MLB Player News

Castillo (3-8) took the loss Friday against the Rays, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four batters across five innings.

Castillo allowed three homers and has dropped three of his last five starts. However, the veteran hurler has given up two or fewer runs in seven of his last nine outings, so he's been pitching well lately, all things considered. Castillo saw his season ERA rise to 4.93 after this start, but he has a more respectable 3.90 ERA in six starts and 32.1 innings since the beginning of June.

Morgan (knee) began a throwing progression this week, per MLB.com.

Morgan has been on the IL since late June due to soreness in his left knee. The righty reliever had been pitching pretty well prior to getting hurt, posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with an 11:2 K:BB over 8.2 innings spanning seven appearances since the calendar flipped to June. Morgan isn't expected to return to San Diego by the All-Star break, but he could be activated before the end of July.

DeLauter went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 3-2 win over the Marlins.

DeLauter launched his 10th long ball of the season in the fourth inning off Sandy Alcantara, and he's gone yard in three of his last five games. This two-hit performance also extended his current hitting streak to six games, with four multi-hit efforts and a .416 average (10-for-24) over that stretch.

Alcantara (10-5) took the loss Friday against the Guardians, allowing three runs on five hits across seven innings while striking out eight.

Alcantara gave up a two-run shot to Chase DeLauter in the top of the fourth and another run in the fifth on a Travis Bazzana sac fly. Despite the loss, Alcantara has been a reliable arm throughout the season. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts, and this loss snapped a streak of seven straight starts with a win for the 30-year-old. Alcantara has a 3.99 ERA in 130.2 innings this season and is lined up to make his next start against the Brewers on the road Friday, July 17.

Diaz (elbow) threw live batting practice Wednesday and is approaching a minor-league rehab assignment, per MLB.com.

The live BP was Diaz's second over a four-day span and marked another step forward in his recovery from the elbow surgery he underwent in late April. The expectation remains that Diaz will need to embark on a rehab stint before being activated from the 60-day IL, but even so he appears in line to return to the Dodgers' bullpen not long after the All-Star break.

Messick (8-5) earned the win Friday against the Marlins, tossing six innings of one-run ball during which he allowed one hit and issued four walks. He struck out one.

Messick delivered a solid outing and limited the damage to just one run on a solo home run by Heriberto Hernandez. However, the strikeout total was a season low for Messick, and his four walks were a season high. Messick has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts, and he'll carry a 2.73 ERA into his next start, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at home against the Pirates.

Smith earned the save Friday against the Marlins after tossing a perfect ninth inning.

Smith didn't record a strikeout en route to his MLB-leading 28th save of the season, but he needed just nine pitches (seven strikes) to get the job done in the bottom of the ninth. Smith has yet to allow a hit in five appearances so far in July while posting a 4:1 K:BB across five innings.

Waldschmidt was removed from Friday's game against the Dodgers with an apparent hand injury, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Waldschmidt took a 99.6 mph sinker off his right hand while attempting to lay down a bunt in the sixth inning and was pulled from the game immediately afterward. The D-backs will presumably send him in for X-rays to determine whether he suffered a fracture, and an update on his status should come in the near future.

Baty went 3-for-4 with a steal, a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Red Sox on Friday.

Baty made Friday's score look a little more respectable for the Mets by belting a solo home run in the ninth inning, his fourth long ball of the season and first since May 18 against the Nationals. His three hits were a season high and his most in a game since Sept. 17, 2025. Baty's hitting streak is up to 10 games, during which he has gone 13-for-38 (.342) with two steals, five RBI, five extra-base hits and eight runs scored.

McLean (6-6) took the loss against Boston on Friday, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven across six innings.

It was a tough-luck loss for McLean, as both of the runs that the Red Sox scored in the first inning were unearned due to a throwing error by Juan Soto. McLean kept Boston off the board over the next five frames, but he didn't get enough run support from his New York teammates to avoid the loss, though he still came away with his third straight quality start (and 10th of the season). He'll enter the All-Star break with a 3.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 125:39 K:BB over 107.1 innings this season.