MLB Player News

Cruz went 1-for-4 with a steal and a run scored during the Pirates' 5-1 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.

Cruz showed off his speed early by stealing second base in the first inning, and after moving to third on a Danny Jansen throwing error, Cruz was brought home by an Ryan O'Hearn single to center field. Cruz is up to 10 steals (on 11 attempts) this season, tied with Nasim Nunez for second most in the majors behind Jose Ramirez (11). Cruz is off to a strong start to the 2026 season with a .897 OPS, six home runs and 19 RBI over 103 plate appearances.

De La Cruz went 3-for-6 with two home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored in Tuesday's 12-6 win over the Rays.

De La Cruz's fingerprints were all over this offensive outburst for Cincinnati. Batting right-handed, he smacked a two-run homer off Steven Matz in the first inning. De La Cruz stole his sixth bag of the season in the sixth and later took position player Ben Williamson deep from the left side of the plate in the ninth. De La Cruz hit five homers off left-handed pitching all of last season and has already matched that total in 2026. The 24-year-old is slashing .276/.343/.571 with eight home runs, 18 RBI, 21 runs scored, six stolen bases and a 10:31 BB:K across 108 plate appearances.

Mlodzinski (1-1) took the loss against the Rangers on Tuesday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six across 4.1 innings.

Mlodzinski worked in a long-relief role in his previous outing behind opener Mason Montgomery, but Mlodzinski was on the mound from the get-go in Tuesday's contest. He appeared to settle in after giving up two runs in the second inning, but Mlodzinski was unable to escape the fifth, giving up three runs in the frame while recording just one out. It was the first time this season that he gave up more than two runs in a game, and through five outings this season, he sits at a 3.28 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB across 24.2 innings. Mlodzinski will look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated for this weekend on the road against the Brewers.

Burns (2-1) picked up the win Tuesday against the Rays, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts across 5.2 innings.

Burns had his elite stuff working Tuesday, as he cruised through five relatively easy innings before the Tampa Bay lineup turned over for a third time in the bottom of the sixth inning when Jonathan Aranda tagged Burns for a two-run homer. The 23-year-old Burns has struggled a bit with his command at times this season, but there's no denying his swing-and-miss upside. Through five starts, Burns has a 2.57 ERA and 30:11 K:BB across 28 innings. His next start should come at home against the Rockies next week.

Carter went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI single during Texas' 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Carter put the Rangers on the board in the second inning with an RBI single to right field. However, his biggest impact in Tuesday's game came in the fifth, when he scaled the fence in center field to rob Oneil Cruz of a three-run home run, which would have given the Pirates a 4-2 lead. Carter has logged one RBI in each of his last three games but has struggled at the plate this season, slashing .197/.333/.348 with three steals, two home runs, seven RBI and a 14:18 BB:K in 83 plate appearances.

Thielbar retired the last two batters in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Phillies to record the save.

The Cubs started the ninth with a 7-3 lead and deployed Jacob Webb, but he allowed two hits and only recorded one out. That's when Chicago turned to Thielbar to put out the fire with two runners on. The veteran lefty calmly got the job done on just six pitches, and he now has two saves and a win over the last three days. Thielbar is serving as the team's top option for saves with regular closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, and he's performed well in the role.

Rocker (1-1) earned the win against the Pirates on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five across six innings.

Rocker gave up an RBI single to Ryan O'Hearn in the first inning, but that was the only run that Rocker gave up in Tuesday's outing as he kept the Pirates' bats in check by inducing 11 groundballs. It was both Rocker's first win and quality start since July 19 against the Tigers. He has yielded three runs or fewer in each of his four starts this season for a 3.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB across 20.2 innings. Rocker is slated to start this weekend at home against the Athletics.

Duran went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a run scored during the Rangers' 5-1 win over the Pirates on Tuesday.

Duran was not in the Rangers' starting lineup, but he was in left field for the top of the fifth inning after Wyatt Langford exited the game due to right forearm tightness. Duran contributed immediately in the fifth inning with a double that brought Josh Smith home before Duran scored on a Corey Seager RBI single. Duran could see some some starts in left field if Langford were to miss time.

Happ went 1-for-4 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Phillies.

Happ reached three times in the win and also mustered his first stolen base of the season in his first attempt. The veteran outfielder doesn't run like he used to, as he only had six steals during the 2025 regular season following 13 swipes in 2024 and 14 in 2023. Happ might not possess the same wheels he used to have, but he's still effective at getting on base, and he's delivered at least 20 home runs in each of the last three years as well. The 31-year-old has also played in at least 150 games for four straight seasons.

Alvarado was removed from Tuesday's game against the Cubs with mid-back spasms, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

Alvarado gave up one earned run on two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning before his back forced him to come out of the game. It's unknown if he will have to spend time on the IL, though the Phillies could sit him down for a few days as a precaution, regardless of the severity of his injury.