MLB Player News

Hader struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Padres.

Hader was tasked with protecting a three-run advantage and faced little resistance in locking down Houston's victory. The left-hander retired all three batters he faced while recording one strikeout, needing just eight pitches to finish the job. Hader is now a perfect 16-for-16 in save opportunities this season and owns a sparkling 1.08 ERA with an 0.80 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in just 25 frames across 27 appearances. The veteran not only remains firmly entrenched as Houston's closer, but he also ranks among the most reliable fantasy options at the position.

Abreu (4-3) walked one and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win in Friday's 6-3 victory over the Padres.

Abreu entered with two outs in the seventh and Houston holding a 5-3 advantage, and he recorded four outs without allowing a hit. The right-hander worked around a walk and struck out two before handing things over to Josh Hader for the ninth. Despite a 4.29 ERA, Abreu remains one of Houston's primary high-leverage options ahead of Hader, and he's been on a roll of late. This was his 11th straight scoreless outing, a stretch in which he's posted a 0.64 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB across 11 innings.

Blanco allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.2 innings Friday against the Padres. He did not factor into the decision.

Blanco was handed a 3-0 lead by the third inning but couldn't make it through five frames. The right-hander allowed two runs, including an RBI triple to Jackson Merrill in the fourth, before Fernando Tatis took him deep in the fifth. Blanco was pulled after issuing a two-out walk later in the frame, leaving him one out shy of qualifying for the win. He's now failed to complete five innings in three of his four starts this season, and his ERA sits at an ugly 6.98 with a 17:11 K:BB in 19.1 total innings. Blanco is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Giants.

Contreras (illness) returned to Fenway Park on Friday and participated in baseball activities, MLB.com reports.

Contreras was removed from Wednesday's game with dizziness and high temperatures. He could possibly return to the lineup Saturday.

Smith went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies.

Getting the start at third base while Kazuma Okamoto covered first for Vladimir Guerrero (hamstring), Smith collected his first hits in four games as a member of the Blue Jays, including an eighth-inning long ball off Caleb Kilian. It's been a disappointing season for the 29-year-old utility player, but a fresh start may be just what he needs after being acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline. Smith will likely continue seeing action against right-handed pitching at the hot corner while Guerrero is sidelined.

Rogers recorded his fourth save of the season in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks in the ninth inning. He didn't strike out a batter.

With Louis Varland unavailable after working the prior two days, Rogers got the call in the ninth to protect a 5-2 lead and very nearly blew it. The submarining right-hander loaded the bases with nobody out on two walks and a catcher's interference call, but after an RBI grounder from Trea Turner and an infield single by Bryce Harper, Rogers was able to escape the jam on a couple strong defensive plays -- including one of his own, when he covered first base to get the final out. It's just the second time in 15 appearances since June 27 that Rogers has been tagged for any runs at all, and on the season he sports a 1.73 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 27:17 K:BB through 52 innings with one win and 23 holds in addition to his saves.

Rocchio went 0-for-4 in Friday's 8-2 win over the White Sox.

Rocchio has been a near-league-average performer for the season with a .254/.320/.375 slash line and a 98 wRC+ over 444 plate appearances, but he's fallen into an extended skid at the plate lately. Over his last 12 games, he's gone just 4-for-43 (.093), which has resulted in a 20-point drop in his batting average. Though he's remained a mainstay in the lineup at shortstop amid his slump, Rocchio could be in danger of losing out on a couple of starts per week after the Guardians recently called up one of their top prospects in Angel Genao from Triple-A Columbus. Genao will likely be in line for steady playing time while he's up with Cleveland, though his ability to play second base and third base in addition to shortstop could allow Rocchio to be included in the starting nine more often than not.

Alexander (3-2) allowed one hit while striking out one over two-thirds of a scoreless inning to earn the win Friday against Baltimore.

Alexander took over for Nathan Eovaldi with one out in the sixth and prevented the Orioles from adding to their 1-0 advantage, retiring two of the three hitters he faced. Texas then moved ahead on Joc Pederson's two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, putting Alexander in position for his third win of the campaign. The left-hander owns a 3.20 ERA and continues to operate as a versatile piece of the Rangers' pitching staff, though his role doesn't provide much appeal in standard mixed leagues. He has a 3-2 record and 11 holds while converting four of six chances in 2026.

Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Orioles after allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 5.1 innings.

Eovaldi kept Baltimore off the board outside of Coby Mayo's RBI single in the second inning, though he wasn't especially dominant with just two strikeouts. The right-hander departed the contest with one out in the sixth and Texas still trailing 1-0, leaving him in line for the loss before Pederson's two-run homer later in the frame took Eovaldi off the hook. Eovaldi lowered his ERA to 4.21, though his lack of strikeouts limited his fantasy impact Friday. His next start is scheduled on the road against the Angels.

Soriano didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.

The start of the game was delayed by two hours due to bad weather, and that combined with any nerves from debuting for a new team may have impacted Soriano's focus and efficiency. The right-hander tossed 62 of 94 pitches for strikes, and after a 1-2-3 first inning he dealt with traffic on the basepaths in every frame, including runners on second and third with nobody out in the fifth. Soriano rallied to fan Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner before being lifted, however. It wasn't the most impressive performance for Toronto's newest member of the rotation, but Soriano hasn't allowed more than three runs in six straight outings dating back to June 30, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB through 32.2 innings over that stretch. He'll look to provide more length in his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Red Sox.