MLB Player News

Sears didn't factor into the decision in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out four.

The rookie southpaw came up just short of a quality start in his first MLB start, tossing 54 of 93 pitches for strikes and exiting the mound in line for his first victory, only to see the Detroit bullpen stumble in a 10-inning loss. Sears got tagged for five runs in four innings during his first appearance in late August, but over his last two outings he's delivered a 1.08 ERA and 5:2 K:BB in 8.1 frames. With the Tigers' playoff hopes looking very dim after the team was swept in the twin bill, Sears could get additional looks in the rotation once the team shifts its focus to 2027.

Clark went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

The Tigers ended up being swept in the twin bill, but Clark did what he could to prevent a loss in the matinee, piling up three hits for a second straight game and the third time in his brief MLB career. After an 0-for-4 showing in the nightcap, the rookie center fielder sports a .265/.331/.434 slash line through his first 32 contests for Detroit with two homers, two steals, 14 runs and 16 RBI.

Griffin went 0-for-3 with a run scored Friday against the Angels.

Griffin was activated from the 60-day injured list Friday and hit sixth in the order. He reached base on a fielder's choice in the second inning and scored from first base on a double by Jake Mangum, recording the only run of the game by either team. Griffin should be a mainstay in the Pirates' lineup, and he'll likely be aggressive on the basepaths even if he starts slowly at the plate while shaking off some rust.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Alvarez was the only Houston player to record multiple hits. He hit a single in the third inning, advanced to third on Isaac Paredes' RBI double and later scored on Jose Altuve's sacrifice fly. Alvarez added another single in the fifth. He's posting pedestrian numbers of late, hitting .242 with a .745 OPS over his last 10 games, but he remains the most dangerous hitter in the Astros' lineup by a wide margin.

Hader struck out all three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Hader was dominant after being handed a two-run lead in the ninth inning, striking out all three batters he faced to close out the game on 16 pitches (11 strikes). It was his 23rd save of the season and this outing lowered his ERA to 0.70. More notably, it was the 250th save of Hader's career, making him the sixth active pitcher and 41st in MLB history to reach the milestone. This also extended his run of scoreless outings to 20, and he's posted a 24:3 K:BB across 21 innings over that stretch.

Javier (2-5) earned the win Friday against the Diamondbacks after allowing one run on one hit and three walks while striking out eight over five innings.

Javier overpowered Arizona for most of his outing, with Gabriel Moreno's fourth-inning solo homer accounting for the only hit and run against him. The right-hander generated 17 swinging strikes among his 79 pitches (47 strikes) and retired the final five batters he faced. Javier's eight punchouts tied his season-high mark, and he's now allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last four appearances. He owns a 4.19 ERA across 34.1 innings since the All-Star break and is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Phillies.

Kelly (9-13) took the loss Friday against the Astros after allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four over six innings. He didn't issue a walk.

This was the fifth time in Kelly's last six starts that he finished with four or fewer strikeouts, posting a 23:18 K:BB in 33.1 innings in that span. He's produced back-to-back quality starts, but the command issues have hurt him a bit since he owns a 5.13 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over that six-game stretch. Kelly is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Royals.

Assad will be recalled from Triple-A Iowa to start Saturday's game against the Marlins, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Assad will toe the rubber opposite Ryan Gusto as he returns for his 23rd appearance and 11th start for the big-league club this season. The 29-year-old Assad has put up an impressive 3.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in his 83.1 innings in the majors this season and threw 5.1 innings of one-run ball in his most recent start for Iowa on Aug. 30. With a strong showing Saturday, Assad could end up sticking in the Chicago rotation as the fifth starter over David Peterson.

Naylor went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Athletics.

Naylor's double was his 20th two-bagger of the year and second over his last four games. The first baseman is in a deep power drought, having gone 22 games without a long ball after hitting a pair against the Rays on Aug. 8. Naylor is batting .269 with a .693 OPS, 10 homers, 49 RBI, 51 runs scored and 26 stolen bases over 132 contests this year.

Raleigh went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a double, a walk and three total runs scored in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Athletics.

Raleigh has hit safely in six straight games and in 11 of his last 13 contests. He's gone 15-for-46 (.326) with eight homers in that longer span, finally giving fantasy managers a glimpse of his 2025 form. Overall, Raleigh is still batting just .176 with a .662 OPS, 21 homers, 58 RBI, 39 runs scored, 11 doubles and two stolen bases over 107 contests this year.