MLB Player News

Soto went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs and a walk in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Phillies.

Soto opened the scoring with a solo homer off Aaron Nola in the first inning before taking the veteran right-hander deep again in his next plate appearance to record his second multi-homer performance of the year. Soto has looked locked in at the plate over his last eight games, batting 14-for-29 (.483) with three homers. The 27-year-old is now slashing .300/.398/.582 with 17 home runs, seven doubles, one triple, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored and six stolen bases across 249 plate appearances this season.

Williams earned the save Thursday against the Phillies, allowing a run on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one inning.

Williams was called upon to protect a three-run lead in the ninth inning and ultimately got the job done despite some late traffic. He allowed a run on a Justin Crawford RBI single and put additional runners on base, but the right-hander avoided a bigger rally and secured his 11th save of the season. While the overall numbers remain underwhelming, Williams has pitched much better of late, posting scoreless outings in 16 of his last 18 appearances. He owns a 5.18 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 38:15 K:BB across 24.1 innings with just one blown save on the year.

Nola did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Mets, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings.

The veteran right-hander generated 10 whiffs on 97 pitches, with most of the damage against him coming via a pair of solo homers from Juan Soto. Despite the solid strikeout total, Nola continues to search for consistency in what has been a difficult campaign. He's failed to cover more than five frames in any of his past five starts and has a 5.68 ERA during that span. Nola will carry a 5.71 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 77:25 K:BB into his next scheduled start on the road against Washington.

Manaea did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Phillies, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

Making just his second start of the season, the veteran left-hander threw 63 of his 95 pitches for strikes and generated an impressive 16 whiffs. Philadelphia plated runs in the first, third and fourth innings, with the final run coming home following a throwing error by A.J. Ewing. In four games working as a bulk reliever or starter, Manaea has pitched to a 3.10 ERA and 18:3 K:BB across 20.1 innings. It appears likely that Manaea will remain in the rotation moving forward, with his next scheduled start set to come at home against the Cubs.

Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Elias Schuster of SI.com reports.

Ballesteros will head to Iowa after struggling to a .128 average with one home run, seven RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base over 94 at-bats in his last 34 contests. The 22-year-old will look to hit the reset button at the Triple-A level and then get another shot with the major-league roster down the road this year.

Drohan didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Guardians, allowing a run on three hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.

It was a strong outing overall for Drohan, with Cleveland's lone run against the left-hander coming on a David Fry homer in the third inning. Overall, Drohan sports a 3.40 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and 47:14 K:BB across 47.2 innings as a swingman for Milwaukee this season. He'll likely return to the bullpen when Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) is ready to come off the IL, but Drohan could get another turn through the rotation next week in Cincinnati.

Turner exited Thursday's contest against the Mets in the third inning after suffering a right calf contusion, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

Turner took a 79.2-mph sweeper from Sean Manaea off his right calf in the bottom of the first inning, and as a result, he was removed from the contest a couple frames later. The shortstop has now been forced out of two of the team's last four games due to hit-by-pitches. In his absence Thursday, Edmundo Sosa has shifted to shortstop while Justin Crawford has entered the lineup in the outfield. More information on Turner's status will likely be provided in the near future.

Taylor (hip) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Taylor landed on the injured list May 25 with a hip flexor strain but is now set to begin ramping up toward his return to the active roster. However, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have both cemented themselves as regular starters in New York's outfield, so Taylor will almost certainly be limited to a bench role once he comes off the IL.

Lindor (calf) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Lindor has been on the shelf since late April due to a strained left calf, but after resuming full baseball activities last week, he's now been cleared to test his calf in minor-league games. The Mets expect the star shortstop to return to their lineup before the end of the month, so it doesn't seem like he's in line for a lengthy stay in the minors.

Nootbaar is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Kansas City.

Since he returned from the injured list earlier this month, the left-handed-hitting Nootbaar has been out of the lineup each of the three times the Cardinals have faced a traditional lefty starter. However, it could be more about picking spots to rest Nootbaar following a long layoff than it is about him being in a platoon. Nelson Velazquez will play left field for St. Louis in the series opener.