MLB Player News

Fraley went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's 13-4 loss to the Cubs.

Fraley got the Reds on the board in the fifth inning, but they never mounted much of a comeback push. The outfielder went 12-for-40 (.300) with six extra-base hits, three stolen bases and 10 RBI over 15 contests in July. He's at a .278/.328/.383 slash line, three homers, 19 RBI, 30 runs scored and 14 steals across 250 plate appearances for the year as a strong-side platoon player.

Lodolo (8-4) allowed eight runs on 11 hits and struck out six over 5.2 innings without walking a batter to take the loss versus the Cubs on Wednesday.

Lodolo had allowed a total of eight runs across his previous three starts spanning 17.2 innings. The Cubs got to him early with multiple runs in the second and third frames, and Ian Happ's two-run homer in the sixth ended Lodolo's outing. The southpaw's ERA spiked up from 3.45 to 3.99, and he now has a 1.15 WHIP and 100:26 K:BB across 97 innings over 17 starts. Lodolo will look to bounce back in his next start, which is projected to be at Miami next week.

Hendricks (3-9) allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings to earn the win over the Reds on Wednesday.

Aside from a three-run home run by Jake Fraley in the fifth inning, Hendricks had a strong start. He didn't allow a baserunner the first time through the order and got through his five frames on 73 pitches (44 strikes). Hendricks ended July with a 5.25 ERA over 24 innings, winning two of his five starts and allowing a total of four homers. For the season, he has a 6.86 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 60:26 K:BB through 20 appearances (15 starts). He is projected to make his next start at home versus the Twins.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday that Cowles will likely miss the rest of the minor-league regular season as a result of being hit on the wrist by a pitch in his final game with Double-A Somerset on July 25, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Cowles was placed on Somerset's 7-day injured list this past Saturday before he was dealt to the Cubs three days later as part of a two-prospect package that sent reliever Mark Leiter to the Yankees. The Cubs were presumably aware of the nature and severity of Cowles' injury before the trade was agreed upon, and the wrist issue shouldn't dramatically affect the 24-year-old infielder's long-term outlook. He had been in the midst of a productive season with Somerset prior to getting hurt, slashing .292/.372/.471 with nine home runs and 14 steals over 88 games.

Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. He also stole a base.

The return of Cody Bellinger from a finger injury for Tuesday's game was seemingly bad news for Crow-Armstrong, but the former served as the DH the last two days, which kept Crow-Armstrong locked into center field. Bellinger should eventually see more time in the field, and Mike Tauchman is still around as well, so Crow-Armstrong could see his role decrease. The 22-year-old has struggled at the plate with a .194 average, though he has chipped in 20 stolen bases.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. He also stole a base.

It's been a bit of a down year for Hoerner, who's batting .252 with a .670 OPS after hitting .283 with a .729 OPS last season. The infielder has a total of 17 stolen bases this year, though he ran wild in 2023 with 43 steals. It doesn't seem like Hoerner will match last year's production overall, but if he can reach base consistently down the stretch, he could still be a fantasy difference-maker due to his ability on the basepaths.

Bellinger went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

In two games since returning from a finger injury, Bellinger has gone 5-for-9 with a home run and four RBI. The 29-year-old former MVP can heat up in a hurry, and it looks like he could be primed for a big finish to the season. Bellinger's counting stats could also benefit from the addition of Isaac Paredes to the Chicago lineup.

Suzuki went 2-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

Suzuki recorded his second straight two-hit effort and fifth in his last seven games. The hot streak has pushed his season batting average up to .270 and he now has 52 RBI as well. Suzuki posted career bests with a .285 average and 74 RBI a year ago, and while he'll need a strong finish to reach both those marks, he should remain a solid fantasy contributor as long as he stays healthy.

Paredes went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

After going 0-for-4 in his Chicago debut Tuesday, Paredes got things going Wednesday. The former Cubs prospect batted second, in between Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. It's a good spot for sustained production, and after recording a career-best 31 home runs and 98 RBI a season ago, Paredes could be in line for a strong finish to the year with his new team.

Happ went 3-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and three total runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

Happ batted leadoff and helped pace the Cubs in the blowout victory. The outfielder now has 17 long balls this season, bringing him closer to the 20-homer plateau for the second straight year. Happ also pushed his OPS up to .785, which is in line with the .782 and .791 figures he posted in 2022 and 2023, respectively.