MLB Player News

Springer went 2-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

It was another dazzling performance from the 35-year-old, who has been one of the hottest hitters in the majors since returning from a concussion Aug. 16. Springer has seven multi-hit efforts in his last 11 games, slashing an eye-popping .432/.528/.886 over that stretch with six homers, 10 RBI and 18 runs, and the surge has carried him to a .956 OPS on the season -- third in MLB behind MVP contenders Aaron Judge (1.106) and Shohei Ohtani (.998).

Barger went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

The 25-year-old chased Zack Littell from the game with a two-run blast in the fifth inning, tying the game at 5-5 after the Blue Jays had fallen into an early 5-0 hole. It was Barger's 19th homer of the season but his first since Aug. 10, snapping an 18-game drought in which he'd limped to a .148/.200/.180 slash line with only two RBI.

The Cardinals are hopeful O'Brien (shoulder) will be available to pitch Friday against the Giants, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien hasn't pitched in a week due to lingering right shoulder soreness, but he played catch earlier this week and could be cleared for game action after the team's off day Thursday. The 30-year-old collected two saves and three holds in August and boasts a 1.69 ERA and 35:17 K:BB over 37.1 innings this season.

Arias started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Red Sox.

Arias, who missed four consecutive games with a hand injury, clubbed a home run in his first plate appearance, which kicked off Cleveland's six-run second inning. The homer was the 10th of the season for Arias, who needs one more to establish a new career high in that category. He is expected to remain the primary shortstop for now, but a .202/.250/.374 slash line in the second half may leave his hold on the job shaky.

Varsho went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

His solo shot off Zack Littell in the fourth inning helped the Blue Jays come back from an early 5-0 deficit in an eventual 13-9 victory. Varsho has homered in three straight games, giving him 18 long balls on the year in only 51 games, and over his last 25 contests he's slashing a fearsome .295/.367/.731 with 17 runs and 26 RBI.

Blewett (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits over an inning in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

It was Blewett's first appearance in a game since he went down with right elbow discomfort just before the All-Star break. He'll need a few more rehab outings but could be activated from the 60-day injured list when first eligible Sept. 15.

Thomas (foot) started in center field and went 0-for-2 with a walk for Double-A Akron on Wednesday.

Thomas, who began a rehab assignment Tuesday as the designated hitter, played his first game in the field. He was removed after five innings, but as the RubberDucks' leadoff batter, Thomas was able to get three plate appearances. He's going to get Thursday off, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The plan is to build up to playing a full nine innings, at which point he could be added to the Guardians roster. Thomas has been out since July 6 with plantar fasciitis.

Kim went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Cubs.

The 29-year-old clubbed the first pitch he saw from Drew Pomeranz in the seventh inning over the left-field fence, erasing a 1-0 deficit in an eventual 5-1 win. Incredibly, it was the first home run by an Atlanta shortstop this season, as the team has gotten a league-low .535 OPS at the position in 2025. The long ball was the third of the year in 26 games for Kim, who should handle starting duties the rest of September after making his Atlanta debut Tuesday.

Vesia (oblique) struck out one in a perfect inning in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Vesia has missed the last two weeks of action with a right oblique strain but didn't seem to show any rust in his first rehab outing. The reliever could make one more rehab appearance before being activated from the 15-day injured list on Sunday, the first day he's eligible.

Gonzalez started at first base and went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Guardians.

Gonzalez, who was in the starting lineup for a seventh consecutive game, got the call at first base against Cleveland left-hander Joey Cantillo. He eventually moved to second base, where he may get more chances going forward due to the domino effect of Roman Anthony's oblique injury. With the Red Sox all of sudden down a couple of outfielders -- Wilyer Abreu (calf) is the other -- Ceddanne Rafaela is needed in center field, opening up second base for Gonzalez and others.