MLB Player News
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Munetaka Murakami 1B | CHW
White Sox's Munetaka Murakami: Pops pair of homers
Murakami went 3-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI and three runs scored Sunday against the Astros.
Murakami was hitting only .184 with a 35.4 percent strikeout rate across his first 11 games since returning from the injured list, but he snapped out of that skid in impressive fashion Sunday. He popped a two-run and solo homer, and he also chipped in a two-RBI single. Murakami now has a modest three-game hitting streak with only two strikeouts in that span, so he looks to be regaining a rhythm at the plate.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Makes history in multi-homer game
Abrams went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Sunday's 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks.
It was Abrams' fourth career multi-homer game and his second of the season. The All-Star shortstop is on a remarkable power surge, blasting seven long balls in his last seven outings while hitting .567 (17-for-30) with 14 RBI during that span. Abrams also notably became the first National with seven homers in a seven-game period since Kyle Schwarber in 2021, and his 27 homers for the campaign have broken Ian Desmond's franchise record for the most in a season by a shortstop, per Patrick Stevens of MLB.com.
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Esmerlyn Valdez RF | PIT
Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Smacks 14th homer
Valdez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk, two runs scored and two RBI on Sunday against the Cubs.
Valdez continued to power the Pirates' offense, first delivering a solo home run in the second inning and then an RBI single three frames later. He continues to have an extreme boom-or-bust profile, as he's struck out at a 38.9 percent clip since the start of July. On the other hand, he has eight home runs, 24 RBI and 16 runs scored across 20 games in that span.
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James Wood RF | WAS
Nationals' James Wood: First multi-homer game of 2026
Wood went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk in Sunday's 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks.
It was Wood's fifth career multi-homer game and his first of the season. The All-Star outfielder has been sensational in July, batting .311 with nine big flies, four doubles, one triple, 20 RBI and 18 walks over 74 at-bats on the month. He's been a five-category superstar all season, slashing .271/.396/.557 with 30 long balls, 72 RBI, 15 stolen bases and an MLB-high 96 runs scored across 498 plate appearances.
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Spencer Miles RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Spencer Miles: Expected to stay in bullpen
Miles struck out four and gave up three hits and no walks over 3.2 innings of relief during Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Rays.
After starting in his prior appearance July 17 against the White Sox, Miles received another turn through the Toronto rotation but was deployed out of the bullpen while Braydon Fisher opened the game and recorded the first four outs of the contest. Miles is likely to fill a more traditional relief role moving forward, as Max Scherzer (back/thumb) is slated to return from the 15-day injured list to fill the fifth spot in the rotation Monday in Washington. If Toronto deals away starters like Kevin Gausman or Shane Bieber at the trade deadline, however, Miles could be needed in the rotation once again.
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Ryan O'Hearn 1B | PIT
Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn: Grand slam against Cubs
O'Hearn went 1-for-2 with a grand slam, two walks and two runs scored Sunday against the Cubs.
O'Hearn broke the game open with a grand slam in the third inning, his 17th home run of the season. He's now matched his career-best homer total -- previously set in 2025 -- but he's reached the mark in 169 fewer plate appearances in the current campaign. However, O'Hearn has slumped for much of July, and he's gone only 6-for-31 since the All-Star break.
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Clayton Beeter RP | WAS
Nationals' Clayton Beeter: Extinguishes fire for save No. 10
Beeter secured the save Sunday against the Diamondbacks, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk in the ninth inning.
Beeter was shaky Sunday but did help put out a fire started by Matt Krook, who walked three batters in the ninth without recording an out. Beeter remains the favorite for saves in Washington's much-maligned bullpen, but his job security is as low as any closer in the major leagues. Through 31.2 innings, the right-hander has a 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a concerning 33:20 K:BB with 10 saves in 15 opportunities.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Homers twice in loss
Pena went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 12-3 loss against the White Sox.
Pena wasted no time making an impact, leading off the game with a solo homer against Erick Fedde before taking the right-hander deep again in the third inning. The shortstop has caught fire of late, homering five times over his last six games after hitting just six long balls through his first 53 contests of the season. During that six-game stretch, Pena is batting 13-for-26 (.500) with eight RBI. For the season, he's slashing .319/.373/.504 with nine doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, 47 runs scored and eight stolen bases across 249 plate appearances.
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Ronel Blanco SP | HOU
Astros' Ronel Blanco: Takes first loss Sunday
Blanco (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the White Sox, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over 5.1 innings.
Blanco was hurt by the long ball Sunday as he threw 55 of his 85 pitches for strikes. After walking the leadoff hitter in the first inning, he surrendered a two-run homer to Munetaka Murakami. Miguel Vargas took him deep for another two-run shot in the sixth. Both of Blanco's starts since returning to Houston have featured multiple home runs allowed and three walks, though he has also piled up 12 strikeouts across 10 innings. The right-hander is scheduled to make his next start Saturday on the road against the Rangers.
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Jonathan Santucci SP | NYM
Mets' Jonathan Santucci: Moving up to Triple-A
The Mets promoted Santucci from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, 2TheBigs.com reports.
Santucci will move up a rung on the minor-league ladder after turning in a 3.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 120:45 K:B over 90.2 innings in 19 starts with Binghamton. Considered one of the Mets' top overall prospects, the 23-year-old southpaw could have an outside shot at making his major-league debut later in 2026, as the organization hasn't been overly shy about promoting its top arms in recent years.