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Brad Lord RP | WAS
Nationals' Brad Lord: Impressive rain-shortened outing
Lord didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-0 loss to Atlanta, allowing two hits and a walk over 3.1 scoreless innings. He struck out six.
A nearly 90-minute rain delay ended what was shaping up to be an unlikely pitcher's duel, as Lord's dominant performance was matched by three perfect innings from Grant Holmes. Lord may have been nearing his limit anyway, however -- the right-hander tossed 39 of 55 pitches for strikes, and he hasn't thrown 60-plus pitches in any outing this season. He'll likely return to a long-relief role, but Lord's making a case to get stretched out for another crack at the rotation, having posted a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB over 15 innings since the beginning of August.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Stays hot in Wednesday's rout
Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Nationals.
The veteran catcher has caught fire at the plate now that he's fully healthy for the first time in a few years. Murphy has hit safely in five straight games, batting .500 (9-for-18) during that heater with two doubles, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. His surge has allowed Drake Baldwin to get more rest while serving as Atlanta's primary DH, and Murphy should continue to see regular playing time as the team tries to keep its key players fresh for the playoffs.
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Mickey Gasper DH | BOS
Red Sox's Mickey Gasper: Getting time at first base
Gasper went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Mariners.
Gasper continued an unexpected power surge that began with his return to the majors Aug. 17 -- he's gone 15-for-38 (.395) with four doubles, seven homers and 14 RBI over 14 games around a very short-lived trip to the minors for one day earlier this week. The versatile Gasper made a third consecutive start at first base in place of the injured Willson Contreras, and the Red Sox will find a spot for Gasper somewhere if he continues to hit like this.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. RF | ATL
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Makes history in Wednesday's win
Acuna went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-0 rout of the Nationals.
The seventh-inning long ball off Max Kranick was Acuna's 14th of the season, while the steal was his 20th, but it's the homer that put his name in the record books as the 200th of his career. The star outfielder reached that mark in just 904 games, and combined with his 225 stolen bases, he became the fastest player in MLB history to join the 200-200 club, surpassing Alfonso Soriano's record of 929 games. Per Ian Nicholas Quillen of MLB.com, the next four names on the list are just as impressive -- Eric Davis (1,053 games), Bobby Bonds (1,065), Sammy Sosa (1,094) and Barry Bonds (1,094). Acuna has had a tough, injury-plagued season overall, but he's catching fire for the stretch run, batting .455 (10-for-22) over his last six contests with a homer, two steals, four RBI and six runs.
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Shaun Anderson RP | LAA
Shaun Anderson: Becomes free agent
Anderson cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent Wednesday.
The Angels had designated Anderson for assignment after he recovered from a shoulder injury, and the righty is now a free agent. Anderson chose the same route on two occasions earlier this season and both times wound up re-signing with the Halos, so that could happen again.
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Grant Holmes SP | ATL
Braves' Grant Holmes: Strong start cut short by rain
Holmes didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Nationals, striking out one batter over three perfect innings.
A nearly 90-minute rain delay ended any chance Holmes might have had of making history, but the right-hander faced the minimum number of batters on just 26 pitches (16 strikes) before the umpires shut things down. Holmes has held the opposition scoreless in four of six outings since the beginning of August, delivering a 2.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 17:10 K:BB over 29.2 innings during that stretch with a 3-1 record. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Rays.
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Jake Cousins RP | LAD
Dodgers' Jake Cousins: Kicks off rehab assignment
Cousins (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, striking out one and issuing one walk in a scoreless frame.
It's the first appearance for Cousins since he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2025. He averaged 94.3 mph with his four-seamer in the outing, which is down only slightly from his pre-surgery velocity. Cousins has had difficulty staying healthy in his career, but he boasts a 2.78 ERA and 32.6 percent strikeout rate over parts of four seasons, so he could provide a boost to the Dodgers' bullpen down the stretch after he makes a few more rehab appearances.
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Ezequiel Duran SS | TEX
Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Homers in loss
Duran batted leadoff and went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to the Athletics.
Duran gave the Rangers an early lead when he took Jacob Lopez deep on the third pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning. It was the 16th home run of the season for Duran, who has found his swing again. Following a two-week run at the beginning of August in which he batted .128 (6-for-47), Duran's posted a .404 average (19-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBI over the subsequent 13 games. He's now at a career-high 507 plate appearances with a career-high .791 OPS.
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Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Crushes 18th homer
Perez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's 9-6 loss to the Marlins.
Perez got in on the action of a five-run first inning, crushing a two-run homer off Eury Perez. Over his past 15 games, the veteran slugger is slashing .271/.306/.441 with two homers, 12 RBI and six runs. He's been better of late, but his overall numbers are among the worst of his career, as Perez is hitting .221/.266/.375 with 18 homers, 64 RBI and 47 runs across 130 contests.
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Dane Myers CF | CIN
Reds' Dane Myers: Three hits in Wednesday's win
Myers went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Padres.
Getting the start in center field and batting sixth even with right-hander Casey Mize on the mound for San Diego, Myers delivered his second three-hit effort in his last six games. The 30-year-old is making a case for more playing time as the Reds try to stay in the NL wild-card race, and over his last 15 contests he's slashing .308/.368/.500 with three home runs, one steal, four RBI and eight runs.