MLB Player News

Montas (4-7) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings to take the loss versus the Rockies on Wednesday.

Montas gave up a pair of home runs to Sam Hilliard, accounting for three of the five runs on his line. The five runs allowed matched a season high for Montas, who had not given up that many since May 12, while his seven innings also equaled his season high. The right-hander is now at a 4.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 69:35 K:BB through 84.1 innings across 17 starts.

Hilliard went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Reds.

Hilliard's playing time has been limited since the Rockies selected his contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on June 21. He got the start in center field Wednesday and delivered a big game from the bottom of the order, hitting his first two homers of the season. The outfielder is 4-for-15 (.267) with two stolen bases and six runs scored over 18 plate appearances this season. At best, Hilliard is a fourth or fifth outfielder for the Rockies, especially since the team already has a trio of left-handed-hitting outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart.

Beeks allowed two runs on three hits over one inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Reds.

Victor Vodnik gave up a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning, creating a save situation. Beeks entered the contest and had trouble getting things under control, but he ultimately had enough runway to work with. Over his last seven appearances, Beeks has given up nine runs (eight earned) with a 5:1 K:BB over 7.2 innings, converting three of his five save chances in that span. He's at nine saves, five holds and six blown saves this season while pitching to a 4.40 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 34:17 K:BB through 45 innings overall. With a weak bullpen and a bottom-five record in the majors, save chances are likely to be limited for Colorado, and the team's committee approach makes it tough to roster any of its high-leverage options.

Freeland (1-3) allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out nine over 6.2 innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Reds.

Freeland has looked much stronger since returning from a left elbow strain that sidelined him for over two months. He's logged four straight quality starts, and Wednesday saw him dial up a season-high nine strikeouts. His rough start to the year is still having a significant impact on his season-long numbers -- 6.00 ERA and 1.62 WHIP -- but he's posted a 30:13 K:BB through 42 innings over eight starts. With his first win of the year finally secured, Freeland has some momentum heading into the second half.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Orioles.

Hoerner extended his hitting streak to six games as he tries to build some momentum heading into the All-Star break. The infielder is batting just .248 for the season, though he's hitting .333 during the recent hot streak. Hoerner batted .281 or better each of the last three seasons, which provides some optimism that a big second half is in store.

Imanaga (8-2) tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Orioles. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out six.

Imanaga finished the first half of the season in style, as he allowed zero runs in a start for the seventh time already this year. The lefty got off to a blazing start in his MLB debut, posting a 0.84 ERA across his first nine outings, before enduring a few lumps since then. However, he has a solid 3.00 ERA over his last three starts and 2.97 ERA overall, giving him some momentum heading into his All-Star appearance next week. Imanaga is tentatively set to take the mound again for the Cubs on July 20 against the Diamondbacks.

Morel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Orioles.

Morel launched his 16th home run of the season in the second inning against All-Star Corbin Burnes. While the 25-year-old continues to hit for power, he's not doing much else at the plate, as he's batting just .200 on the season. Morel has fantasy upside due to his pop, though fantasy managers will have to endure the low batting average.

King (7-6) took the loss against the Mariners on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings.

King allowed three hits and a run in the fourth inning but was otherwise fantastic, generating 13 swinging strikes on 91 pitches. He was sitting about one mph above his season averages on most of his offerings and has now yielded one earned run in each of his past three starts. The 29-year-old will take a 3.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 129:42 K:BB into the All-Star break.

Bellinger was removed from Wednesday's game against the Orioles after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He went 2-for-3 with a stolen base before leaving the game.

Bellinger initially stayed in the game to run the bases after he took a 97-mph sinker off his hand during the seventh inning, but Miles Mastrobuoni replaced him in right field once the Cubs came out to play defense. The Cubs will likely take Bellinger in for imaging, and the team should have an update on his condition relatively soon.

Moreno was scratched from Arizona's lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against Atlanta due to lower-back tightness, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

The team said that Moreno is still available off the bench for Wednesday's contest, so his back injury doesn't appear to be too serious. Nonetheless, Jose Herrera will start behind the plate instead and bat ninth.