MLB Player News

Williams earned the save Thursday against the Phillies, allowing a run on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one inning.

Williams was called upon to protect a three-run lead in the ninth inning and ultimately got the job done despite some late traffic. He allowed a run on a Justin Crawford RBI single and put additional runners on base, but the right-hander avoided a bigger rally and secured his 11th save of the season. While the overall numbers remain underwhelming, Williams has pitched much better of late, posting scoreless outings in 16 of his last 18 appearances. He owns a 5.18 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 38:15 K:BB across 24.1 innings with just one blown save on the year.

Nola did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Mets, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings.

The veteran right-hander generated 10 whiffs on 97 pitches, with most of the damage against him coming via a pair of solo homers from Juan Soto. Despite the solid strikeout total, Nola continues to search for consistency in what has been a difficult campaign. He's failed to cover more than five frames in any of his past five starts and has a 5.68 ERA during that span. Nola will carry a 5.71 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 77:25 K:BB into his next scheduled start on the road against Washington.

Manaea did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Phillies, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

Making just his second start of the season, the veteran left-hander threw 63 of his 95 pitches for strikes and generated an impressive 16 whiffs. Philadelphia plated runs in the first, third and fourth innings, with the final run coming home following a throwing error by A.J. Ewing. In four games working as a bulk reliever or starter, Manaea has pitched to a 3.10 ERA and 18:3 K:BB across 20.1 innings. It appears likely that Manaea will remain in the rotation moving forward, with his next scheduled start set to come at home against the Cubs.

Emerson went 1-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 3-0 win over Baltimore.

In his first plate appearance, Emerson lined a two-run single as part of a three-run frame that ultimately accounted for the game's only scoring. He also swiped his first base of the season in the first inning. The young infielder is batting 5-for-22 (.227) since returning to the lineup last week after missing a few games due to back spasms. On the season, Emerson is slashing .235/.309/.529 with six home runs, five doubles, a triple, 16 RBI and 13 runs across 26 contests.

Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Elias Schuster of SI.com reports.

Ballesteros will head to Iowa after struggling to a .128 average with one home run, seven RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base over 94 at-bats in his last 34 contests. The 22-year-old will look to hit the reset button at the Triple-A level and then get another shot with the major-league roster down the road this year.

Munoz earned the save Thursday against the Orioles, allowing two walks while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Munoz was handed a three-run lead in the ninth and made things a bit interesting. The right-hander issued walks to Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo to bring the tying run to the plate, but the right-hander ultimately closed out the victory to secure his 12th save in 17 opportunities. He's recorded consecutive scoreless appearances for the first time since May 22. Munoz now owns a 5.47 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 39:13 K:BB across 26.1 innings.

Soriano (chest) will start Friday's contest against the Athletics in Sacramento, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Soriano initially appeared on track to start Thursday's series opener, but the Angels opted to push the right-hander back an extra day to give him more time to heal up from the chest tightness and sore legs he experienced after being struck by a comebacker in his previous appearance last Saturday. Soriano has come back down to earth after a remarkable start to the season, posting a 4.74 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 49 strikeouts over 49.1 innings in his last nine starts, though he tossed five scoreless frames his last time out against the Rays before leaving the game early.

Witt exited Thursday's contest against the Cardinals in the fourth inning due to an apparent right knee injury, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Witt torqued his right knee/leg while attempting to make a sliding stop at shortstop in the top of the fourth inning, and he ultimately exited the game before his next at-bat in the bottom of the frame. Witt will finish his night having gone 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Tyler Tolbert has replaced him in the lineup.

Baz (4-7) took the loss Thursday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out nine over seven innings.

Baz's outing got off to a rocky start as Seattle pushed across three runs in the first inning, but the right-hander was excellent from that point forward. After allowing five hits during his first trip through the Mariners' lineup, Baz didn't surrender another hit the rest of the way and retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced before exiting. The three earned runs matched the most he has allowed in a start since May 15, as he entered Thursday with a 2.05 ERA over his previous five outings. Baz now owns a 4.04 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 76:34 K:BB across 89 innings this year and is scheduled to face the Angels on the road in his next start.

Woo (6-5) earned the win Thursday against the Orioles, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings.

Woo turned in one of his best starts of the season, tossing 61 of his 89 pitches for strikes while generating 12 whiffs. The right-hander was overpowering Thursday, striking out five consecutive batters during one stretch and allowing just two baserunners through his first seven innings of work. He returned for the eighth but issued a leadoff walk and surrendered a single, prompting his exit before any damage could be done. The outing continued a boom-or-bust stretch for Woo, who has recorded three starts of six or more scoreless innings over his last six appearances but has also allowed a combined 16 runs in the other three. The 26-year-old now owns a 3.49 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 88:16 K:BB across 89 innings and should be lined up for a road start against Pittsburgh next time out.