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Drew Millas C | WAS
Nationals' Drew Millas: Takes part in throwing and swinging
Millas (finger) completed throwing from 90 feet, took dry swings on each side of the plate and hit off a tee approximately 20 times from each side during a comprehensive workout Friday, MLB.com reports.
The switch-hitting catcher is on the mend from an index finger fracture on his left (non-throwing) hand, which has kept him on the shelf since July 15. Since the All-Star break, Harry Ford has been filling in for Millas as the Nationals' No. 2 catcher behind Keibert Ruiz, with Ford having thus far submitted a .774 OPS over 55 plate appearances. Though Millas looks to be progressing in his recovery and may soon head out on a rehab assignment, he could be optioned to Triple-A Rochester or settle for the third spot on the depth chart with Washington once he's brought back from the injured list.
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Michael Conforto RF | CHC
Cubs' Michael Conforto: Smacks 10th home run Saturday
Conforto went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Cardinals.
Conforto took St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy deep in the second inning with two runners on, giving him 10 long balls and 30 RBI through 81 games this season. The veteran outfielder is still seeing occasional playing time against right-handed pitching, but Chicago's addition of Tyrone Taylor before the trade deadline has added more depth to the outfield, which has cut into Conforto's role. He'll have reduced fantasy appeal unless there's an injury that pushes him into the lineup more regularly.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Snaps slump with two hits, including homer
Contreras went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 4-1 victory versus the Dodgers.
Contreras entered Saturday having gone 0-for-20 over his previous six games, so he was sorely in need of a positive performance. The veteran catcher produced just that, with his biggest knock being a two-run homer in the fourth inning for the game's final runs. Contreras is having a pretty quiet campaign with a modest 12 home runs through 115 games, though he has knocked in a healthy 61 runs and scored 59 times. Still, his .711 OPS would be his worst mark since 2021, when he played in just 52 regular-season contests as a rookie with Atlanta.
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Justin Wrobleski SP | LAD
Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski: Gives up two more homers Saturday
Wrobleski (11-5) yielded four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
Wrobleski was mostly effective, racking up 15 whiffs on 107 pitches and allowing as many baserunners as innings pitched (six). However, two of the hits he allowed left the park, and both were two-run shots. Wrobleski has now given up 11 home runs over 19.2 innings across his past four starts while taking three losses during that span. He made his first career All-Star team on the strength of a 2.69 first-half ERA, but that number has increased by nearly a run (to 3.56) due to what has been a rough second half. On most staffs, Wrobleski's impressive pre-break performance would be enough to keep him comfortably in a starting role despite his recent struggles, but that's not a guarantee with the Dodgers. With Blake Snell recently returning from injury, Tyler Glasnow (back) nearing activation from the IL, Shohei Ohtani throwing bullpens as he looks to return to the rotation and Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Eric Lauer all healthy, there is a chance Wrobleski ultimately gets squeezed.
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Aaron Ashby RP | MIL
Brewers' Aaron Ashby: Registers first save
Ashby recorded a save against the Dodgers on Saturday, walking one batter and striking out two over two hitless and scoreless innings.
Ashby entered to begin the eighth inning with Milwaukee up 4-1. He retired the side in order on 17 pitches and returned for the ninth, when he worked around a two-out walk and subsequent fielding error to finish off the save. It was Ashby's first save of the season, as he's instead been busy racking up victories -- his 13 wins lead MLB relievers and are tied for fourth in the league overall. Ashby has managed that total despite an underwhelming 3.42 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, though he has an impressive 97 punchouts through 68.1 innings and has been scored upon in just one outing (albeit in a five-run blowup) over his past 12 appearances.
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Jacob Misiorowski SP | MIL
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski: Tames champs for 12th victory
Misiorowski (12-5) earned the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings.
Misiorowski set the tone quickly, leading off his outing by firing six straight fastballs of over 102 mph to Shohei Ohtani, who ultimately popped out. Ohtani got some revenge with an RBI triple in the third, but that was the only run Misiorowski ended up allowing. The All-Star hurler finished with a modest (for him) six punchouts, but not for a lack of swing-and-miss stuff -- he induced 17 whiffs over 98 total pitches. Misiorowski has now logged three consecutive quality starts, though this was his first victory during that span. He continues to lead qualified MLB pitchers by wide margins with a sterling 1.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 210 punchouts to further strengthen his already-strong case for his first Cy Young Award.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. RF | ATL
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Launches leadoff long ball in loss
Acuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Acuna helped Atlanta get off to a nice start with a 429-foot solo blast to center field to lead off his team's half of the first inning. However, Arizona stormed back to log a blowout win. Acuna nonetheless bounced back after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the opening game of the series Friday. He's up to 13 home runs on the season, with five of those long balls coming across his first 13 contests in August.
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Nolan Arenado 3B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado: Reaches 20 homers with two blasts Saturday
Arenado went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a walk, three total runs and four total RBI in a 10-3 win against Atlanta on Saturday.
Arenado drove in his first run in quiet fashion, bouncing into an RBI groundout in the second inning. He made much more noise thereafter, slugging a two-run homer in the third and adding a solo shot in the seventh. Arenado's pair of long balls pushed him to 20 on the season -- the ninth time he's reached that mark in his career but the first time since 2023. The veteran third baseman already has six home runs through 13 games in August, the most he's hit in any month so far this year.
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Grant Holmes SP | ATL
Braves' Grant Holmes: Scoreless streak comes to crashing halt
Holmes (7-5) took the loss against Arizona on Saturday, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings.
Holmes came into Saturday with back-to-back outings of six scoreless frames, and he looked good in recording two strikeouts in a perfect first inning. The wheels fell off thereafter, however, as the Diamondbacks tagged him for three runs in each of the following two frames. Holmes was allowed to return for the fourth inning but was pulled after issuing back-to-back two-out walks. The outing was tied for his second-shortest appearance of the season, behind only a two-inning, three-run performance that was cut short by rain against San Francisco on June 16. Holmes will look to bounce back in his next start, which is projected to be a road matchup against the White Sox.
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Eduardo Rodriguez SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez: Continues resurgent campaign
Rodriguez (12-4) earned the win over Atlanta on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.
Rodriguez had a rough first inning, allowing two runs on three hits, including a Ronald Acuna homer. However, the veteran hurler bounced back impressively thereafter, at one point retiring 11 straight batters and yielding just two additional baserunners. Meanwhile, Arizona exploded for six runs across the second and third frames, sending Rodriguez to his 12th victory of the campaign -- tied for seventh most in the majors. He's at a 2.71 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through 149.1 innings spanning 25 starts this season, with the ERA being by far the best mark of his 11-year career.