MLB Player News

Higashioka went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in a 9-8 extra-inning win against the Pirates on Wednesday.

Higashioka gave San Diego its first lead when he slammed a three-run shot to center field in the fourth inning. The long ball was the backstop's 14th of the campaign, four more than the career high of 10 he had established in three consecutive campaigns coming into 2024. Higashioka's trio of RBI on Wednesday also pushed him to a career-high mark with 37 on the season.

Merrill went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three total runs and three total RBI in Wednesday's 9-8 extra-inning victory over Pittsburgh.

Merrill put the Padres on the board with a 442-foot solo shot in the second inning. The game went back and forth from there, with the rookie outfielder adding an RBI single in the fifth, but the Pirates carried a one-run lead into the top of the ninth frame. Pittsburgh closer David Bednar attempted to hold the Padres at bay, but Merrill tied the score with a one-out solo shot to center field. For good measure, Merrill was also a participant in what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the 10th, as his flyout to left field resulted in Xander Bogaerts scoring on an error by Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal. Merrill now has a trio of four-hit performances in a fantastic rookie campaign during which he's posted a .288/.318/.467 slash line, 15 homers, 59 RBI, 54 runs and 11 stolen bases through 112 contests.

Bednar blew a save opportunity against the Padres on Wednesday, giving up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter over one inning.

Bednar entered in the top of the ninth frame with the Pirates clinging to a one-run lead. He retired one batter before Jackson Merrill knotted the score with a solo shot to center field. Bednar then got into more trouble with a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but he was able to bounce back with consecutive outs to send the game into an extra inning. The blown save was his first since April 9 and just his third in 23 chances this season. That's a perfectly acceptable save percentage, but Bednar hasn't been as sharp this year as in seasons past, as evidenced by his 5.17 ERA and 1.23 WHIP through 38.1 innings.

Gonzales allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings during a no-decision against San Diego on Wednesday.

Gonzales was staked to a 2-0 lead after the first inning but couldn't hold it. He gave up a solo shot to Jackson Merrill in the second frame and a three-run blast to Kyle Higashioka in the fourth, then was pulled with one out in the fifth after surrendering a go-ahead single to Merrill. It was Gonzales' third straight start of fewer than five innings, and he's posted an ugly 8.49 ERA and 2.31 WHIP during that span.

Morejon earned a save against the Pirates on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

Robert Suarez has worked as the Padres' closer this season, but he was deployed in the ninth inning with the score tied Wednesday. The contest ended up going to an extra frame, and San Diego took the lead with a three-run top of the 10th. Recently acquired Tanner Scott was asked to preserve the lead in the bottom of the frame, but he walked three straight batters to force in a run before Morejon was called upon to clean up the mess. The southpaw's outing didn't begin well -- his first offering was a wild pitch that allowed another Pirate to cross the plate to make the score 9-8 -- but Morejon rebounded impressively, retiring the next three batters without allowing the tying run to score. As a reward, he earned his first career save in his 90th MLB appearance. Morejon has been a solid bullpen piece for the Padres this season, posting a 2.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 52:16 K:BB through 47.1 innings.

King allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over five innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

King had his previous turn in the rotation skipped due to a left calf issue, but he was able to handle a normal workload with 94 pitches Wednesday. The right-hander began his outing poorly by giving up a pair of runs in the first frame and another (unearned) run in the second, but he yielded just one more run over his final three innings. King had a three-game quality-start streak snapped and gave up more than two runs for the first time in his past six outings, but he appeared to emerge from the appearance without any setbacks and should be fine to make his next start, which is projected to be a rematch with the Pirates next week.

Kelenic went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Kelenic is 4-for-19 (.211) with two extra-base hits since the start of August. The outfielder has at least maintained steady playing time in center field following Atlanta's trade for Jorge Soler, but Kelenic has hit no higher than eighth over the last seven games. Atlanta hasn't faced a southpaw in that stretch either, so it's unclear if Kelenic is at risk of losing out on at-bats to Ramon Laureano. In any case, Kelenic's run as a lineup regular could come to a close once Michael Harris (hamstring) completes the rehab assignment he started Tuesday. For the season, Kelenic is sporting a .234/.288/.407 slash line with 13 homers, 34 RBI, 39 runs scored and six stolen bases over 366 plate appearances.

Riley went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an RBI double, a walk and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Riley has gone 15-for-40 (.375) with three homers and 10 RBI over his last 10 games. He twice gave Atlanta the lead Wednesday, but Milwaukee was able to offer a response each time. For the season, Riley is up to a .264/.331/.467 slash line with 16 homers, 50 RBI, 56 runs scored, 25 doubles and no stolen bases over 99 games.

Sale allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out 10 over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus Milwaukee on Wednesday.

This was just the second time all year Sale has failed to finish five innings. It was also the first time in 10 starts he gave up more than two runs. He threw 62 of 96 pitches for strikes and reached double-digit strikeouts for the fourth time this year, but he simply wasn't very efficient against a challenging offense. Sale is now at a 2.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 165:30 K:BB through 127.2 innings over 21 starts this season. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively projected to be at San Francisco next week.

Hoskins went 3-for-5 with a walk and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-5 win over Atlanta.

Hoskins extended his hitting streak to 12 games, and he's logged multiple hits in his last two contests. During the 12-game hitting streak, he's gone 15-for-46 (.326) with four home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored. The first baseman isn't known to hit for much of an average, but his recent run of success has lifted his average from .213 to .229 for the year. He's added a .758 OPS, 19 homers, 57 RBI, 40 runs scored and two stolen bases across 89 contests this season.