MLB Player News

Holliday went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in an extra-innings loss to the Astros on Saturday.

Holliday's homer was a clutch one, as it knotted up the game 4-4 in the eighth inning. The long ball was also his first since July 23. Holliday batted only .188 with just two extra-base hits during the 20-game power drought, lowering his season OPS by 50 points to .685. He does have 15 homers and 11 thefts on the campaign, but he hasn't quite broken out yet, at least not to the degree typically expected of a first-overall draft pick.

Povich did not factor in the decision against Houston on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters over five relief innings.

Baltimore opted to deploy righty Rico Garcia as an opener before turning to the lefty Povich to begin the second frame. It was just the second time Povich has worked as a bulk reliever this season, and he handled the role fairly well, notching a season-high 10 strikeouts and tallying an impressive 18 whiffs despite giving up three runs. Povich handled a typical starter's workload with 91 pitches (60 strikes), so it seems likely that he'll remain synched up with the rest of the rotation regardless of whether he returns to a traditional starting role or is used behind an opener again. He's lined up for a rematch against the Astros his next time out.

Alexander completed six innings against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out six batters in a no-decision.

Alexander wasn't able to record a third straight scoreless outing, but he did notch his third consecutive quality start. His six punchouts also tied a season-high mark, and he didn't walk a batter for the first time among his six starts (he's also come out of the bullpen five times). Alexander has impressed in a starting role this season, registering a 2.86 ERA with a 28:11 K:BB across 34.2 innings. The Astros are close to getting starters Lance McCullers (finger) and Luis Garcia (elbow) back from injuries, and despite the recent run of success, it remains to be seen if Alexander will be able to keep a rotation spot when those hurlers return.

Allen went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBI in Saturday's 10-1 win against Cleveland.

Most of Atlanta's offense came from the bottom of the order -- the team's No. 5-9 hitters went a combined 10-for-22 with nine RBI. Allen was a big part of that, recording three knocks from the No. 9 slot while collecting two RBI, more than he had accumulated over his previous 23 games combined. Allen batted a meager .156 during that 23-game span, so he'll look to use Saturday's effort as a launching point for more success at the plate.

Harris went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and a double in a 10-1 rout over Cleveland on Saturday.

Atlanta's offense was in top form Saturday, and Harris had the biggest hit of the game with a 452-foot, three-run blast in the fifth inning. The outfielder added a double one frame later to record his eighth consecutive multi-hit effort. During that stretch, Harris is batting a cool .500 (17-for-34) with four homers, 13 RBI and two stolen bases. He's lifted his season OPS from .630 to .691 with the hot streak.

Cecconi (5-6) took the loss against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings.

Cecconi got through a scoreless first inning but struggled thereafter. The biggest blow to his stat line came on a three-run homer by Michael Harris in the fifth. Cecconi failed to make it through five frames for the second straight start following a streak of six consecutive outings of six-plus innings. He's been particularly hurt by the long ball of late, serving up 11 homers across his past 52.2 frames. On the season, his 1.7 HR/9 is the eighth-worst figure among MLB hurlers who have thrown at least 80 innings.

Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Padres.

Hernandez has gone deep in consecutive games and now has 20 long balls on the year. It's a threshold he's reached in seven of the last eight years, with the lone exception being the abbreviated 2020 season, when he hit 16 homers in 50 games for Toronto. The outfielder has been steady in August, going 12-for-46 (.261) over 12 games this month. He's at a .255/.287/.472 slash line over 100 contests this season.

Snell (3-1) allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three over six shutout innings to earn the win over the Padres on Saturday.

Snell has allowed zero runs over his last two outings, adding a 13:5 K:BB across 11 innings in that span. Control is often a concern for Snell, but he's been effective in managing the traffic on the basepaths since returning from a shoulder injury. Overall, he has a 1.80 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB over 25 innings through five starts this season. Snell is projected to make his next start in a rematch with the Padres in San Diego next week.

Cease (5-11) allowed five runs (three earned) on two hits and six walks while striking out two over 3.1 innings to take the loss Saturday versus the Dodgers.

Cease threw just 44 of 85 pitches for strikes. It wasn't all his fault, as a Jackson Merrill error in the second inning was responsible for two runs, but Cease's struggles to find the strike zone continue to be a concern at times. This is the second time in four starts he's walked five or more batters. On the year, he's at a 4.61 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 171:56 K:BB over 132.2 innings across 25 starts. Among qualified starting pitchers, Cease's 3.8 BB/9 is fourth worst in the majors, though his 11.6 K/9 is second-best. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Giants, which is a favorable matchup for him to get back on track.

Kim went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Giants.

Kim has logged a steal in two of his last three games, going 4-for-11 in that span. The 29-year-old has regained a starting job at shortstop since returning from a stint on the injured list due to lower-back tightness at the start of August. Kim should be able to keep the job a while longer while Taylor Walls (groin) is out. For the season, Kim has a poor .213/.298/.333 slash line with two home runs, six steals, five RBI and five runs scored over 84 plate appearances, though he's been bothered by a handful of injuries throughout the campaign.