MLB Player News

Smith started at third base and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 5-4 loss to Houston.

Smith typically doesn't start against left-handers -- he has just 66 at-bats against them this season -- but Ezequiel Duran was needed to cover first base for Jake Burger (quadriceps). Smith was dropped from his usual leadoff spot to eighth in a rare start against a southpaw, against whom he has a .212/.274/.242 slash line in 2025. The steal was Smith's ninth of the season and first in 29 contests.

Boyle struck out one batter and allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks over four innings out of the bullpen in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Boyle was once again used in tandem with Drew Rasmussen, who covered the first two innings. The Rays have made it clear that they intend to limit Rasmussen to around 150 innings this season since he's just two years removed from undergoing the third major elbow operation of his career, and Boyle is expected to piggyback him for at least a few more turns through the rotation. While his results Friday were unremarkable, Boyle has delivered excellent ratios overall between his stops in the majors and at Durham this season, and he'll have improved odds of earning wins while the Rays deploy him in bulk relief. Tampa Bay is listing Rasmussen as its starter for its fifth game of the second half July 22 versus the White Sox, so Boyle's next appearance will presumably come that same day.

Manzardo went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the White Sox.

Manzardo's sixth-inning homer was the game-winning hit, breaking a 2-2 tie. The round-tripper was his 14th of the season. It was a rare highlight for Manzardo (.217 batting average), and his first RBI in 10 contests. He continues to share the DH role with David Fry, and neither one is making a case to claim full-time at-bats.

Gaddis experienced a cramp during Friday's outing but stayed in the game, MLB.com reports.

Gaddis was checked out by the staff and remained in the game, picking up a hold along the way. He said there was some soreness Saturday but indicated he was feeling better. With the All-Star break coming up, Gaddis looks like he'll be ready to go when the schedule resumes.

Ramirez went 1-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored and three stolen bases in Saturday's 6-2 win over the White Sox.

Ramirez swiped three bases for the second time this season, with the other such performance coming May 12. While he recorded just one hit in the game, the star third baseman has been locked in at the plate lately, slashing .303/.439/.788 with five homers and 10 RBI over his past nine games after a cold stretch to close June and start July. On the season, he's slashing .297/.367/.510 with 18 home runs, 17 doubles, 29 steals and 48 RBI across 91 games.

Burke did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over five innings against the Guardians. He struck out five.

Burke wasn't dominant but did well enough to keep the Guardians in check before turning things over to the bullpen. The right-hander now holds a 4.36 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 97 innings in 19 appearances, including 16 starts, this season.

Bibee (5-9) earned the win Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the White Sox. He struck out five.

The right-hander picked up his first win since May 22, with the only damage off him coming on a two-run single by Kyle Teel in the fourth inning. It was an encouraging outing for Bibee, who came into the start with a 5.13 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 40.1 innings across seven starts since the beginning of June. For the season, he now holds a 4.29 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 109 innings in 19 starts.

Rogers (2-1) took the loss Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 6.2 innings against the Marlins. He struck out eight.

The southpaw's only blemish Saturday came on a seventh-inning RBI single by Derek Hill, but with the Orioles struggling offensively, that was enough to saddle him with the loss. Rogers has been excellent across six starts with the big league club, posting a 1.53 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 35.1 innings. While those numbers may not be sustainable, Rogers has a chance to stick as a solid rotation arm if he continues to boost his strikeout rate (8.2 K/9) and keep his walks in check (2.5 BB/9).

Benintendi went 2-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a stolen base Saturday against the Guardians.

Benintendi entered Saturday's game having gone hitless in his last four starts and 15 at-bats. He led off both the first and fourth innings with a single, stealing third base and coming home to score on the latter occasion. That was Benintendi's first stolen base attempt of the season, and he's now tallied 30 runs scored across 66 games.

Teel went 1-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday against the Guardians.

Teel entered Saturday's game having gone hitless across his last 17 at-bats, though he had struck out at a moderate 24 percent clip in that span. He broke out of the slump with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning of Saturday's game, bringing his RBI total to six across his first 24 MLB contests. Teel has started to sit against lefties, but he otherwise continues to get regular playing time behind the dish.