MLB Player News

The Athletics placed Kurtz on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a right thumb capsule sprain.

Kurtz jammed his right hand while attempting to field a throw in the first inning of Wednesday's game against the Tigers, with that injury along with an illness contributing to his removal from the game. Now that he's been moved to the IL, Kurtz will sit out Tuesday's All-Star Game, in addition to the Athletics' final two games of the first half versus the White Sox and the club's first series of the second half against the Nationals. Joey Meneses and Jonah Heim will likely be in store for reps at first base while Kurtz is out.

The Twins optioned Orze to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.

Orze will end up as the odd man out of Minnesota's bullpen to make room for Tommy Nance, who was acquired in a trade with Toronto on Friday. Orze has turned in a 5.66 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 41.1 innings with the Twins, and he'll likely need to show signs of improvement in the minors before getting another invitation to the big club.

Brown didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rangers, allowing three earned runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four batters in six innings.

The 27-year-old righty struggled to find his command on the mound throughout his start Friday, which began with a five-pitch walk of Joc Pederson to lead off a two-run first inning for the Rangers. Brown went on to issue four more free passes across the next three frames before serving up a solo homer to Pederson to lead off the fifth. Brown will carry a 3.57 ERA and 1.39 WHIP into the intermission, though he now owns a 4.74 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across 24.2 innings in five starts since returning from the injured list in mid-June.

Wood went 3-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

The 23-year-old superstar took Tim Hill deep in the seventh inning to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead, but the bullpen blew another save in the ninth. Wood has left the yard six times in the last 10 games, slashing .417/.571/1.056 over that sizzling stretch, and his total of 26 homers on the season in just 95 games is five shy of the career high he set in 2025.

Littell didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees, allowing one run on five hits over four innings of relief. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The veteran right-hander put together one of his better outings of the season, tossing 49 of 69 pitches for strikes after taking over in the fourth inning from opener Carson Palmquist, but the Nationals' bullpen cost Littell his eighth win of the season with another meltdown in the ninth. He's given up two runs of fewer in four straight starts, heading into the All-Star break with a 2.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB through 19 innings over that stretch.

Rice went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Nationals.

Rice has gone deep seven times in the last 10 games, slashing .324/.432/.892 over that blistering stretch with eight runs and 13 RBI. His 29 homers on the season rank third in the majors, behind Kyle Schwarber's 32 and Yordan Alvarez's 30.

Poulin will serve as the opening pitcher in Saturday's game against the Yankees, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Poulin will receive his 11th opening assignment of the season and will likely remain in the game for an inning or two before turning the game over to bulk reliever Miles Mikolas. Poulin has given up just two runs in 10.1 innings since coming up from the minors in mid-June and carries a 2.83 ERA through 35 frames on the year.

Bednar (3-3) picked up the win Friday, firing two scoreless, no-hit relief innings in a 5-3 victory over the Nationals. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

The veteran closer did plunk Daylen Lile with a pitch and watched him get to third after a steal and a throwing error by Austin Wells, but Bednar was otherwise flawless and got rewarded when the Yankees broke through with three runs in the top of the ninth inning. Bednar hasn't given up an earned run since May 18, delivering a 0.50 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB over his last 18 innings while converting all six of his save chances and collecting two wins.

Murakami went 1-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored Friday against the Athletics.

Murakami returned after roughly a six-week absence and struck out in four of his five at-bats. He delivered an RBI double in his other plate appearance, continuing the boom-or-bust profile he had displayed early in the season. Murakami also returned to hit second in the order, and he should retain a key spot in the lineup moving forward.

Weathers didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-3 win over the Nationals, allowing one run on six hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The southpaw put together another stingy outing, tossing 61 of 91 pitches for strikes and getting tagged for two runs or fewer for the fourth time in his last five starts, but the Yankees' bullpen cost Weathers his fourth win of the year. Over that five-start stretch, he's produced a 3.47 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB through 23.1 innings, and with both Max Fried (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) on the shelf until late July or later, Weathers' spot in the rotation should be secure for at least a couple weeks coming out of the All-Star break.