MLB Player News

Steele (2-3) earned the win over Baltimore on Thursday, pitching seven scoreless innings during which he gave up three hits and issued no walks while striking out four batters.

Steele shut down a potent Orioles lineup, retiring the first 11 batters he faced and allowing just three baserunners (all on doubles) overall. The left-hander couldn't get into the win column over his first 12 starts but has now notched consecutive victories, allowing just one run over 16 innings while posting an 11:2 K:BB during that stretch. Steele's excellence extends further than that -- he's posted seven straight quality starts, registering a 1.65 ERA and 45:7 K:BB across 49 frames over that span.

Mercado could make a spot start Sunday against the Athletics, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Mercado was moved to the bullpen after being roughed up by Atlanta in his latest start, though the Phillies have since scratched Zack Wheeler (back) from Sunday's upcoming scheduled start. That could set Mercado up for a spot start heading into the All-Star break. It's also possible that Philadelphia opts for a bullpen game instead.

Martinez went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs Thursday against the Nationals.

Martinez entered Thursday's contest mired in a 4-for-32 (.125) slump over the previous 10 games, but he reached base four times Friday while collecting just his third three-hit performance of the season. It was also just the second time in 12 games he'd driven in any runs. Despite the recent slump, the 36-year-old Martinez continues to provide quality production in his 14th season, posting a .274 average with 10 homers, 15 doubles, 38 RBI and 27 runs over 234 at-bats.

Gore (6-8) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks over 4.2 innings against the Mets. He struck out four.

Gore was embattled in a scoreless pitchers' duel with Mets starter David Peterson through four but fell apart in the fifth, loading the bases to set up a Brandon Nimmo's bases-clearing double that ended Gore's day. Nimmo later scored, saddling Gore with a fourth earned run on his line. Following a start to the season that saw Gore allow three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his first 15 starts, the lefty has now allowed four or more runs in three of his last four outings. While his WHIP has risen just 0.05 points from 1.38 to 1.43 over that four-start stretch, his ERA has risen from 3.26 to 4.01.

Peterson (4-0) earned the win Thursday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing four hits and three walks against the Nationals. He struck out five.

Peterson, who has now given up two earned runs or fewer in all but one of his eight starts, kept the Nationals off the board to mark his first scoreless outing of the season. Peterson lowered his ERA from 3.58 to 3.09 with the outing, though a less impressive 1.42 WHIP belies that ERA and portends more trouble in the future. Peterson will now receive extended time off as his next start is not scheduled to take place until following the All-Star break.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-0 win over the Orioles.

The home run was Swanson's ninth of the season and first since June 19. Since then, the shortstop has batted just .191 across 19 games. For the season, Swanson is hitting .209, which is a decent step back from his career average of .250. While it's been a disappointing first half, the 30-year-old is talented enough to pick things up in a hurry, so fantasy managers should try to remain patient.

Suzuki went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, a run scored and three RBI in Thursday's 8-0 win over the Orioles.

Suzuki had a solid series against Baltimore, as he recorded at least one hit in all three games, including four extra-base knocks. The outfielder enjoys regular playing time as well as a spot near the top of Chicago's order, so he should continue to produce strong fantasy results the rest of this season, provided he stays healthy.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base during Thursday's 5-1 win over the Dodgers.

Turner has been red-hot in July, with Thursday's solo homer off Anthony Banda being the shortstop's sixth of the month. Turner also added his 12th pilfer of 2024, swiping second base after being walked in the eighth inning. The 31-year-old is slashing .348/.393/.529 with nine home runs across 244 plate appearances.

Marsh went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI triple and an additional run scored during Thursday's 5-1 win over the Dodgers.

Marsh teed off on Landon Knack Thursday, launching a solo homer in the second inning and bringing Nick Castellanos in to score in the sixth frame on a triple. Marsh exits the Phillies' three-game series against the Dodgers having gone 5-for-10 with a pair of home runs and six runs. The 26-year-old has a .804 OPS with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases across 261 plate appearances this season.

Busch went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 8-0 win over the Orioles.

Busch extended his hitting streak to eight games, and he has eight hits in the last three contests alone. The first baseman has used the hot streak to push his batting average up to .278 and his OPS to a robust .853. Busch continues to see regular playing time in his first season with the Cubs, and he should remain locked into fantasy lineups, particularly while he's producing like this.