MLB Player News

Freeland went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Monday's 8-3 win over Houston.

Freeland took advantage of Houston's short porch in left field, swatting an opposite-field solo homer in the second inning. It marked his second long ball and second three-hit effort of the campaign. The 24-year-old has seen increased opportunities due to Mookie Betts (oblique) and Tommy Edman (ankle) being sidelined, producing at a .256/.316/.372 clip with two homers, four doubles, seven RBI and 10 runs across 29 appearances.

Laureano went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to San Francisco on Monday.

Laureano was hitless until the ninth inning, when he crushed a 447-foot solo shot to bring the Padres to within a run. The long ball ended a 16-game homerless stretch for the veteran outfielder, who also struck out 27 times over 70 plate appearances during that stretch. Laureano -- like many of his teammates -- has been mostly quiet at the plate so far this season, posting a .238/.301/.426 slash line with five homers, 19 RBI, 16 runs and four stolen bases through 32 contests.

Harper went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Monday's 1-0 win over the Marlins.

Harper accounted for all the offense Monday, launching a solo homer off Janson Junk in the third inning -- his seventh of the season. He's been red-hot since his sluggish start to the season, batting .323 since April 6. The veteran also continues to thrive specifically against Miami, as the homer marked his 39th against the Marlins in his career. Harper is now slashing .271/.362/.519 with nine doubles, 20 RBI and 19 runs scored across 149 plate appearances.

Yamamoto (3-2) earned the win Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings against Houston. He struck out eight.

Yamamoto allowed three runs but brought some of his best stuff in Houston, tallying 17 whiffs and a season-high eight strikeouts. The right-hander has been dependable early on, completing five-plus innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his seven starts in 2026. He'll carry a 3.09 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with a 40:10 K:BB across 43.2 innings into his next start, tentatively scheduled for next Monday against San Francisco.

Merrill went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Giants on Monday.

Merrill got San Diego off to a good start with a solo blast in the first inning, but the Padres weren't able to score again until the ninth frame. The long ball was likely a sigh of relief for fantasy managers who endured the outfielder's 16-game homerless stretch. Merrill has contributed six stolen bases on the season, but he's otherwise been pretty disappointing on offense, posting a .220/.283/.362 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI and 20 runs through 33 games.

Keller earned the save Monday against the Marlins, allowing two hits in a scoreless ninth inning.

Keller got the job done in the ninth despite some traffic, allowing a pair of singles but limiting the damage to secure the save. After giving up a leadoff hit to Kyle Stowers, the right-hander quickly induced a double play that helped him regain control of the inning. The save was his second in a row with Jhoan Duran still sidelined. Entering Monday Keller struggled recently, allowing runs in three of his last four appearances. The 30-year-old now holds a 4.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB across 14.2 innings.

Vasquez (3-1) took the loss against San Francisco on Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 5.2 innings.

Vasquez wasn't awful in the outing, and he finished just one out away from notching a quality start. However, he also didn't fool many hitters with just seven whiffs and two punchouts. The right-hander began the campaign in fine form, allowing just two runs over his first three starts spanning 17.2 innings while uncharacteristically racking up 19 strikeouts. The punchout numbers have come down since then -- Vasquez has a modest 17:9 K:BB over his subsequent 21.2 frames, and he's allowed 12 earned runs during that span. He still has a respectable 3.20 ERA overall and is secure in his spot in the Padres' rotation. His next start is lined up to take place at home against St. Louis.

Kilian picked up a save against the Padres on Monday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two batters over one inning.

With regular closer Ryan Walker having blown two straight save chances, manager Tony Vitello opted to turn to Kilian to protect a two-run, ninth-inning lead. Kilian gave up a long homer to Ramon Laureano to open the frame but was then able to set down Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado in order. Walker didn't end up pitching in the contest, but he spent some time warming up during the seventh inning, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, so he was likely available to pitch. It's not clear if the Giants are turning away from Walker as their closer just yet, though that wouldn't be surprising given his struggles so far (he's blown three of six save chances and has a 4.61 ERA through 14 appearances). Should Walker in fact be moved out of the closer role, Kilian and Keaton Winn could be the top options to step into his place, especially with Erik Miller (back) landing on the injured list Monday.

Junk (2-3) took the loss Monday against the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits while striking out six over 5.1 innings.

Junk delivered another strong outing but was saddled with the loss, as he allowed the only run of the night -- a Bryce Harper solo homer in the third inning. The right-hander filled the zone effectively, throwing 64 of his 92 pitches for strikes. He has been excellent of late, allowing just one run across his last 16.1 innings, and he's now gone at least five innings in six consecutive starts. Junk owns a 2.82 ERA and 1.04 WHIP so far, though his 27 strikeouts in 38.1 innings highlight a less appealing fantasy profile. He will look to continue his recent success in his next scheduled outing against Washington.

McDonald (1-0) earned the win over San Diego on Monday, tossing seven innings during which he allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out eight batters.

McDonald is one of San Francisco's top pitching prospects and was called up from Triple-A ahead of Monday's matchup. He had previously thrown 18 major-league innings across the 2024-25 campaigns. The right-hander was very impressive in his first start of 2026, racking up eight punchouts with no walks while breezing through seven frames on just 81 pitches. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by Jackson Merrill. McDonald certainly pitched well enough to earn another start, but there isn't an obvious spot for him in the Giants' rotation, so it will be interesting to see what San Francisco opts to do with him moving forward.