MLB Player News

Teng (3-4) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Thursday, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out one batter over five-plus innings.

Teng gave up a run on two hits in the first inning but faced the minimum over his subsequent three frames. The right-hander allowed two baserunners while getting through a scoreless fifth, but things fell apart for him in the sixth. In that inning, Teng allowed four straight hits -- including a two-run homer -- before he was pulled without having recorded an out. That was enough for Teng to end up with the loss in a game during which the Astros' offense managed just one run. Thursday marked the first time this season that Teng has surrendered more than three runs in an outing, and the lack of swing-and-miss stuff ended his three-game stretch of recording six-plus strikeouts. He still holds a strong 3.06 ERA along with a 1.17 WHIP and 44:21 K:BB over 47 innings spanning 19 appearances (six starts).

Buxton went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 8-6 loss to Kansas City.

Buxton wasted no time getting Minnesota on the board, leading off the bottom of the first inning with a 430-foot solo homer off Seth Lugo to tie the game. The blast was his 18th of the season, as he sits at the fourth-most long balls in MLB. The veteran outfielder also added a second hit and a walk as he continues to be productive following his recent return from hip issues. Since rejoining the lineup, Buxton is batting 14-for-56 (.250) with three homers across 14 games.

Clemens went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Thursday's 8-6 loss to the Royals.

Clemens gave Minnesota an offensive jolt Thursday by taking Seth Lugo deep twice, with both blasts coming as solo shots. The homers were his seventh and eighth of the season and marked the second multi-homer game of his major-league career. The versatile infielder continues to swing a hot bat, going deep four times over his last eight games. Since May 10, Clemens is batting 25-for-87 (.287) with an .828 OPS across 22 contests.

Mlodzinski notched a save against the Astros on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and no walks while striking out three batters over four innings.

Mlodzinski made his first appearance since he was moved out of the rotation and subsequently had a short stay on the restricted list. The right-hander followed Jared Jones, who pitched five scoreless innings, and tossed 55 pitches (36 strikes), with the only run against him coming on an Isaac Paredes solo homer. Mlodzinski notched the second save of his career (and first since 2023), but it's unlikely that he'll be in line for many additional save opportunities. He may continue to piggyback with Jones while the latter eases up his pitch count.

Lange earned the save Thursday against the Twins, allowing one hit and one walk with no strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning.

With Kansas City recently shifting toward a matchup-based approach in the ninth inning, Lange was called upon again to protect a two-run lead. The right-hander worked around a hit and a walk, allowing the potential winning run to come to the plate before inducing a game-ending groundout from Brooks Lee to secure his second save of the season and his second in as many days. Lange has been effective lately, holding opponents scoreless in 10 of his last 11 appearances, and he could continue to see additional save opportunities if the Royals stick with their current committee approach. He owns a 4.18 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 28:15 K:BB across 28 innings.

Rogers (1-3) took the loss Thursday against the Royals, allowing two runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning

Rogers entered with two outs in the eighth inning of a tie game and retired Vinnie Pasquantino to help end the frame. However, things unraveled when he returned for the ninth. The veteran left-hander allowed back-to-back singles to open the inning before a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, prompting his removal. Justin Lawrence was unable to bail him out, allowing both inherited runners to score and saddling Rogers with the loss. After posting nine consecutive scoreless appearances, Rogers has now allowed runs in two of his last three outings and owns a 4.63 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB across 23.1 innings this year, adding two saves and six holds.

Lugo did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Twins, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.

Lugo got off to a rough start when Byron Buxton led off the game with a home run, and the veteran right-hander never fully settled in. He allowed a run in each of his five innings of work, including three total home runs. The outing snapped what had been a strong stretch for Lugo, who entered Thursday having allowed just six runs combined across his previous three starts. He now owns a 3.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 64:24 K:BB across 76 innings this season. Lugo is scheduled to face Texas at home in his next start.

Dubon went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Dubon provided one of Atlanta's few offensive highlights as he accounted for half his team's hits on the night, launching a solo homer in the eighth inning to cut Toronto's lead to 3-2. The long ball was his fifth of the season and his second in as many games. Unfortunately for Atlanta, the momentum was short-lived as the Blue Jays answered with four runs in the following frame. Dubon entered Thursday deep into a slump, batting just .129 over his previous nine games, making the multi-hit effort an encouraging sign. The utility man is slashing .255/.312/.398 with 12 doubles, two triples, 33 RBI and 24 runs scored across 234 plate appearances.

Varland earned the save Thursday against Atlanta, striking out one and allowing no hits or walks over 1.1 scoreless innings.

He was called upon with two outs in the eighth inning and a one-run lead after Braydon Fisher allowed a run earlier in the frame. Varland the retired Ozzie Albies to escape the inning before Toronto's offense erupted for four runs in the ninth, giving him some breathing room. Varland then worked a clean 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his ninth save in as many opportunities this season. The right-hander has been nearly untouchable in 2026, holding opponents without an earned run in 28 of his 29 appearances, with him currently carrying a 16-game streak. He now owns a microscopic 0.28 ERA alongside a 0.99 WHIP and 43:9 K:BB across 32.1 innings.

Jones (1-0) earned the win over Houston on Thursday, allowing four hits and issuing two walks while striking out four batters over five shutout innings.

Jones was roughed up a bit in his season debut May 29, allowing five runs over 4.1 innings against Minnesota. The right-hander fared much better Thursday, limiting the Astros to four hits (two doubles and two singles) while going just deep enough to qualify for the victory. Jones threw 74 pitches after tossing 77 in his previous outing, so he seems to be having his workload managed carefully as he eases back into action following an extended absence due to the UCL surgery he underwent in May of 2025. Jones will look to build upon this performance moving forward, though he's lined up for a tough matchup at home against the Dodgers his next time out.