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Anthony Seigler 2B | BOS
Red Sox's Anthony Seigler: Cracks two-run homer Friday
Seigler went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run during the Red Sox's 6-2 win over the Mets on Friday.
Seigler extended Boston's lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning, courtesy of his two-run deep ball off A.J. Minter. It was the second home run of Seigler's major-league career and his fifth multi-hit game of the season. He should continue to see regular reps at second base for as long as Marcelo Mayer (forearm), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (forearm) and Nick Sogard (oblique) are all on the injured list.
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Gunnar Henderson SS | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Working through slump
Henderson went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in Friday's 5-3 win over the Royals.
The imminent All-Star break could be coming at an opportune time for Henderson, who's mired in a brutal slump. Over his last 15 outings, the star shortstop has gone just 10-for-61 (.164) with two extra-base hits, two RBI, nine runs scored and one stolen base. Through 430 plate appearances overall, Henderson is slashing a career-worst .219/.291/.394 with 16 homers, 41 RBI, 53 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
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Sonny Gray SP | BOS
Red Sox's Sonny Gray: Secures 11th win
Gray (11-1) earned the win against the Mets on Friday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out three across six innings.
It wasn't exactly the most dominant performance out of Gray, with his three punchouts being his lowest in a start since May 6 against the Tigers (two). He allowed at least one baserunner in four of six innings, but he limited the damage to one run and did enough to come away with his eighth straight quality start (and 12th of the season, tied for fourth-most in the majors). Gray leads the American League with 11 wins and enters the All-Star break with a 2.54 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 95.2 innings this season.
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Brandon Eisert RP | PIT
Pirates' Brandon Eisert: Shipped to Pittsburgh
The White Sox traded Eisert and Jacob Gonzalez to the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league reliever Jaden Woods and the 34th pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Eisert has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues this season, logging a 5.93 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 27.1 innings with the White Sox. Unless a change of scenery sparks a significant turnaround, the 28-year-old southpaw is likely to remain in a middle-relief role with the Pirates.
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Jacob Gonzalez SS | PIT
Pirates' Jacob Gonzalez: Traded to Pirates
The White Sox traded Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert to the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league reliever Jaden Woods and the 34th pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
After sending him down to Triple-A earlier in the day, the White Sox will now send Gonzalez out to Pittsburgh to help bolster the Pirates' infield depth. The 24-year-old has slashed .244/.323/.360 across 97 plate appearances in the majors since making his MLB debut May 31, but he boasts a 1.040 OPS at the Triple-A level. With Konnor Griffin (finger) expected to miss multiple months and Spencer Horwitz (hamstring) also on the IL, Gonzalez could get an opportunity to contribute right away for the big club.
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Shota Imanaga SP | CHC
Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Tough-luck loss vs. Cincinnati
Imanaga (5-8) took the loss against the Reds on Friday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out five across five innings.
Imanaga allowed at least one baserunner in each of the first four innings he pitched, but he did just enough to keep the Reds off the board. That scoreless effort came to an end on an Elly De La Cruz solo homer in the fifth, and while that was the only run Imanaga gave up Friday, he was still tagged with the loss as his Cubs teammates failed to score a run. Imanaga went through a rough patch from mid-May to early June, but he's given up two earned runs or less in five of his last six outings, posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 32 innings in that span. He enters the All-Star break with a 4.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 105:27 K:BB across 108 innings.
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J.J. Bleday LF | CIN
Reds' JJ Bleday: Smacks late two-run homer
Bleday went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run during Friday's 4-0 win over the Cubs.
Bleday capped off the Reds' three-run eighth inning with a two-run homer to center field, giving Cincinnati insurance runs to secure Friday's victory. Bleday has gone deep in two of his last three games and is up to 15 home runs on the season, surpassing his total from last year (14). He is also on track to eclipse the career-high 20 long balls that he hit in 2024 as a member of the Athletics. Bleday has an .838 OPS with four steals and 41 RBI across 276 plate appearances this season.
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Hunter Greene SP | CIN
Reds' Hunter Greene: Strikes out 12 in Friday's win
Greene (1-1) earned the win against the Cubs on Friday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 12 across seven innings.
Greene was roughed up for eight runs in his 2026 debut against the Orioles this past Saturday, but he looked like his old self in Friday's home game. He struck out the side in the sixth inning and limited the Cubs to just four baserunners, and his 12 punchouts were tied for the second-most in his major-league career, the fourth time he's reached that mark. Friday was almost certainly Greene's final outing before the All-Star break, and his return to the rotation is key for a Reds team looking to make a late playoff push for the second half of the 2026 season.
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Elly De La Cruz SS | CIN
Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Homers and triples Friday
De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, a triple and an additional run scored during the Reds' 4-0 win over the Cubs on Friday.
De La Cruz scored the game's first run with a solo long ball in the fifth inning, and the superstar shortstop sparked the Reds' three-run eighth inning with a triple before coming home to score on a Sal Stewart sacrifice fly. It was the 23rd multi-hit game of the season for De La Cruz, who has an .842 OPS with 13 steals (on 18 attempts), 15 home runs, 44 RBI, 15 doubles and three triples over 330 plate appearances this season.
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Andrew Kittredge RP | BAL
Orioles' Andrew Kittredge: Secures second straight save
Kittredge earned the save in Friday's 5-3 win over the Royals, when he allowed one hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.
Kittredge was called out of the bullpen for the ninth inning to protect the Orioles' two-run lead. He yielded a one-out double to Michael Massey, but Kittredge recovered by getting the next two batters out, capped off by a four-pitch strikeout of Josh Rojas. Kittredge has been tapped for save chances in each of Baltimore's last two games, and he could be ahead of Tyler Wells to be the team's preferred closer in the absence of Ryan Helsley (elbow).