen in the sixth inning and finished off the contest in left field. Though Sheets grounded out in that pinch-hit appearance, he got another turn at the plate and gave the Padres a little life with a three-run blast to right-center field in the eighth frame. The veteran slugger typically rests against lefty starters, which dents his fantasy appeal to an extent. However, Sheets has otherwise been one of San Diego's most productive batters, slashing .232/.317/.461 while ranking second on the club in home runs (14) and RBI (38) through 78 games.

Machado went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run against the Cubs in a loss Tuesday.

All seven of San Diego's runs Tuesday came via the long ball, with Machado's shot to right field in the third inning plating two. The veteran third baseman finished June with six homers over 26 contests, though he managed just a .220 batting average. That actually brought up his season mark, though, as Machado has struggled to a .189/.274/.399 slash line on the campaign. He does lead the Padres with 16 home runs and 46 RBI, so he's been relatively productive despite the poor batting average.

Tatis went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs Tuesday in a loss to the Cubs.

Tatis got the Padres off to a promising start when he led off the contest with a 425-foot blast to left field. The outfielder-turned-second-baseman later capped the scoring with a 370-foot solo shot in the eighth inning. Tatis was a frequent source of frustration for fantasy managers when he opened the campaign with no homers over his first 55 games, but he's been more productive since then, batting .311 with five long balls, 16 RBI, 17 runs and five stolen bases over his subsequent 28 contests. He's still way below expectations with just five home runs overall, but Tatis has been helpful in other ways, notching 19 thefts while slashing .284/.345/.383.

Perez (6-5) took the loss Tuesday against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one over five innings.

Perez was undone by two swings in the fourth inning. Nelson Velazquez led off the frame with a solo homer before Nathan Church added a three-run blast. The four earned runs matched Perez's season high, and it was an uncharacteristic showing after he had surrendered just three home runs over his previous 36 innings. Following a four-start winning streak, Perez has now dropped each of his last two outings. He'll carry a 3.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 61:30 K:BB across 77 innings into his next scheduled start at home against the Mets.

Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in a 9-7 win against the Padres on Tuesday.

Crow-Armstrong got in on a big day on offense by Chicago when he cranked a solo homer in the sixth inning. It seems like forever ago that the talented outfielder was hitting near the the bottom of the order and struggling to produce. He has hit first or second in the lineup every game since May 23 and is batting a staggering .357 with 12 homers, 24 RBI, 27 runs and eight stolen bases across 35 contests during that span to emerge as an NL MVP candidate. Tuesday's long ball did snap a seven-game homerless stretch for Crow-Armstrong, but he still reached base at a 42.9 percent clip during that span thanks to a 22.9 percent walk rate.

Sears (1-1) took the loss against the Cubs on Tuesday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and three walks while striking out four batters over 4.2 innings.

Sears pitched well enough in his season debut against Atlanta last Wednesday to get another turn in the rotation, but his second start was mostly a disaster. The left-hander surrendered three homers among the eight hits he allowed and couldn't finish five frames despite throwing 95 pitches. Only 52 of those offerings were strikes, and Sears walked three batters while throwing just 12 of 25 first pitches over the plate. The Padres should be getting back German Marquez (forearm) soon, as the veteran hurler has pitched well through five games of his minor-league rehab assignment. When Marquez returns, Sears and Griffin Canning are the primary candidates to be removed from the rotation.

Liberatore (4-5) earned the win Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing one run on one hit and four walks while striking out nine over five innings.

Liberatore bounced back in a big way, throwing 60 of his 98 pitches for strikes while generating 15 whiffs on 41 swings. His lone run allowed came via an Ozzie Albies sacrifice fly in the third inning. At one point the left-hander struck out six in a stretch of 10 batters faced. Entering Tuesday, Liberatore had struggled heavily in June, posting a 10.34 ERA and 1.91 WHIP across four starts (15.2 innings). He now owns a 5.33 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 79:33 K:BB across 82.2 innings and is scheduled to face the Cubs on the road in his next start.

Betts went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Athletics.

Betts hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games in June, going 19-for-51 (.373) in that span. The shortstop has put his slow, injury-disrupted start to the season behind him with this surge. He's now hitting .244 with a .744 OPS, 11 home runs, 28 RBI, 31 runs scored, eight doubles and one stolen base over 51 contests.

Rojas went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a second RBI in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Athletics.

Rojas homered in the sixth inning and supplied another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The infielder hasn't seen a lot of playing time lately, but he was in the lineup at second base Tuesday since Tommy Edman shifted over to third base while Max Muncy sat out versus a left-handed pitcher. Rojas is up to three homers this season, with two of them coming over his last 11 games. He's batting .279 with a .743 OPS, 15 RBI, 15 runs scored, seven doubles and no stolen bases over 140 plate appearances this season.

Boyd (3-1) earned the win over San Diego on Tuesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out two batters over five-plus innings.

Boyd made just his second appearance since returning from a lengthy absence due to injuries to his knee and shoulder, and he was limited to 76 pitches for a second straight start. That was enough to get him through five-plus innings, however, and consequently allowed him to get his third victory of the campaign. The left-hander was knocked for two long balls and departed having allowed two runners to reach base without recording an out in the sixth, but Javier Assad was able to get out of the jam without letting either inherited runner score. Boyd has been fairly effective so far since coming off the IL, yielding three runs across 9.2 frames with a 6:4 K:BB across his two starts. He's lined up to next face the Orioles in Baltimore.