MLB Player News

Locklear went 0-for-3, was hit by a pitch and had two RBI in Thursday's 6-4 win over Milwaukee.

Locklear came to the plate twice with the bases loaded and managed to plate a run without getting a base hit. He was hit by a pitch in the second inning and then drove in a run on fielder's choice in the third. The right-handed hitting Locklear got the start at first base against a lefty (Jose Quintana) in the first game for Arizona without Pavin Smith, who flew back to Phoenix to undergo imaging on a quadriceps injury. Locklear could see regular opportunities while Smith is unavailable, although a .528 OPS over 22 games since joining the Diamondbacks leaves him vulnerable.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Rockies.

Altuve kicked off the scoring for the Astros by going deep in the first inning, his 23rd homer of the season. He's had mixed results in August, as he's hit just .229 across 96 at-bats, though he's also smacked five home runs and swiped three bases. Overall, he's topped 20 long balls for the first time since 2022 and should reach double-digit steals for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Tovar went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Astros.

It was a much-needed jolt for Tovar, who had just one hit in his last 18 at-bats entering Thursday's action. The defensive-minded shortstop has put up respectable numbers since the start of July, batting .263 with 16 extra-base hits, 13 RBI, 21 runs scored and two stolen bases over his last 133 at-bats. Colorado's next nine games will come at Coors Field, which offers Tovar a prime opportunity to build on those figures. He has a .973 OPS at home as opposed to a .532 OPS on the road in 2025.

Fernandez went 2-for-2 with a solo home run Thursday against the Astros.

Fernandez has gotten minimal playing time since late July, generally starting once every three games. He was in the lineup for the first time in four contests Thursday and took advantage by slugging a solo home run in the fifth inning -- the second of his career. Fernandez has only a .621 OPS across his first 87 plate appearances, though the sporadic playing time likely isn't helping him find a rhythm at the plate.

Kim (shoulder) is slated to be activated off the injured list when rosters expand next week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kim began a minor-league rehab assignment Aug. 21 and has fared fine so far, slashing .273/.292/.273 through six games. Of note, he recently began playing left field with Triple-A Oklahoma City, which may be a sign that the Dodgers plan to use him at that position to some extent when he returns to the big club. By waiting until after rosters expand to activate Kim, Los Angeles won't need to clear room for him with another transaction.

Kopech (knee) is expected to be activated off the injured list during the Dodgers' next road trip, which begins Tuesday in Pittsburgh, per MLB.com.

Kopech is six outings into a minor-league rehab assignment, during which he's posted a 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP and 4:6 K:BB over five innings. While those numbers aren't pretty, three of the four runs he's allowed came in his first rehab appearance, and he followed that matchup with four consecutive scoreless outings. By waiting until after Sept. 1 to activate Kopech, Los Angeles won't need to make a corresponding roster move, as the veteran reliever is slated to be one of the team's two players added when rosters expand.

Fulmer is dealing with a right elbow strain and probably won't return to pitching this season, per MLB.com.

Fulmer was originally diagnosed with elbow inflammation when he landed on the injured list Sunday, but further testing revealed a strain. The injury may not require surgery, but it's serious enough to likely end his 2025 campaign. If that's the case, Fulmer will finish the season with a 5.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB over 29.1 innings across 13 appearances with the Angels.

Strickland (shoulder) is progressing in his recovery from a right shoulder strain but isn't yet throwing, per MLB.com.

The details of how Strickland is "progressing" aren't clear, but it's nonetheless the first positive report on the reliever since he landed on the IL with a right shoulder strain July 7. While the injury was considered significant, it didn't require surgery, and there remains a possibility that Strickland could be back with the Angels sometime in September. However, in order for that to happen, he'll likely need to begin a throwing progression in the relatively near future.

Slater (hamstring) has resumed some baseball activities and on-field drills, per MLB.com.

Slater injured his hamstring while running to first base on a groundout Aug. 4 and was tabbed with a 4-to-6 week timeline to return. He's approaching the early end of that timeframe, but it doesn't appear that he'll be ready to be activated right at the four-week mark. It remains feasible, however, for Slater to be activated before the midway point of September.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Judge's timeline for returning to the outfield remains uncertain, per MLB.com.

It was a step forward for Judge to begin throwing from the outfield to the bases Sunday, but the slugger still hasn't done so at full velocity. He'll certainly need to do so before he's cleared to return to playing the outfield in a game for the first time since July 25. Because Judge has been limited to serving as the DH since his return from the IL on Aug. 5, Giancarlo Stanton has had to pick up a glove and log time in right field while also moving in and out of the lineup -- Stanton has started just four of New York's past seven contests.