MLB Player News

Jung started at third base and went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over Kansas City.

Jung returned to the starting lineup after getting a three-game break, but his night ended after five innings. Josh Smith entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth against right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke. It looked like a brief July stint in the minors had straightened out Jung, who went 13-for-34 (.382) with four walks, three home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored over his first 11 games back in the majors. Since then, however, the third baseman is batting .128 with two walks and two RBI over 12 games.

Higashioka went 1-for-4 with a three-run double in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Royals.

Higashioka, who sat out the previous four contests with a hamstring injury, returned to the lineup and provided the key hit in the win. His ninth-inning double cleared the bases. Higashioka's batting just .206 (7-for-34) over 10 games this month, but he's managed to make in impact with nine RBI over the stretch.

Smith allowed one hit and one run while striking out one over 1.1 innings, getting charged with a blown save in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to Arizona.

Smith was unable to close the door in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Lourdes Gurriel took him deep and set up the Diamondbacks' walk-off win an inning later. Smith has performed well as a fill-in closer, so this one hiccup shouldn't diminish his value. He entered the contest with a 0.82 ERA and an 11:2 K:BB while converting all four save opportunities over the previous 11 innings.

Means (elbow) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four over 3.2 innings for High-A Lake County on Wednesday.

Means made his second rehab start for the Captains and worked his pitch count to 51 (34 strikes) while using his entire arsenal, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The left-hander, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, is on schedule relative to what the team has laid out for him. Means will likely need a couple more rehab starts before he's deemed ready for activation.

Del Castillo entered as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-1 with an RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning win over Cleveland.

Del Castillo came up in the bottom of the 10th inning and walked off the Guardians. He's had a few bright moments like Wednesday's during his current stint in the big leagues, but not as many as in a late-season call-up in 2024. Del Castillo was called up to the Diamondbacks following the All-Star break as a replacement for the then-injured Pavin Smith, who has since returned. Now, with catcher Gabriel Moreno (finger) poised to return ahead of this weekend's series against the Reds, Del Castillo's roster spot could be in jeopardy.

Moreno (finger) started at catcher and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run for Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.

Moreno caught for a second straight game and homered in each contest. The Diamondbacks, who are off Thursday, planned this back-to-back action to be Moreno's final test before an activation from the 60-day injured list ahead of a three-game set against the Reds beginning Friday.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in an 8-1 win against the Giants on Sunday.

Machado flashed his power with a 425-foot solo blast in the third inning. The long ball was his first since July 29 -- a span of 19 games. The veteran third baseman had only four RBI during that homerless span, and the Padres could really benefit if he's able to turn things around down the stretch. Despite the recent struggles, Machado still has a healthy 21 home runs and 74 RBI on the campaign, and his .837 OPS is on pace to be his best mark since 2022.

O'Hearn went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two total runs and two total RBI in an 8-1 victory versus San Francisco on Wednesday.

O'Hearn kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning and added a solo shot to center field in the seventh. The former Oriole is working on a modest four-game hitting streak during which he's gone 6-for-13 at the plate with two homers, four runs and six RBI. O'Hearn has been a solid contributor since joining the Padres at the trade deadline, collecting three home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs over 16 contests while slashing .262/.372/.524.

Sheets went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four total RBI in an 8-1 win against the Giants on Wednesday.

After San Diego acquired Ramon Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn at the trade deadline, Sheets saw his playing time drop dramatically -- he got a second straight start Wednesday, but prior to that, the veteran slugger had been out of the starting lineup for six straight games. Sheets certainly made the most of the opportunity against San Francisco, clubbing a solo blast in the second inning and a three-run homer in the third to help the Padres cruise to a big win. Laureano and O'Hearn have fared quite well since joining San Diego, so it's hard to see Sheets moving back into an everyday role when the team is healthy. However, he could have at least a short-term path to regular at-bats while Jackson Merrill is sidelined with a bone bruise in his left ankle.

Sears (8-10) earned the victory over San Francisco on Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out two batters over six innings.

Sears struggled in his first start with San Diego on Aug. 4 and was subsequently optioned to the minors. The southpaw was called up Wednesday to face the Giants and showed vast improvement, logging a quality start while holding San Francisco to just one run. Sears wasn't exactly overpowering -- he notched just five whiffs and two strikeouts -- but he got the job done to help the Padres pick up a critical game in the NL West standings. With that said, Michael King (knee) may be able to return after a minimum-length stay on the IL, so it's unclear if Sears will stick in the rotation, move to the bullpen or eventually go back to Triple-A.