MLB Player News

Goodman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against the Nationals.

Goodman was in the lineup for the sixth time in the last seven games -- three of which have come at catcher -- due to the absences of Elias Diaz (calf) and Charlie Blackmon (hamstring). He's gone 7-for-25 in that span while also popping four homers. Neither Blackmon nor Diaz have a clear timeline to return, meaning Goodman should continue to play regularly in the short term, perhaps even enough behind the plate to gain catcher eligibility.

Diaz gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 17th save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox.

The right-hander has mostly put his rough start to the season behind him. Diaz has converted 10 straight save chances over his last 12 appearances, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB through 11.2 innings during that stretch. Despite his 5.08 ERA and 1.48 WHIP on the season, he has a firm grip on Cincinnati's closer job.

Abbott (6-6) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over 5.2 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out 10.

The 10 Ks were a season high for Abbott and marked the third time in 36 career big-league starts he's reached double digits. The 25-year-old lefty hasn't had consistent swing-and-miss stuff this year -- he hasn't fanned more than six batters in an outing since May 4 -- and continues to have trouble keeping the ball in the park, as both runs against him Friday came on solo shots, but he's been making it all work so far in 2024. Abbott will take a 3.40 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 70:26 K:BB through 84.2 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Pirates.

Laureano went 3-for-5 with three doubles and an RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

Making his fourth start since joining the Atlanta roster, Laureano played a key role in an offensive explosion that saw the NL East squad rack up eight extra-base hits on the night. The 29-year-old has gone 6-for-17 (.353) in his new uniform with a homer in addition to Friday's barrage of two-baggers, but a 0:5 BB:K suggests the contact issues that have plagued his big-league career haven't gone away.

Riley went 2-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

The 27-year-old slugger has flipped the switch in June. Riley has at least one extra-base hit in six of his last seven games, batting a blistering .545 (12-for-22) over that stretch with four doubles, four homers, nine runs and nine RBI. After a rough, injury-plagued start to the season, the power surge has pushed his slash line up to .251/.324/.420.

Olson went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

His fourth-inning shot off Carlos Rodon helped chase the southpaw from the game as part of a three-homer, eight-XBH barrage from Atlanta. Olson's bat has come alive in June, and through 74 plate appearances on the month he's slashing .309/.365/.574 with four of his 12 long balls on the year and 10 of his 40 RBI.

Sale (10-2) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over five innings in an 8-1 victory over the Yankees. He struck out eight.

A Jahmai Jones triple in the second inning was the only knock on Sale's line as the veteran lefty fanned at least seven batters for the eighth time in nine starts since the beginning of May. Over that stretch, he's posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 74:9 K:BB through 55 innings en route to becoming the third pitcher in the majors this season to reach double-digit wins, after the Phillies' Ranger Suarez and the Royals' Seth Lugo. Sale will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next week in St. Louis.

Ortiz didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 10-3 loss to the Rays, coughing up six runs on 10 hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out three.

While Carmen Mlodzinski wound up taking the loss as the opener, Ortiz made things a whole lot worse for the Pirates after he entered the game in the second inning, with a pair of homers by Josh Lowe accounting for most of the damage off the right-hander. Ortiz saw his ERA jump by nearly a full run after this performance, and he'll take a 3.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 36:18 K:BB through 47 innings into his next outing. If the Bucs keep him in his current bulk relief role and on schedule, he'll take the mound on the road next week in Cincinnati.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Friday's 5-2 win over Boston.

Candelario had been battling tendinitis in the back of his right knee, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, but he was ready to go Friday with the help of the Reds' training staff. The knee didn't cool off Candelario's scoring bat. He homered in his first two plate appearances -- the second two-HR game this month -- and is batting .347/.351/.736 over 18 games in June.

Friedl went 0-for-2 with an RBI and was hit by a pitch in Friday's 5-2 win over Boston.

Friedl, who was hitless in 14 consecutive at-bats when he came up in the seventh inning with runners in scoring position, was thinking bunt. The player that led the majors last season with 17 bunt hits laid down a squeeze bunt. When the throw to the plate got past Red Sox catcher Connor Wong, both runners scored, giving Cincinnati some separation. Friedl is batting .209/.320/.372 with six steals, four home runs, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored through 24 games.