MLB Player News

Fraley is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

Fraley went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the first two games of the series but will hit the bench Sunday with lefty Tyler Alexander poised to work as Tampa Bay's primary pitcher. Austin Slater will start in right field and bat eighth in the series finale.

Friedl is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.

Frield went 1-for-7 with a walk, a run and two strikeouts in his first two games back from the injured list and will take a seat Sunday with lefty Tyler Alexander set to serve as Tampa Bay's primary pitcher. Stuart Fairchild is starting in center field and batting sixth in the series finale.

Marte went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored while also drawing a walk in Saturday's win over the Pirates.

Marte kept his hot streak going Saturday, drawing a walk in his first trip to the plate before coming around to score Arizona's first run of the contest on a Christian Walker single. The second baseman then came right back with a two-run shot on the first pitch he saw in the second, giving him his fourth home run in his last five games. Over that stretch he's batting .444 (8-for-18) with 11 RBI and seven runs scored. Saturday also marked his fifth game this month in which he's driven in multiple runs.

Marte is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay.

Marte started Cincinnati's first seven games of the second half but will sit Sunday after hitting .192 with a .592 OPS during that span. Santiago Espinal will receive a start at the hot corner in the series finale versus the Rays.

Cruz went 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple and two runs scored in Saturday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Cruz jumped on the first pitch he saw from Brandon Pfaadt in the opening frame and launched it 472 feet to right-center field for the shortstop's 16th home run of the campaign and his fourth this month. The 25-year-old would then add his second triple of the season in the sixth before coming around to score on a groundout from Connor Joe. Cruz has put together a nice July thus far, slashing .304 with 11 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and 11 runs scored. Saturday's performance also marked his seventh multi-hit outing this month.

Gonzales did not factor into the decision in a loss to Arizona on Saturday, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks over 2.1 innings while striking out one.

Gonzales didn't have his best stuff Saturday, allowing multiple baserunners in all three innings in which he appeared before being relieved by Dennis Santana. It marked the shortest outing of the season for the lefty, while the four runs he surrendered on the night also marked a season high. Gonzales has failed to make it through five innings in back-to-back starts and carries a meager 9:4 K:BB in July to go along with a 5.25 ERA.

Pfaadt (5-6) picked up the win over the Pirates on Saturday, allowing five runs on seven hits over six innings while striking out four.

Pfaadt surrendered a solo home run to Oneil Cruz in the top of the first before going 1-2-3 through the next three innings. The right-hander would then struggle his way through the fifth, allowing three consecutive hits to open the frame, leading to three more runs coming home for Pittsburgh. Still, Pfaadt was able to come away with his fifth win of the campaign and the second in his last three starts despite the lackluster outing. He's now gone at least six innings in each of his last three starts and in six of his last seven overall. Saturday also marked the first time in his last five outings that he surrendered more than one run.

The Nationals acquired Stuart from the Mets on Sunday in exchange for outfielder Jesse Winker.

Stuart is in his first full season at the Double-A level and has a 3.96 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 90:20 K:BB across 84 innings. The 6-foot-9 righty could see Triple-A action by the end of the campaign and may not be far off from his MLB debut, and he should have a clearer path to pitching meaningful innings for Washington than he did with New York.

Hodge tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 9-4 win against the Royals to earn a hold. He struck out one.

Hodge has been sharp for the Cubs in his MLB debut season, posting a strong 2.14 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 23 strikeouts across 21 innings. He's also recorded five holds and a save. Hodge has the look of a capable closer, though Chicago has gone with veteran Hector Neris in that role for much of the year. However, if the team continues to fall out of playoff contention, it could give the 23-year-old rookie a chance to take over, particularly if Neris happens to be traded by Tuesday's deadline.

Tauchman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in Saturday's 9-4 win against the Royals.

Tauchman had gotten off to a slow start since returning from the injured list July 19, going just 2-for-23 across his first seven games back. The outfielder doubled that hit total Saturday, and he should be locked into a fairly regular role moving forward, particularly due to Cody Bellinger (finger) being out at the moment. Bellinger's return in the near future may squeeze Tauchman a bit, though the latter still played often earlier in the season when Bellinger was healthy.