MLB Player News

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Pfaadt (ankle) will start Thursday's game against Atlanta at Chase Field, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Pfaadt's most recent start Saturday against the Padres was cut short when he was struck on the left ankle by a comebacker, but he was diagnosed with nothing more than a bruise after X-rays returned negative. The right-hander was able to complete his between-starts bullpen session with no apparent discomfort, so he shouldn't face any restrictions when he takes the hill Thursday on his typical four days' rest.

Rojas (forearm) entered the game for defensive purposes in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Dodgers.

The 23-year-old was held out of the starting nine after being hit by a pitch Tuesday, but Rojas took over in center field at the end of a tight game and bumped Brandon Marsh to left, so the absence appears to have been merely a precaution. Rojas' defense is what continues to earn him playing time -- since returning to the big-league roster at the end of June, he's batting .226 (7-for-31) with a double, two RBI, three steals, seven runs and a 1:10 BB:K.

Hoffman struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his ninth save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Dodgers.

Jose Alvarado was called upon to face Freddie Freeman and the heart of the Los Angeles order in the eighth inning, leaving the save chance to Hoffman. That's been the norm of late, as Hoffman has saves in four straight appearances since June 30, while Alvarado has only one save and one hold during that time. Hoffman's performance has earned him increased responsibility, as he hasn't walked a batter in over a month and has a 1.69 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and 13:0 K:BB over his last 10.2 innings. Manager Rob Thomson will play matchups in high-leverage spots with the left-handed Alvarado and the right-handed Hoffman, but the latter seems the better bet for saves heading into the All-Star break.

Sanchez (7-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Dodgers, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.

The southpaw produced his 10th quality start of the season, and fourth in his last five trips to the mound, on 91 pitches (67 strikes). Over that stretch, Sanchez has gone 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 26:5 K:BB through 33 innings. The 27-year-old has already set a career high with 103.1 big-league innings this season, but he's in no danger of being shut down -- he tossed 149 innings across all levels in 2023. Sanchez will get a breather though, as he isn't scheduled to take the mound again before the All-Star break.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Phillies.

The 30-year-old superstar has swiped six bags in his last six games, pushing him up to 22 steals on the season -- just four shy of his career high. Ohtani has been doing plenty of damage with his bat as well, and since June 16 he's slashing .359/.480/.859 in 98 plate appearances with 11 homers, 21 runs and 22 RBI.

Stone (9-3) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings as the Dodgers were downed 4-3 by the Phillies. He struck out three.

Kyle Schwarber drove Stone's third pitch of the game over the fence in left field, and the right-hander never seemed to regain his focus, leaving the mound after 77 pitches (52 strikes). Since firing a shutout against the White Sox on June 26, Stone has been tagged for eight runs over 7.2 innings in his last two outings. Despite the stumbles, he sports a 3.26 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 76:28 K:BB through 96.2 innings on the year. He'll get a chance to regroup, as he's not scheduled to make another start until after the All-Star break.

Webb (7-7) took the loss against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and one walk over five innings while striking out four.

Webb started the game strong, striking out three of the first six batters he faced while holding the Blue Jays scoreless over the first four innings. However, things began to unravel for the veteran right-hander in the fifth when he surrendered a three-run shot to Ernie Clement after giving up singles to two of the first three batters in the frame. Webb returned for the sixth, but he failed to retire any of the first four batters he faced before being relieved by Sean Hjelle, who didn't fare much better. Webb was charged with a season-high seven runs on the night and was unable to get through six innings for the first time in his last 12 starts. He has also surrendered multiple runs in eight consecutive outings.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Wednesday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

The All-Star slugger singled in his first at-bat before coming home on a Travis d'Arnaud double in the second as Atlanta took an early 2-0 lead. Ozuna then launched a 441-foot home run in the eighth to score Austin Riley and tie the game at 5-5. It was Ozuna's second consecutive two-hit performance, and he's now fourth in the majors with 24 long balls on the season, and third in RBI with 75. He's batting .257 (9-for-35) in July with three homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored.

Sewald pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save over Atlanta on Wednesday.

Sewald entered the contest with a two-run lead in the ninth and needed only eight pitches to retire the side for his 12th save of the campaign. It was a nice bounce-back effort for the closer, who had allowed multiple runs and blown a save in his previous three outings. It was also Sewald's third appearance in which he didn't allow any hits or walks over his last six.

Morton did not factor into the decision in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits over 6.1 innings while striking out five.

Most of the damage against Morton came in the second and third innings when the veteran surrendered home runs to Eugenio Suarez and Ketel Marte. The right-hander would then cruise through the next three frames before being relieved by Pierce Johnson with one out in the seventh, though a fourth run ended up being charged to Morton's ledger. The 40-year-old has now allowed two home runs in back-to-back starts and has given up at least three runs in four of his last six outings. However, he's also tallied five or more strikeouts in three consecutive starts.