MLB Player News

Hicks went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 4-3 victory against the Orioles on Thursday.

Hicks accounted for the game's first two runs with a first-inning long ball. That was his fifth home run over his past 12 contests, a span in which he's also batting .314 (11-for-35) with 13 RBI. Hicks started at catcher Thursday, but his previous three starts came at either first base or DH. The Marlins seem committed to getting his bat in the lineup on a near-everyday basis given that he's been easily the team's most productive hitter. Hicks is slashing .319/.372/.584 with nine homers, 34 RBI (first in the majors), 20 runs, one stolen base and a 10:12 BB:K through 35 contests.

Meyer allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five innings in a no-decision against Baltimore on Thursday.

Meyer wasn't as good as in his one-hit, seven-strikeout performance over seven scoreless innings against Philadelphia in his previous start, but he still kept Miami firmly in the game with just two runs on his ledger. The righty hurler also once again avoided the long ball -- he hasn't surrendered a homer in any of his past five outings. That's been a massive improvement for Meyer this season, as his HR/9 currently stands at 0.4 after it was 2.0 across his first three big-league seasons. He may be in the midst of a breakout campaign, as he's posting strong numbers with a 2.79 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB through 42 innings spanning eight starts.

Schwarber went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Athletics on Thursday.

Schwarber provided Philadelphia's only run -- and lone extra-base hit -- with a solo blast to right field in the fourth inning. The long ball was the veteran slugger's first in May and at least temporarily halted a cold stretch to begin the month during which he went 3-for-24 with 12 punchouts. Schwarber's 30.7 percent strikeout rate on the campaign is on pace for his worst mark since 2017, and he's batting only .216, but he's continued to be a big power threat with 12 home runs -- tied for fourth most in the majors.

Santana threw a scoreless seventh inning while walking one to earn a hold Thursday against the Diamondbacks.

Santana blew a save and allowed four earned runs on April 27 and has not gotten a save chance in three appearances since. Meanwhile, Gregory Soto has earned two saves in that span, both of which have come in Pittsburgh's last two games. While the closer situation has been fluid between Soto and Santana early on this season, Santana has allowed at least one run in four of his last 10 appearances and has only a 5.4 K/9 across 16.2 innings on the campaign.

Painter (1-4) took the loss against the Athletics on Thursday, allowing eight runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two batters over 3.2 innings.

Painter struggled from the get-go, allowing a pair of two-run homers before he retired a batter in the game. Things didn't get much better for the rookie right-hander from there, and he was pulled already trailing 7-0 and at 88 pitches with two outs in the fourth frame. Painter has been up-and-down this season, but he hadn't previously had problems with the long ball -- in fact, the three homers he gave up Thursday matched the amount he surrendered across his first six starts combined. Still, he's given up at least three runs in all but two of his outings and holds an ugly 6.89 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through 32.2 frames. At some point his spot in Philadelphia's rotation could be in jeopardy, though the team doesn't have an obvious candidate to step into his job.

Carroll went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Pirates on Thursday.

Carroll gave the Diamondbacks their first and only lead with a 406-foot solo blast in the third inning. He added a single to notch his first multi-hit game since April 30. Carroll had been enduring a cold May, going just 1-for-19 through his first five games of the month. He'll look to use Thursday's performance as a starting point for a turnaround.

Lowe went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored against the Diamondbacks in a 4-2 victory Thursday.

Lowe didn't take long to make an impact, drilling a 436-foot homer to right field in the first inning. He went on to add a pair of singles, notching his second straight multi-hit game and extending his on-base streak to 11 contests. Lowe has homered in each of his past two games and now has 10 long balls on the campaign. His first season with the Pirates is off to a great start -- through 32 contests he has a .941 OPS, which is on pace to be a career-best mark.

Bart went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 4-2 win over Arizona on Thursday.

Bart produced the final run of the game with a solo blast to left-center field in the sixth inning. That marked his first long ball and first RBI since he went deep against Washington on April 14. Bart has played behind Henry Davis for most of the campaign, but he may be making inroads toward more playing time. Bart has started behind the plate in three of Pittsburgh's past four contests and has gone 3-for-9 over that span.

Gallen (1-3) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Thursday, pitching six innings during which he gave up four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Gallen served up a solo homer to the second batter he faced but was able to make it through four frames with just that one run on his ledger. However, the veteran struggled late in this outing, allowing four straight batters to reach with two outs in the fifth frame to yield two runs before giving up another run on a solo homer in the sixth. Gallen was at least better than in his previous start, when he gave up six runs over 3.2 innings against the Cubs, but he's now at a mediocre 4.70 ERA with just one victory through eight starts on the season.

Soto earned a save against the Diamondbacks on Thursday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

Soto entered in the ninth frame with Pittsburgh up 4-2 and kept things that way, retiring the side in order on 14 pitches (11 strikes). It was the second straight day in which Soto notched a save after picking up just one save over his first 17 outings. Meanwhile, Dennis Santana, who recorded two saves in April but has given up six runs over his past four appearances spanning 3.2 frames, pitched a scoreless seventh frame in Thursday's contest. It's probably still a fluid closer situation, but for the moment it seems like Soto has jumped ahead of Santana in the pecking order.