MLB Player News

Alcantara walked one in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

With the Marlins still technically holding onto thin playoff hopes, Alcantara stepped up just two days after his most recent start to close out this game. The Marlins are without Pete Fairbanks (hand) for the rest of the year, but Alcantara is not expected to move to the bullpen on a full-time basis. This was Alcantara's first relief appearance since he began his career with eight games out of the Cardinals' bullpen in 2017. The workhorse starter has a 3.84 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 149:58 K:BB through 206 innings over 33 games (32 starts) this year. Assuming Wednesday's appearance functioned as a between-starts bullpen session, Alcantara is lined up to pitch over the weekend in San Diego.

Gusto allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Both runs against came on solo shots -- Pavin Smith had one in the second inning and Gabriel Moreno went deep in the fifth. Gusto has allowed nine runs over 15 innings across his three outings in September. The right-hander is at a 4.14 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 69:26 K:BB through 82.2 innings over 22 games (17 starts) this year. Gusto is currently projected to make one more start this season on the road against the Cubs.

McCarthy went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to the Padres.

The theft was McCarthy's 30th of the year, and this is the first time he's reached that milestone. Wednesday was just the third time in September he's been held hitless -- he's batting .345 (20-for-58) this month. Overall, the outfielder has enjoyed a career year, hitting .295 with an .822 OPS, 15 home runs, 80 RBI, 75 runs scored, 30 doubles and 10 triples across 137 contests.

Karros went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to the Padres.

Karros has gone 7-for-31 (.226) over eight games since he came back from a concussion. The third baseman's tallied two homers in that span. For the season, he's batting .260 with a .782 OPS, 12 homers, 47 RBI, 61 runs scored, 21 doubles, three triples and five stolen bases over 122 contests.

Adams (0-1) allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.1 innings to take the loss versus the Padres on Wednesday.

Adams was under the five-inning mark for the third time in five starts in the majors, and this was his worst outing yet. While he gave up just two extra-base hits, the Padres were able to pick him apart, racking up at least one run in four of the five innings Adams pitched in. Through 23 innings, he has a 5.09 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB as well as six home runs allowed. Adams is projected to make his next start at home versus the Diamondbacks.

Merrill went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Rockies.

Over his last nine games, Merrill has tallied at least three hits on five occasions, going 20-for-39 (.513) in that span. The outfielder has added 13 RBI and three home runs during the hot streak. For the season, he's batting .256 with a .746 OPS, 25 home runs, 26 stolen bases, 83 RBI, 79 runs scored, 25 doubles and four triples over 149 contests. Merrill is locked into a starting role as the Padres battle for a playoff spot.

Taylor went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Rockies.

Taylor has gone 10-for-37 (.270) over 12 games since he returned from an oblique injury at the end of August. He has added four steals in that span, providing a boost of speed from the lower half of the lineup. The outfielder has a career-high 10 steals on 12 attempts while batting .312 with a .770 OPS, one home run, 13 RBI, 21 runs scored, two doubles and two triples across 143 plate appearances this year.

Salas went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Rockies.

Salas went yard in the second and fifth innings for the first two homers of his big-league career. All three of his hits so far have gone for extra bases -- his first career knock was a triple on Sunday in San Francisco. Salas is batting .143 with seven strikeouts over his first 21 plate appearances in the majors, so he still has some adjustments to make to hold his own against big-league pitchers.

Ray (13-8) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Wednesday.

After giving up five runs in back-to-back starts to begin September, Ray responded with his 13th quality start of the season Wednesday, though he was trending even better before giving up a two-run home run to Kyle Karros in the sixth inning. The southpaw has a 3.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 138:83 K:BB across 162.1 innings over 30 games (29 starts) on the year. Ray is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Dodgers.

Alexander will serve as the Rangers' opening pitcher during Thursday's game against the Red Sox.

Alexander will draw his fifth opening assignment of the season after beginning September by allowing three earned runs across 7.1 innings. He'll likely remain in the game for an inning or two before Cody Bradford presumably takes over in bulk relief.