-
Cooper Hjerpe RP | STL
Cardinals' Cooper Hjerpe: Stellar out of bullpen in debut
Hjerpe (1-0) struck out six over four perfect innings of relief to earn the win over the Rockies on Sunday.
Hjerpe entered the contest in the fourth inning and set down 12 straight Rockies on a total of 54 pitches (41 strikes). Big-league debuts don't get much better than that. Across four levels of the minors this season, Hjerpe posted a 3.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 61:32 K:BB over 42 innings as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. Hjerpe is poised to serve as a piggyback option as the Cardinals cut Kyle Leahy's innings back down the stretch. The duo could work as a tandem for likely three more turns through the rotation, with the next one tentatively projected to be at home versus the White Sox next weekend.
-
Kyle Leahy SP | STL
Cardinals' Kyle Leahy: Surrenders five runs
Leahy allowed five runs on six hits and struck out six without walking a batter over 2.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Sunday.
Leahy has seen a planned workload reduction since mid-August, but this was the first time he's had a truly bad outing in a while. Prior to Sunday, he hadn't given up more than two runs in any game since June 17 versus the Padres. Leahy is now at a 3.41 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 124:38 K:BB through 132 innings over 27 starts. The right-hander will be tough to trust in fantasy if he continues to work as a starter, which will reduce his chances to pick up wins in September. His next appearance is projected to be at home versus the White Sox.
-
Chandler Simpson LF | TB
Rays' Chandler Simpson: Approaching 40-steal mark
Simpson went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Rangers.
Simpson logged his first steal of September in the seventh inning of this contest. He's been putting bat to ball fairly well lately, logging eight multi-hit efforts over his last 14 games. The light-hitting speedster is 39-for-53 on the basepaths this season while batting .308 with a .696 OPS, 31 RBI, 57 runs scored, 14 doubles, six triples and no home runs over 135 games.
-
Kyle Schwarber DH | PHI
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber: Homers again in loss
Schwarber went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Sunday's 5-4 loss to Atlanta.
Schwarber gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead with a solo blast in the seventh inning. The slugger entered Saturday's contest in an 0-for-14 skid but has now homered in back-to-back games and leads the majors with 42 long balls. In addition to his power, he's slashing .241/.357/.524 with 86 RBI, 85 runs scored and three steals across 614 plate appearances this season.
-
Ian Seymour RP | TB
Rays' Ian Seymour: Chased in fourth inning
Seymour allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out two over three-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Rangers on Sunday.
Seymour has now given up at least three runs in each of his last five games, though he had covered at least five frames in each of those outings prior to Sunday. The southpaw had particular trouble with Jake Burger, who tagged him for a pair of home runs, accounting for three of the runs he surrendered. Seymour is at a 4.33 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 140:33 K:BB through 116.1 innings over 43 games (13 starts) this year. He is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Astros.
-
Ezequiel Duran 3B | TEX
Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Supplies three hits in win
Duran went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Rays.
Duran has collected seven multi-hit efforts over his last 17 games, going 24-for-63 (.381) in that span. The utility man continues to be a consistent bat for the Rangers while picking up steady playing time between center field and second base. For the year, he's hitting .277 with a .794 OPS, 17 home runs, 78 RBI, 65 runs scored, 26 doubles, four triples and 11 stolen bases over 135 games. He has already set or matched career highs in nearly every offensive category.
-
Ronald Acuna Jr. RF | ATL
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Launches clutch homer in win
Acuna went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBI in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Phillies.
Acuna got Atlanta on the board with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before tying the game on a three-run blast in the eighth. The 28-year-old has now hit safely in four straight contests, collecting 10 hits, three homers and nine RBI in that span. For the season, he's slashing .255/.351/.446 with 16 long balls, 45 RBI, 52 runs scored and 20 steals across 396 plate appearances.
-
Corey Seager SS | TEX
Rangers' Corey Seager: Clubs 15th homer
Seager went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Rays.
Seager has picked up the pace at the plate lately, going 24-for-77 (.312) over his last 20 games. He has three homers and nine RBI in that span. The veteran shortstop is batting .227 with a .739 OPS, 15 homers, 38 RBI, 49 runs scored, 14 doubles and a stolen base over 84 contests on the year.
-
Jake Burger 1B | TEX
Rangers' Jake Burger: Powers offense in win
Burger went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Rays.
Burger tagged Ian Seymour for a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run blast in the fourth. Burger had gone 10 games without a long ball, adding just two doubles and three RBI in that span. The first baseman is up to 25 homers on the year while batting .239 with a .738 OPS, 82 RBI, 60 runs scored, 21 doubles and three stolen bases over 137 contests.
-
Tyler Mahle SP | ATL
Braves' Tyler Mahle: Goes six strong in no-decision
Mahle did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Phillies, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and one walk with three strikeouts over six innings.
Mahle allowed two unearned runs in the first inning but settled in from there, throwing 61 of 94 pitches for strikes with 12 whiffs. The 31-year-old has been stellar since being traded, posting a 1.24 ERA with five quality starts in six outings. Overall, he holds a 4.05 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 124:43 K:BB across 131 innings with Atlanta and San Francisco this season and lines up for a home rematch with the Phillies next weekend.