MLB Player News

Winn went 4-for-9 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Cubs.

Hitting leadoff in both contests, Winn banged out two hits in each and wrapped his day with a solo shot off Javier Assad on the third pitch he saw in the nightcap. Winn is having a strong start to July, slashing .300/.364/.400 through 12 games with two doubles, a homer, a steal, five RBI and 10 runs.

Helsley recorded his 32nd save of the season Saturday, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning during the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs.

After blowing a save July 5, Helsley got an extended rest and bounced back with a strong performance. The right-hander has hardly been struggling lately though -- he's allowed earned runs in only one of his last 12 appearances, posting a 1.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 16:9 K:BB over 13 innings during that stretch. Helsley's 32 saves leads the majors, three clear of the Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, and that impressive first half has earned him his second career All-Star Game berth.

Gibson came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs, giving up four runs on 10 hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out three.

All four runs scored in the second inning as Chicago batted around, with the biggest blow being a two-run shot by Miguel Amaya. Gibson wound up exiting after 97 pitches (56 strikes) as he failed to last more than five innings for the fourth straight start, a stretch in which he's stumbled to a 7.50 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB in 18 innings. The veteran righty will try to use the All-Star break to regroup, but there are warning signs his numbers could continue to regress after a promising start to 2024 -- his 91.0 mph average velocity on his fastball would be his lowest since 2016, while his 9.5 percent walk rate would be his highest over a full season since 2018.

Suzuki went 3-for-9 with a home run and two RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

The outfielder launched a solo shot off Lance Lynn in the first inning of the matinee before adding an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap. Suzuki has flipped the switch in July, slashing .306/.346/.592 through 12 games with three of his 13 homers and 13 of his 44 RBI on the season.

Hoerner went 3-for-8 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

The Cubs got swept in the twin bill while being outscored 16-7, but Hoerner did his best to spark some offense and reached base twice in each contest. The 27-year-old infielder extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the process, a stretch in which he's slashing .375/.426/.425 with two doubles, six runs and eight RBI. Hoerner hasn't even attempted a stolen base since June 27 however, and his 14 steals through 88 games is a mild disappointment after he swiped 43 bags in 2023.

Amaya went 1-for-2 with two walks and a two-run home run in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

After sitting out the matinee, Amaya took Kyle Gibson deep in the second inning of the nightcap for his third homer of the year, helping the Cubs to an early 4-2 lead that slipped away late. The 25-year-old backstop has been alternating starts with Tomas Nido over the last week, and the arrangement seems to be agreeing with Amaya -- he's gone 5-for-12 with a double, a home run and three RBI in his last four games.

Assad came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks over 2.1 innings. He failed to strike out a batter.

Out since June 23 with a forearm strain, Assad was activated from the IL without having gone on a rehab assignment, so the poor results aren't a big surprise. The right-hander was lifted after 44 pitches (29 strikes) having served up first-inning solo shots to Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras, and keeping the ball in the park was an issue for Assad prior to the injury as well -- he's been tagged for 10 homers in his last eight starts and 37 innings, posting a 5.59 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 37:20 K:BB over that stretch. Despite those numbers, the 26-year-old will likely remain in the Cubs rotation following the All-Star break.

Steer went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Marlins.

Steer popped a leadoff homer in the bottom of the second inning to put the Reds ahead early. The home run was his 15th of the season and fifth over the last 10 games. Following a slow start, Steer's bat has come alive since June 1, as the third baseman has posted a line of .276/.337/.520 with nine home runs, 10 doubles and 25 RBI over 39 contests.

Candelario went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 10-6 win over Miami.

Candelario cracked his second home run in as many days and has at least one hit in four straight games, during which he's gone 5-for-15 with four RBI. He's up to 16 home runs over 84 games and is taking aim at the career-high 22 logged over 140 games in 2023.

Espinal entered Saturday's 10-6 win over the Marlins to play second base after Jonathan India (knee) was removed from the game in the top of the fourth inning. Espinal finished 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.

India sustained a left knee contusion on a steal attempt during the second frame and remained in the game for one more inning before his removal. He was scratched from a game earlier this week due to the same injury. The Reds may opt to have India sit on Sunday, the final game before the All-Star break. Miami is scheduled to start a lefty (Trevor Rogers), so the right-handed-hitting Espinal is likely to play in some capacity even if India is available.