MLB Player News
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: First homer since return
Pena went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees.
The shortstop led off the game by ripping a Luis Gil fastball down the left-field line. It was Pena's 12th homer of the season, and his first in seven games since returning from a rib injury at the beginning of August. On the month, he's batting .296 (8-for-27), with half his knocks going for extra bases.
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Framber Valdez SP | DET
Astros' Framber Valdez: Escapes with no-decision
Valdez came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out one.
The southpaw wasn't fooling anyone Saturday, managing just five swinging strikes among his 91 pitches (52 total strikes), and Valdez left the mound in line for his sixth loss of the season until the Yankees' bullpen blew another save chance. It was the first time he'd failed to complete six innings since June 12, and Valdez has produced back-to-back shaky outings for the first time all year, getting tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) with a 4:5 K:BB over 11.2 innings. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Orioles.
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Steven Cruz RP | KC
Royals' Steven Cruz: Reevaluation looming
Cruz (shoulder) is set to be reevaluated Monday to determine if he can begin a throwing program, per MLB.com.
Cruz landed on the injured list Aug. 3 and received an injection the following day for a right shoulder injury labeled as tendonitis. Before hitting the shelf, the right-hander had climbed the ranks in the Royals bullpen, opening the year with 13 scoreless outings before leveling off to a 3.61 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 43 appearances (42.1 innings).
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Earns 27th save
Munoz picked up the save in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rays. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning.
The flamethrower gave up a leadoff single to Junior Caminero and issued a two-out walk to Ha-Seong Kim, but he ultimately struck out Tristan Peters to seal Seattle's win Saturday. Munoz has been dominant all season, posting a 1.37 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 11.54 K/9 and 27 saves over 46 innings.
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Jacob deGrom SP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob deGrom: Takes third straight loss
DeGrom (10-5) took the loss against Philadelphia on Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over 6.2 innings.
DeGrom got through six scoreless innings but couldn't hold on in the seventh. In that frame, he got the first hitter out but then allowed the next three batters to reach base via a single, a walk and a two-run double. The third run against deGrom came after he left the contest. Though the All-Star hurler was ultimately tagged with his third straight defeat, this was at least a strong turnaround after he gave up 10 runs across 10.1 innings over his previous two starts. In addition to finishing with a quality start Saturday, deGrom also racked up an impressive 18 whiffs, so his stuff was mostly working despite the final outcome. He'll try to get back in the win column in what projects to be a road matchup in Toronto his next time out.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Launches 44th homer
Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-4 victory over Tampa Bay.
Raleigh extended Seattle's lead with a three-run homer off Joe Boyle in the third inning. The catcher has now gone deep in back-to-back games after enduring a slow stretch following the All-Star break, batting .198/.253/.351 with four extra-base hits -- all homers -- and nine RBI over his first 19 games after the Midsummer Classic before the most recent pair of contests.
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Julio Rodriguez CF | SEA
Mariners' Julio Rodriguez: Blasts two homers in win
Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Rays.
Rodriguez fueled the Mariners' win Saturday, crushing a towering two-run homer in the first inning and following it with a blistering line-drive solo shot in the third. While the center fielder's overall numbers have dipped since posting an .854 OPS during his 2022 American League Rookie of the Year campaign, he's reached the 20-20 mark in each of his four big-league seasons and is on pace to make a push for a 30-30 finish, which Rodriguez achieved in 2023.
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Junior Caminero 3B | TB
Rays' Junior Caminero: Goes deep again
Caminero went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Mariners.
The phenom crushed a three-run homer off Caleb Ferguson in the sixth inning to pull the Rays within striking distance, though they ultimately couldn't complete the comeback. Caminero has gone deep in three straight games, starting with a two-homer performance against the Angels on Wednesday.
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Joe Boyle SP | TB
Rays' Joe Boyle: Burned by gopher ball
Boyle (1-2) took the loss Saturday, allowing six runs on four hits and five walks over 3.1 innings in a 7-4 loss against the Mariners. He struck out five.
The right-hander struggled with control Saturday and was hurt even more by the long ball, serving up three total homers to Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh. Boyle has made four starts and four relief appearances this season, posting a 3.82 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 31:16 K:BB over 30.2 innings.
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Logan Evans RP | SEA
Mariners' Logan Evans: Earns sixth win
Evans (6-4) earned the win Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks over 5.1 innings against the Rays. He struck out four.
The rookie gave up a first-inning homer to Brandon Lowe but settled in to pitch into the sixth before being lifted for Caleb Ferguson, who surrendered a three-run shot to Junior Caminero that brought home both of Evans' inherited runners. After a strong start to his big-league career, Evans has hit a rough patch, allowing multiple runs in five of his past six outings -- including two six-run performances. For the season, the right-hander holds a 4.36 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 74.1 innings in 14 starts.