MLB Player News

Holmes (4-5) took the loss against the Royals on Saturday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out one.

Making both his Cubs team debut and return from nearly a two-month absence due to a fractured fibula, Holmes was mostly ineffective and failed to turn in a single clean inning of work. The 33-year-old right-hander managed to throw 70 pitches in what was arguably a season-worst outing, but his workload restrictions are likely to loosen in future starts. Holmes will aim to rebound in his next scheduled appearance against the Cardinals, still holding a strong 2.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB over 56.2 innings.

Washington optioned Palmquist to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.

Palmquist will head back to Rochester for the first time since June 29. The southpaw opened Tuesday's game against Philadelphia and lasted just one-third of an inning after giving up one run on two hits. In 16.1 innings this season, the 25-year-old owns a 7.71 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB.

Alvarez did not factor into the decision Saturday against the Reds, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two across 5.1 innings.

It wasn't a flashy performance by any means from Alvarez, but he managed to keep the Reds off the board through the first five innings. He was pulled in the sixth after yielding an infield single and was tagged for his lone run after Max Kranick gave up a two-run homer to Eugenio Suarez, which also removed Alvarez from the decision. Alvarez has yielded two earned runs or fewer in each of his last three outings and has a 3.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 69.1 innings this season. His next start is lined up for next weekend on the road against the Mets.

Lord will serve as the Nationals' opening pitcher Sunday in a bullpen game against the Reds, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Lord made his return from the 15-day injured list Wednesday and tossed a scoreless inning of relief later that day against the Phillies, but he'll now be called upon to make his second start of the season. Washington has a permanent opening in its rotation after recently designating Zack Littell for assignment, but it's unclear if Lord will be gradually built up for a starting role or if the Nationals will turn to a Triple-A starter such as Luis Perales or Jackson Kent to fill the void. At least for Sunday's contest, expect Lord to be operating with a restricted workload after having not worked longer than three innings in any of his 28 appearances on the season.

Suarez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run during the Reds' 8-2 loss to the Nationals on Saturday.

The Reds were kept off the board through five innings, but Suarez ended the shutout in the sixth with a two-run long ball off Max Kranick. Suarez has homered in back-to-back games and is up to 16 long balls on the year, which puts him on pace to crack the 20-homer mark for a sixth consecutive regular season. He has a .688 OPS with 43 RBI and 29 extra-base hits over 339 plate appearances this season.

Burns (13-2) took the loss against the Nationals on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six across 5.1 innings.

It looked like business as usual through five innings for Burns outside of a two-run single he gave up in the third. However, he allowed four of the five batters he faced in the sixth to reach and was tagged for three runs in the frame. It was the third time this season that Burns yielded five runs in a start, and he came away with his first loss since April 10 against the Angels. It has still been a stellar season for the 23-year-old right-hander, whose 13 wins is tied for third most in the majors. Burns will take a 2.61 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 124 innings into his next start, which is lined up for next weekend at home against the Marlins.

Stock (0-2) took the loss against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out four across three innings.

Stock was given the nod to start Saturday after a solid 2026 debut against the Marlins this past Sunday. He could not replicate that success in Pittsburgh, putting the Mets behind early by allowing three runs in the first inning before being tagged for another four runs in the fourth without recording an out in the frame. Given that the Mets traded Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta at the trade deadline, Stock figures to get at least one or two more turns in the rotation. He's tentatively lined up to face the Nationals at home next weekend.

Simon went 2-for-5 with a two-run double and a steal during the Pirates' 9-0 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Simon recorded his first RBI of the season when his double in the first inning brought both Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds home. Simon also registered his first steal of the year in the third inning before coming home to score later in the frame. The 26-year-old outfielder has started in each of Pittsburgh's last three games and will continue to see extended reps for as long as both Oneil Cruz (hand) and Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) are on the IL.

Lowe went 1-of-4 with a walk, a solo homer and an additional run scored during the Pirates' 9-0 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Saturday's game was already out of reach for the Mets, but Lowe added to the blowout with a solo home run in the seventh inning. It was his second homer in three games and 25th of the year, marking his third major-league season with at least 25 home runs. Lowe has an .807 OPS with two steals and 74 RBI over 490 plate appearances this season.

Gonzales went 1-for-5 with a double and three RBI during the Pirates' 9-0 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Gonzales got the Pirates on the board with an RBI in the first inning before extending the team's lead to 8-0 with a two-run double in the fourth. His three RBI matched a season high that he set against the Astros on June 3, and he has gone 6-for-15 with two extra-base hits over his last four games. On the year, Gonzales is slashing .309/.362/.402 with five steals, six home runs and 53 RBI over 467 plate appearances.