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Manny Machado 3B | SD
Padres' Manny Machado: Up to 11 homers
Machado went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday in a loss to Philadelphia.
Machado struck out twice in the contest, but he also provided half of the Padres' runs with his blast in the seventh inning. The star third baseman began the campaign very slowly, batting .198 with just two home runs over his first 25 games. However, Machado has picked up the pace in the power department since then, going deep nine times across his subsequent 34 contests. He's otherwise still looking for his swing, though, batting just .157 during that span, and his .174 batting average on the season is the second-worst mark among qualified MLB hitters.
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Davidjohn Herz P | WAS
Nationals' DJ Herz: Ready for rehab assignment
Herz (elbow) was sent to the FCL Nationals on Friday to begin a rehab assignment.
Herz is ready to pitch in a game for the first time since undergoing April 2025 Tommy John surgery. The left-hander will need to use most, if not all, of his allotted 30 days on a rehab assignment, and it's not a given he'll rejoin the major-league club immediately after being activated. Herz is an intriguing long-term arm, however, after striking out 106 over 88.2 innings covering 19 starts for the Nationals in 2024.
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Quinn Mathews SP | STL
Cardinals' Quinn Mathews: Authors best start of season
Mathews struck out nine while yielding just one hit and one walk over six shutout innings in a start for Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.
It's the best start of the season for Mathews, who faced just one over the minimum and induced 16 whiffs on 80 pitches. Mathews' major control problems have persisted this season at Memphis with a 17 percent walk rate, but he's also sporting a 30.5 percent strikeout rate and has been able to hold his velocity deep into outings. He could reach St. Louis at some point in the second half if he can get the walks down to an acceptable level.
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Thomas Hatch RP | ARI
Thomas Hatch: Released by Arizona
The Diamondbacks released Hatch on Thursday.
It's not clear whether Hatch exercised an opt-out clause or if this is a traditional release. He posted a 4.01 ERA and 34:10 K:BB over 51.2 innings covering 11 starts with Triple-A Reno.
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Michael Massey 2B | KC
Royals' Michael Massey: Blasts another homer Thursday
Massey went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 8-6 win over the Twins.
Massey got in on the offensive action with a single in the second inning before going yard to open the fourth frame. It marked his third homer over the past five games, during which the second baseman has hit safely and driven in at least one run in each contest. Across 47 contests in 2026, Massey is slashing .266/.287/.477 with six homers, nine doubles, 20 RBI, 16 runs and a stolen base.
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Cooper Hjerpe RP | STL
Cardinals' Cooper Hjerpe: Kicking off rehab assignment
Hjerpe (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at the Cardinals' Florida Complex League affiliate Friday.
It will be Hjerpe's first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The left-hander will knock off some rust in the FCL before eventually moving up either to Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis. Hjerpe is on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and could push to debut at some point in the second half. The 2022 first-round pick collected a 3.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 76:28 K:BB in 52.1 innings at Springfield in 2024.
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Tyler Soderstrom LF | ATH
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Stays hot with homer Thursday
Soderstrom went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-6 loss against the Cubs.
Soderstrom went the opposite way off southpaw Shota Imanaga to open the seventh inning and extend the Athletics' lead, though the club would ultimately relinquish it. Soderstrom's hitting streak is now up to 10 games, during which he is batting .417 with three homers, three doubles, six RBI and five runs. The hot stretch has significantly boosted the left fielder's numbers on the season, raising his OPS from .655 to .750 across 59 contests.
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Everson Pereira LF | STL
White Sox's Everson Pereira: Kicking off rehab assignment
Pereira (pectoral) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
Pereira hasn't played since April 28 due to a strained right pectoral, but he recently began throwing again and is now cleared for game action. The 25-year-old slashed .250/.310/.453 with three homers, seven RBI, seven runs scored, one stolen base and a 4:21 BB:K across his first 71 pate appearances this season.