MLB Player News
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J.J. Bleday LF | CIN
Reds' JJ Bleday: Blasts 13th homer in blowout win
Bleday went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and four RBI in Sunday's 12-0 win over the Mets.
With Cincinnati already in control, Bleday put an exclamation point on the offensive outburst by launching a three-run homer off David Peterson in the eighth inning. The blast was his 13th of the season and continued a recent power surge, as he has now homered three times over his last five games. The outfielder is now slashing .272/.367/.586 with 10 doubles, one triple, 34 RBI, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases across 188 plate appearances.
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Mike Trout CF | LAA
Angels' Mike Trout: Cranks 16th homer
Trout went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Monday.
Trout reached on an infield single in his first plate appearance and came around to score on a Jo Adell double. He was hit by a pitch in the third inning, then drove himself home with a solo shot to right field in the fifth. The star outfielder pushed his modest hitting streak to six games, though this was the first time during the span that he finished with multiple knocks. Trout is still batting just .230 on the season, but he's been plenty productive with 16 homers, 33 RBI, 53 runs and seven stolen bases through 72 games.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Rangers' Joc Pederson: Goes deep in Monday's loss
Pederson went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and was hit by a pitch in Monday's loss to Minnesota.
Pederson did all of Texas' offensive damage in the loss, clubbing a two-run homer into the right-field seats in the third inning. The veteran slugger entered Monday in a bit of a slump, having gone 3-for-21 (.143) across his previous eight appearances. On the year, Pederson has been an effective platoon bat against right-handed pitching, slashing .246/.352/.458 with nine homers, 25 RBI and 27 runs in 214 plate appearances.
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Walbert Urena SP | LAA
Angels' Walbert Urena: Goes seven frames for first time
Urena (4-5) took the loss against Arizona on Monday, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over seven innings.
It was a bit of a mixed bag for Urena; he totaled just six whiffs and three punchouts while taking the loss, but he also completed seven frames for the first time as a big-leaguer and logged his sixth quality start. The right-hander got through those seven innings on an efficient 88 pitches, allowing his team's bullpen a breather one day after the Angels used five different relievers against Tampa Bay. Urena continues to dig his heels into a rotation role, as he's given up three or fewer earned runs in nine straight outings. Overall, the rookie has put together a strong 2.60 ERA along with a 1.35 WHIP and 58:35 K:BB over 62.1 innings spanning 13 appearances (11 starts).
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Eugenio Suarez DH | CIN
Reds' Eugenio Suarez: Drives in six with two homers
Suarez went 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in Monday's 12-0 win over the Mets.
Suarez wasted no time powering Cincinnati's offense, launching a two-run homer off Tobias Myers in the first inning before adding a grand slam in the second to give the Reds an early lead they would never relinquish. The veteran third baseman did all of his damage in the game's first two frames, finishing with a season-high six RBI and recording his first multi-homer game of the year. Suarez is now batting .222 alongside a .682 OPS with seven home runs, seven doubles, 25 RBI and 16 runs scored across 45 games.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Goes yard in win
Buxton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-2 victory over the Rangers.
Buxton's hot stretch continued, as his solo homer in the sixth inning marked the 32-year-old's sixth long ball across his past nine appearances. It has been a superb season at the plate for the center fielder, as he's hitting .276/.335/.606 with 23 homers, 36 RBI, 48 runs and six stolen bases across 278 plate appearances. Of note, Buxton has dealt with some injuries this season, though none have necessitated a stint on the injured list, with him appearing in 62 of the Twins' 74 games.
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Paul Sewald RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Paul Sewald: Notches 18th save
Sewald earned a save against the Angels on Monday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two batters over one inning.
Sewald entered in the ninth frame with Arizona up 4-2. He retired the first two batters he faced before Donovan Walton tagged him for a solo homer. Sewald was able to shake off the long ball, though, and struck out Oswald Peraza to slam the door shut. The veteran closer picked up his second save in as many days to push his season total up to 18, tied for third-best in the majors. Since his last blown save (May 13 versus Texas), Sewald has allowed just two runs across 12 appearances spanning 12 innings, going 9-for-9 in save chances during that span.
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Ryne Nelson SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Rebounds with quality start
Nelson (3-5) tossed seven innings against the Angels on Monday, allowing two runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out five batters to earn the win.
Nelson yielded seven runs over four innings against Miami in his previous start, but he bounced back nicely Monday. The right-hander started a bit shakily by giving up a run on two hits in the first frame, but the Angels crossed the plate only once more over the remainder of Nelson's time in the game. While Nelson registered a modest five punchouts, that was his highest mark since he struck out eight Rangers six starts ago. Nelson has a mediocre 4.97 ERA on the campaign and has experienced several blowups, but he also has six quality starts over his past eight outings, so he's still been useful in the right matchups.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Twins' Josh Bell: Blasts three-run homer in win
Bell went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's 4-2 victory over the Rangers.
Bell came to the plate with two runners on and two outs in the first inning and proceeded to golf a three-run homer off MacKenzie Gore to give the Twins an early lead. With a single added in the sixth inning, it marked the switch hitter's second consecutive multi-hit effort and fourth of the month. A strong June has improved Bell's overall numbers, though they remain fairly lackluster at .236/.289/.380 with eight homers, 13 doubles, 43 RBI, 34 runs and a stolen base across 71 appearances.
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Isaac Paredes 3B | HOU
Astros' Isaac Paredes: Reaches double-digit homers
Paredes went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run and two walks Monday in a loss to Detroit.
Paredes was one of two Astros to reach base multiple times in the defeat, and he put his team on the board with a two-run blast to left field in the third inning. It was a needed showing from the third baseman, who was stuck in a 1-for-21 rut over his past six games coming into Monday. Paredes is still slashing a modest .232/.341/.409 on the campaign, but he ranks third on the Astros in both homers (10) and RBI (35).