MLB Player News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Caglianone went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Friday's 5-3 loss to Baltimore.

Caglianone put the Royals on the board in the fourth inning with a solo homer off Brandon Young. It was the 15th long ball of the season for Caglianone and his first since June 23 against the Rays, when he smacked two homers. The 23-year-old outfielder has gone 7-for-31 with four extra-base hits, five RBI and four runs scored over his last seven games and a .789 OPS across 341 plate appearances this season.

Avila did not factor into the decision Friday against Baltimore, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings.

Avila put the Royals in an early deficit by giving up two runs in the second inning before putting his team behind 3-2 on a solo home run from Blaze Alexander in the fourth. Avila ended his start with 57 strikes on 96 pitches while generating nine whiffs and nine groundouts, and he was in line to take the loss before teammate Isaac Collins tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homer in the eighth. Avila has allowed three earned runs or less in four of his last five starts and enters the All-Star break with a 5.08 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 56.2 innings, although those numbers are inflated by his June 12 outing against the Astros, when he recorded just two outs while allowing eight runs.

Young did not factor into Friday's decision against the Royals, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out five across seven innings.

Young was efficient in his outing, tossing just 85 pitches (59 strikes) while generating 10 whiffs. His pitch count was low enough for him to be brought back for the eighth inning, but he was pulled after giving up a game-tying solo homer to Isaac Collins. Despite the late blemish, Young did enough to secure his seventh quality start of the season. He'll enter the All-Star break sporting a 7-2 record (15 starts) with a 3.42 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 67:31 K:BB over 84.1 innings.

Alexander went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Orioles' 5-3 win over the Royals on Friday.

Alexander scored on a Gunnar Henderson RBI single in the second inning, with the former tacking on a solo homer in the fourth inning to give Baltimore a 3-2 lead. It was the fourth home run of the season for Alexander and his first long ball since June 21 against the Dodgers. He has gone 8-for-26 (.308) with one steal, three RBI and five runs scored over his last seven games.

Basallo went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Royals.

Friday's game was tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, but Basallo changed that with one swing of the bat, crushing a two-run homer to right field to give the Orioles a two-run lead that they did not relinquish. The 21-year-old is up to 15 home runs this season, which is tied with Drake Baldwin for fourth-most among catchers behind Hunter Goodman (27), Shea Langeliers (20) and Dillon Dingler (thumb) (19). Basallo has a .770 OPS with 44 RBI across 293 plate appearances in 2026.