MLB Player News

Skenes didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-5 win over the Royals, giving up five runs on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

The 24-year-old righty had trouble keeping the ball in the yard, serving up solo shots to Vinnie Pasquantino in the first inning and Michael Massey in the fourth, but it was a three-run third that accounted for most of the damage against Skenes. The would-be ace has unexpectedly crashed back to earth in 2026, and he's been tagged for five runs in four of his last 10 starts, limping to a 4.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 54:21 K:BB over 52.2 innings during that stretch. Skenes will try to head into the offseason with some momentum when he makes his final start of the year at home next week against the Cardinals.

Kuroda-Grauer (groin) went 0-for-3 in a rehab game with Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

Kuroda-Grauer started at designated hitter and went hitless, but his return to game action for the first time since July 20 was a positive development after he underwent surgery for a ruptured testicle. He likely won't return to the Athletics' active roster this season, though the possibility hasn't been fully ruled out, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. In 16 games at the big-league level, Kuroda-Grauer impressed with a .417/.435/.583 slash line, a homer, four RBI and eight runs scored.

Dobnak didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Pirates, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.2 innings. He struck out one.

The right-hander needed 74 pitches (46 strikes) to record 11 outs in his shortest outing of the season. Dobnak appears to be running out of steam, and over his last five starts he's stumbled to a 5.60 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB through 27.1 innings while serving up five homers, including a two-run shot by Brandon Lowe on Friday. Dobnak will look to wrap up his campaign in style, as he's set to face the White Sox at home next week.

Sommers (2-4) tossed two scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts to earn the win in Friday's 11-8 victory over the White Sox.

Sommers was on cruise control out of the bullpen as he struck out five of the six batters he faced on 22 pitches. The lefty has had a nice season overall with a 3.32 ERA, though he's struggled a bit lately with a 5.40 ERA in his last eight appearances before Friday's rebound. Sommers has also done a great job of missing bats with 58 strikeouts in just 38 innings this year, giving him some sneaky upside heading into 2027 if he's able to secure a higher-leverage role.

Pagan walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 24th save of the season in a 6-4 win over the Cubs.

The veteran closer is closing out 2026 on a high note. Pagan hasn't been scored upon in seven straight appearances and hasn't blown a save since returning from the IL at the beginning of July, posting a 2.03 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB over his last 26.2 innings with three wins and 18 saves.

Garcia went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Pirates.

Garcia went to the opposite field for a two-RBI double in the third inning, though he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. It marked the third baseman's first hit since returning from a left hamstring strain, as he's gone 1-for-11 (.091) across three games. Injuries have hampered the 26-year-old all season, and Garcia has struggled to build on his breakout 2025, slashing .262/.318/.378 with three homers, 34 RBI, 34 runs and five stolen bases over 76 contests in 2026.

Burns didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-4 win over the Cubs, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over three innings. He struck out four.

With the Reds out of the playoff picture, Burns is having his workload limited to close out his first full season in the majors, as he's already blown his previous career high in innings out of the water with 154.1 IP this year. The 23-year-old righty has tossed exactly three frames in all three of his September outings, posting a 4.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB in those nine innings. He'll make one more trip to the mound in 2026, a start scheduled to come on the road next week in Atlanta.

Greene went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's 11-8 win over the White Sox.

Greene extended his hitting streak to eight games with his 21st home run of the season. He's gone deep twice during the hitting streak while also delivering 10 RBI and a 1.095 OPS. Detroit has a slim chance of making the playoffs with a big surge during the last week of the regular season, and it appears that Greene is going to do his part to help carry the offensive load.

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

Bazzana's fifth-inning homer turned out to be the game-winning hit, as the Guardians erased an early 3-0 deficit. After a midseason slump, the rookie is enjoying a bounceback September. The homer was his sixth during the month, and he's slashing .390/.479/.902 over the last 12 contests.

Holmes (6-8) took the loss Friday, coughing up six runs on three hits and five walks over 5.1 innings as the Cubs fell 6-4 to the Reds. He struck out four.

The veteran righty threw 57 of 97 pitches for strikes en route to a new season high in free passes. Holmes hasn't been able to replicate his early-season success with the Mets since being acquired by Chicago, and over eight starts for his new team he's gone 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 30:21 K:BB in 44.1 innings. He'll get one more chance to build some momentum ahead of the playoffs, with Holmes' final start of the regular season lined up to come at home next week against the Marlins.