MLB Player News

Fermin was removed from Thursday's game against the Dodgers in the fifth inning after taking a foul tip off the mask, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Fermin spent time on the 7-day IL last month after he was concussed when a warmup pitch struck him in his mask, and it appears he'll now re-enter the concussion protocol. Prior to exiting Thursday, Fermin went 1-for-2 with a double. Rodolfo Duran replaced him at catcher.

Smith went 2-for-2 with a home run and an additional RBI in a 10-4 win over the Tigers on Thursday.

Smith began the game on the bench but entered as a pinch hitter for Justin Foscue in the sixth inning. The utility man made an immediate impact with a solo homer to right field, then drove in another run on an infield single in the seventh. Smith has struggled for most of the campaign and spent time in the minors late in June, but he was called back up Wednesday and has gone 3-for-4 in two contests since his return.

Valdez (4-6) took the loss against Texas on Thursday, allowing five runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one batter over five innings.

Valdez was hit early and often, as the Rangers built a 5-0 lead through four frames. The left-hander threw 17 of 26 first pitches for strikes but had trouble putting batters away -- he notched only three whiffs and one punchout. Valdez completed at least six innings in 22 of 31 regular-season starts while going 13-11 for the Astros last year, but it's been a different story during his first campaign in Detroit. He's tossed six-plus innings in a more modest 11 of 18 starts in 2026 and is now 4-6 on the season. Valdez's next start is lined up to be a home matchup against the Athletics.

Walker went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, two runs scored and a walk in Thursday's 11-5 win over Atlanta.

The four RBI were Walker's most since June 10 and also marked his fourth game this year with at least four RBI. After struggling to find his footing in the major leagues across his prior three seasons, the dynamic 24-year-old outfielder has been a force in St. Louis' lineup this year. Walker has been a five-category contributor for fantasy managers, slashing a potent .291/.346/.519 with 19 homers, 63 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 49 runs scored.

Waldrep took a no-decision Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk in 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

Waldrep gave up all three of his runs in the opening frame, but he was at least able to settle in afterwards and push for a quality start. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 76 pitches in his second major-league outing of 2026, so he may not be fully built up to handle a traditional starter's workload quite yet. Waldrep is contending with Grant Holmes' for a rotation spot going forward, and Thursday's showing might have offered the club enough positive takeaways to hand Waldrep another chance to start next week in Pittsburgh.

Eovaldi (9-7) earned the win over Detroit on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out nine batters over five innings.

Eovaldi began his outing with four scoreless frames and took a 5-0 lead into the fifth. A pair of Tigers homers in that inning trimmed Texas' advantage to 5-3 and resulted in that being Eovaldi's final frame, but the right-hander still emerged with his ninth win. Despite his rough final inning, Eovaldi was mostly dominant, racking up 18 whiffs and tying his season high with nine punchouts -- a mark he has reached in three consecutive contests. The veteran hurler has won four straight starts and will look to extend that streak the next time he takes the mound, which is tentatively slated to be at home against the Angels.

Harris opted out of his minor-league contract and was granted his released by the White Sox on Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Rather than adding him to the major-league roster, Chicago elected to part ways with Harris. The 26-year-old was DFA'd by Chicago in April and subsequently claimed off waivers by the Astros before being designated for assignment by Houston less than a month later. He quickly re-signed with the White Sox on a minor-league deal in May and slashed .312/.396/.490 with six homers, 26 RBI, 32 runs scored, nine stolen bases and a 19:35 BB:K across 183 trips to the plate with Triple-A Charlotte. Harris will now look for an opportunity elsewhere.

Taylor (4-2) took the loss and blew the save Thursday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks in 1.1 innings. He struck out two.

Even though Seranthony Dominguez has blown back-to-back saves, Taylor isn't making much of a case for ninth-inning work. The 24-year-old right-hander has coughed up eight runs in his last seven outings, blowing two save chances during that stretch. Taylor still has a strong 3.02 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 64:14 K:BB over 44.1 innings, but he's converted only two of his five save opportunities and has just five holds.

Martin took a no-decision Thursday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on six hits and five walks in 3.1 innings. He failed to record a strikeout.

Martin couldn't find the plate during a laborious outing at sweltering Progressive Field on Thursday, landing only half of his pitches for strikes and walking a season-high five. Additionally, the 74 pitches represent a season-low figure for the 29-year-old right-hander, who also matched his shortest start of the campaign in terms of innings. Martin still holds a strong 3.08 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 90:29 K:BB over 96.1 innings.

Cecconi took a no-decision Thursday against the White Sox, allowing five runs on nine hits and one walk in five-plus innings. He struck out three.

A staggering six of Cecconi's nine hits allowed went for extra bases, three of which came in the fifth inning alone, and a Chase Meidroth two-run home run chased the hurler from the outing in the sixth frame. The 27-year-old right-hander stumbled dramatically Thursday, as he worked at least five innings while yielding two runs or fewer in all five of his starts in June. Cecconi will take a subpar 4.44 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 73:30 K:BB over 95.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against the Twins.