MLB Player News

Rafaela hit a home run for the fifth consecutive game Saturday in Triple-A Worcester's win over Syracuse.

Rafaela has launched 11 long balls in 30 games since being promoted to the WooSox in late June. The 22-year-old outfielder is slashing .317/.370/.683 at the advanced level, bettering his production at Double-A Portland by a wide margin. Worcester manager Chad Tracy notes the biggest improvement in Rafaela has been his plate discipline, per Jaylon Smoot of MLB.com. "He is focused on swinging at strikes, understanding what he's looking for and what area of the strike zone he's looking for," Tracy said. Rafaela's speed and defense have been his most notable assets, but the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder is showing an added tool to the package.

Jung went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 9-8 come-from-behind win over Miami.

Jung hit the second of two two-run blasts in the fifth inning -- a 104.5-mph liner just inside the foul pole in left field -- to give Texas a lead it would not relinquish after falling behind 5-0. It was the 22nd home run for the rookie third baseman, who has multiple hits in three of the last four games.

Devers went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

His fourth-inning shot off Jose Berrios tied the score at 3-3, but Boston was never able to take a lead in the game. Devers has been locked in since the All-Star break, slashing .328/.394/.656 over his last 17 games with six of his 26 home runs on the season, as he closes in on the third 30-homer campaign of his career.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over Atlanta.

Candelario has hit the ground running since joining the Cubs at the trade deadline, as he's now gone 11-for-19 with five extra-base hits and eight runs scored in five games. The infielder has been a great addition, and he should remain locked into the lineup with a regular spot at first base, giving him a chance to build on his strong numbers at the plate.

Peterson went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 12-1 loss to Minnesota.

Peterson had one of two hits for the Diamondbacks, who lost their fifth straight. The steal was his 12th, one shy of his career-best mark set in 2018 with the Yankees and Orioles. This was the lefty hitter's third start in five games since being acquired at the trade deadline. All of Peterson's starts have come against right-handers, but it should be noted that Emmanuel Rivera also started against a right-hander since Peterson arrived in the desert.

Burger went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 9-8 loss to the Rangers.

His ninth-inning shot off Will Smith made things interesting, but the Marlins couldn't complete the comeback. Burger began the game on the bench, but when Jazz Chisholm (hamstring) exited in the third inning, the trade-deadline acquisition took over at third base while Jon Berti shifted to the outfield. The homer was Burger's first with Miami in four games and his 26th of the season, but his .214/.282/.523 slash line mutes the value of his power in most fantasy formats.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Dodgers.

Machado got the Padres on the board with a fourth-inning solo shot and added a two-run single in the eighth to put them ahead for good. The third baseman has been consistent but not flashy of late, hitting safely in 12 of his last 15 games while batting .268 (15-for-56) in that span. He's up to a .259/.320/.465 slash line with 21 homers, 65 RBI, 54 runs scored and three stolen bases over 95 contests for the year.

McMahon went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Cardinals.

McMahon extended his hitting streak to seven games with the blast, which was his third homer in that span. He's been making great contact lately, going 10-for-26 (.385) with seven extra-base hits during the streak. The infielder has a team-leading 19 long balls with 58 RBI, 60 runs scored, five stolen bases and a .263/.343/.485 slash line through 106 contests overall.

Ramirez was ejected from Saturday's game against the White Sox for his actions in a brawl during the seventh inning.

Ramirez and Chicago's Tim Anderson exchanged blows after the former slid into second base in the seventh frame, and both were removed from the contest. MLB will review the matter, and suspensions could be in the cards.

Busch is slashing .328/.429/.680 with 12 home runs, 31 RBI, 26 runs, one stolen base and a 19:28 BB:K over 29 games since returning to Triple-A Oklahoma City in late June.

Busch has had two stints with the big club this season but has mostly struggled with a .200/.294/.267 slash line and no homers over 51 plate appearances. He's putting together a second straight strong campaign in the minors, however, and may have little left to prove there. Among other things, Busch has improved his strikeout rate to 20.2 percent with Oklahoma City after fanning over 26 percent of the time in each of his previous two minor-league seasons. There's a good chance that the 2019 first-round draft pick will get another opportunity to test his skills in the majors before the end of the season.