MLB Player News

Woo allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus the Angels on Friday.

Woo allowed a two-run double to Jo Adell in the first inning but settled in from there. While he went a third start in a row without a win, Woo was able to bounce back pretty well after getting tagged for five runs (four earned) over six innings in his last start versus the Astros. The right-hander continues to be one of the steadiest innings-eating pitchers in the majors -- he still has yet to have a start shorter than six innings this season. He's maintained a 2.91 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 121:24 K:BB across 126.2 innings over 20 starts. His next outing is projected to be on the road versus the Athletics next week.

Soriano allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Friday.

Soriano gave up two home runs to Julio Rodriguez, but both were solo shots. This was Soriano's second quality start in a row, and while he's allowed three homers over those games, he's given up just four runs in 13 innings. For the season, he's at a 3.79 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 108:58 K:BB through 126 innings across 22 starts. The 26-year-old has already blown past his previous career high of 113 innings from last season, and he experienced arm fatigue last August, so it'll be important to keep an eye on how he holds up for the last two months of 2025. He's tentatively scheduled for a home start versus the Rangers next week.

Littell (8-8) took the loss Friday against the Reds, allowing five runs on 10 hits over six innings. He struck out two and didn't issue a walk.

Littell was hurt by the long ball in Friday's loss, giving up a solo homer to Tyler Stephenson in the second inning and a two-run shot to TJ Friedl in the sixth. The five earned runs marked the 29-year-old's highest total allowed since April 10, snapping what had been a strong stretch. Entering the outing, Littell had posted a 2.43 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB across 29.2 innings in his last five outings. The right-hander will aim to return to that form in his next start, scheduled to be against the Yankees.

Short went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's 15-3 loss to the Athletics.

Short kept the Astros from getting shut out when he went deep off Jeffrey Springs in the fifth inning. Since the All-Star break, Short is batting .188 (3-for-16) over seven games. The infielder is up to a .243/.300/.459 slash line with two homers, seven RBI, seven runs scored, no stolen bases and two doubles over 40 plate appearances this season. He is seeing a little more than a short-side platoon role at shortstop to help cover the absence of Jeremy Pena (ribs), who began facing live pitching earlier this week and should be close to a return. Once Pena is healthy, Short could be an option to fill in at third base while Isaac Paredes (hamstring) is on the mend.

Gusto (6-4) allowed eight runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out five over 3.1 innings to take the loss Friday versus the Athletics.

Filling in for a rotation that lost Lance McCullers (finger blister) and Brandon Walter (elbow), Gusto was unable to provide much length in his return to a starting role. He gave up two home runs, and reliever Nick Hernandez was tagged for another long ball just after Gusto's exit. Gusto is now at a 5.18 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 82:27 K:BB through 80 innings across 23 appearances (13 starts). The Astros have a full rotation's worth of pitchers on the injured list and none are expected back before August, so it's likely Gusto will be called on for at least one more start, which is projected to be at home versus the Nationals next week.

Soderstrom went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a two-run double, a walk and two total runs scored in Friday's 15-3 win over the Astros.

Soderstrom opened the scoring by plating two runs with a first-inning double before adding a solo shot in the third. This was his first multi-hit effort since July 11 versus the Blue Jays -- he went just 5-for-32 (.156), albeit with three extra-base hits, in the nine contests in between big games. Soderstrom is up to 19 homers, 60 RBI, 53 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple and six stolen bases through 105 contests, and he's maintained a reliable .258/.332/.458 slash line.

Langeliers went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, a walk and a second run scored in Friday's 15-3 win over the Astros.

Langeliers saw his six-game hitting streak end Thursday, but he bounced back with a strong performance Friday. The catcher piled on for the Athletics in the fourth inning, with his homer stretching the team's lead to 9-0. He has gone 13-for-31 (.419) with three homers and nine RBI over eight games since the All-Star break. Langeliers is up to a .248/.305/.467 slash line with 15 long balls, 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, 15 doubles and four stolen bases across 74 contests and is trending up after an uneven first half of the campaign.

Springs (9-7) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings to earn the win over the Astros on Friday.

Springs received ample run support as the Athletics' offense unleashed a six-homer barrage, including four by rookie Nick Kurtz. Springs did well to never let the Astros get close, giving up just a two-run home run to Zack Short in the fifth inning. This was Springs' third quality start in his last four outings, a span in which he's surrendered 11 runs and four homers over 22.2 innings, though he has a 16:2 K:BB in that span. Overall, the southpaw is at a 4.13 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 95:39 K:BB through 120 innings over 22 appearances (20 starts this season). He's lined up for a home start versus the Mariners next week.

Heim went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and walk in Friday's 8-3 win over Atlanta.

Heim smashed his ninth homer of the campaign and his first since June 25 in Baltimore. The switch-hitting backstop had begun to fall behind Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) for playing time behind the dish, but the former should serve as Texas' top option at catcher at least until the latter is healthy. That said, Heim owns a .681 OPS over 17 games in July, whereas Higashioka has a .963 OPS across his 13 outings this month.

Kurtz went 6-for-6 with four home runs, a double, eight RBI and six runs in Friday's 15-3 win over the Astros.

In a dazzling performance, Kurtz become the 20th player in MLB history and the first rookie to hit four home runs in a single game. His first long ball came in the second inning, a two-run blast that padded the lead to 5-0. He added an RBI double in the fourth before turning up the power late with solo shots in the sixth and eighth frames. Kurtz capped the historic performance with a three-run blast off position player Cooper Hummel in the ninth. In addition to joining the four-homer club, Kurtz also accounted for 19 total bases, tying the all-time single-game mark Shawn Green established in his own four-homer performance for the Dodgers on May 23, 2002. Kurtz is on an incredible tear with nine home runs in his current 12-game hitting streak, during which he has hit .553 (26-for-47) with 20 RBI.