MLB Player News

Law leads all big-league relievers with 72.1 innings pitched so far this season, posting a 2.99 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 60:18 K:BB with six wins, 11 holds and a save in 58 appearances.

The veteran right-hander has worked more than an inning in four of his last five appearances as the Nationals' rotation struggles to provide consistent length, putting additional pressure on the bullpen. Per Mark Zuckerman of MASN, Law is on pace to become the first reliever in Nats history to toss more than 100 innings in a season -- Saul Rivera holds the record with 93 innings in 2007. Law has already set new career highs in innings and wins, and he's closing in on his personal bests in holds (14) and strikeouts (67).

Lambert was removed from his relief appearance in Thursday's 9-1 loss to the Mets due to what Rockies manager Bud Black described as a "severely bruised" left thumb, MLB.com reports. "It ballooned up as the outing went on," Black said after Lambert was struck by a Francisco Lindor line drive in the fourth inning. "It got to the point where it was becoming a little bit of a distraction for him to pitch, so that's why we got him out of there. We took X-rays, and they were negative."

Coming on in the top of the fourth inning to replace laboring starter Austin Gomber, Lambert allowed a one-out single to Tyrone Taylor, then got a double play when Lindor's liner ricocheted off the right-hander's glove to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who stepped on second base and threw to first. Lambert went on to pitch two more innings and struck out three batters on the day, but his overall effectiveness waned as he pitched through the thumb injury, and he ended up giving up two earned runs on five hits and one walk. Though X-rays came back negative, Lambert could be a candidate to go on the injured list if any issues are discovered once the swelling goes down.

Vientos went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Rockies.

The young third baseman took advantage of the thin air at Coors Field by taking Peter Lambert deep to left-center field in the fifth inning for his 17th long ball of the season. Vientos hasn't had a multi-hit performance since July 26, but he's been able to stay somewhat productive during that time, collecting three doubles, three homers and six RBI in 10 games despite a .184 batting average (7-for-38) and 2:12 BB:K.

Pereda went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Reds.

Called up Wednesday when Nick Fortes (quad) landed on the IL, Pereda made his first start behind the plate and banged out his first career big-league hits and RBI. The 28-year-old minor-league journeyman will split work with Ali Sanchez while Fortes is sidelined, and Pereda's .310/.418/.458 slash line for Triple-A Jacksonville this season at least offers some hope that he might be able to contribute at the plate.

Jones (back) resumed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday, coming off the bench and drawing a walk in his lone plate appearance.

The 26-year-old outfielder had been on de facto paternity leave since Saturday, per TheDNVR.com. Jones has now gone 5-for-16 with two home runs and six walks through the first six games of his rehab assignment, but he could end up sticking around with Albuquerque through the weekend as he looks to regain his timing at the plate following the brief shutdown. Once activated from the 10-day injured list, Jones should displace Jake Cave as the Rockies' top option in left field.

Edwards went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Reds.

The 25-year-old has become a menace on the basepaths. Edwards has 13 steals in 35 games since joining the big-league roster, and 10 in his last 17 contests -- a stretch in which he's slashing .406/.461/.516. His .375 batting average is fueled by an unsustainable .452 BABIP, but Edwards is firmly entrenching himself as Miami's starting shortstop and leadoff hitter of the present and future.

Triple-A Syracuse activated Hartwig (knee) from its 7-day injured list Tuesday and assigned him to Double-A Binghamton.

Hartwig had been on the shelf at Triple-A since mid-June with a torn meniscus in his left knee, but after making a full recovery from surgery, he was cleared to begin a rehab assignment at Single-A St. Lucie on July 30. After making two appearances, Hartwig was bumped up to Double-A, and he'll likely remain with Binghamton until a spot opens in the Triple-A bullpen. In his first appearance with Binghamton on Tuesday, Hartwig gave up one earned run on two hits and one walk while recording one out.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Thursday's loss to the Brewers.

It was a rough night for Atlanta overall in a 16-7 rout, but Ozuna did what he could with a solo shot in the seventh inning off Bryse Wilson and an RBI groundout in the eighth. The veteran slugger is up to 33 homers and 88 RBI on the season, and he's been on a rampage over the last month, slashing .323/.377/.656 in his last 25 games with 10 long balls, 15 RBI and 19 runs.

Riley went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's loss to the Brewers.

The third baseman got Atlanta on the board in the third inning by taking Frankie Montas deep, but his team was already in an 8-0 hole at that point. Riley has gone yard in back-to-back games, and over 18 contests since the All-Star break he's slashing .301/.346/.575 with five of his 17 homers on the season.

Realmuto went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo homer and a second run scored in Thursday's win over the Diamondbacks.

Realmuto crushed a 430-foot home run to lead off the seventh inning and extend Philadelphia's lead to two runs. The backstop would add a leadoff double in the ninth before coming around to score a second time, marking his first game with multiple runs since May 22. The long ball was also his first since May 23, ending a 22-game drought, but he's batting just .167 (4-for-24) in August even after the two-hit effort. On a positive note, Realmuto has driven in a run in three of his last four contests.