MLB Player News

Westburg went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

The 26-year-old infielder got the O's on the board when he sent a 96 mph fastball from Spencer Strider the other way over the right-fiend wall in the third inning. Westburg is attempting to play through a sprained index finger on his left hand, an injury that had limited him to just two starts and five plate appearances over Baltimore's prior 10 games, but Friday's performance is a good sign that he'll be able to manage the issue. It's been a tough year overall for Westburg on the health front, and he's suited up for only 37 contests while slashing .243/.298/.464 with eight homers, a steal, 15 RBI and 21 runs.

Bautista pitched a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 17th save of the season in a 3-2 win over Atlanta.

He didn't strike out a batter in an appearance for the first time since June 4, but it was still another impressive performance from Bautista. The right-hander has blown only one save chance all season, and since May 26 he's gone 10-for-10 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB through 15 innings.

Morton (5-7) picked up the win Friday, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings in a 3-2 victory over Atlanta. He struck out seven.

Facing the team he spent the last four seasons with, Morton generated 33 called or swinging strikes among his 97 pitches (66 total strikes) as he won his fifth straight decision. The 41-year-old righty hasn't been saddled with a loss since returning to the rotation at the end of May, going 5-0 over his last seven trips to the mound with a 2.97 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 44:11 K:BB through 36.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Mets.

Holton (4-3) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians. He allowed one hit and struck out four.

After starter Reese Olson (finger) logged 4.1 innings in his return from the injured list following about six weeks on the shelf, Holton stepped in and provided valuable relief. The lefty has had a few rough outings this season, but he's now made five straight scoreless appearances (7.2 innings) and has lowered his ERA to a solid 3.86 overall. The 29-year-old has also contributed eight holds to go along with his four wins. Holton is one of Detroit's top bullpen arms with a flexible role, giving him some fantasy value in deeper formats.

The Blue Jays sent Gimenez for an MRI on his ankle after Friday's win over the Angels, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca results.

Gimenez jammed his ankle Wednesday and appeared to aggravate the injury Friday while going from first to third on a George Springer single. The results of his MRI have not been disclosed, but it sounds like another trip to the injured list is a possibility for Gimenez, who previously missed time this season with a quad issue. Leo Jimenez could see an uptick in playing time if Gimenez is forced to the IL.

Gelof (ribs) went 0-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Gelof initially had a hamate fracture and then sustained a rib injury in May while on his first rehab assignment. The second baseman played the full game Friday, and he'll likely take over as the Athletics' starter at the keystone. He'll go relatively unchallenged for playing time while Luis Urias (hamstring) is on the injured list. Gelof slashed a paltry .211/.270/.362 in 2024 after batting .267 with an .841 OPS in 69 games as a rookie in 2023. Keep an eye on him to see if he can overcome missing half of a season to rebound from last year's sophomore slump.

Clarke went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a triple and two total runs scored in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Clarke provided the Athletics' last runs in the blowout win, lifting a seventh-inning homer. That ended an 0-for-11 skid for the outfielder, who is still struggling to find consistency at the plate. He's at a .200/.248/.318 slash line with three homers, eight RBI, 12 runs scored, five stolen bases, two doubles and one triple over 36 major-league games since his call-up in late May. While his offense has been mediocre at best so far, he's been excellent defensively to hold down a starting role in center field.

Kurtz went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Kurtz went 0-for-10 with three walks and eight strikeouts in the Athletics' previous three-game series versus the Rays. He was off to another poor start Friday with a groundout and two strikeouts in his first three at-bats before he unleashed a sixth-inning homer to stretch the Athletics' lead to 9-0. The first baseman's up to 13 homers, 34 RBI, 24 runs scored, no stolen bases and a .240/.308/.497 slash line over his first 50 major-league games. While his power is as advertised, his 34.3 percent strikeout rate is troubling, especially when it's trending in the wrong direction as it has over the last week-plus.

Wilson (hamstring) went 1-for-4 with a two-run double and one run scored in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Wilson missed the Athletics' previous two games due to a hamstring issue. He was back in the starting lineup Friday, batting second, and he played seven innings in the field before Max Schuemann took over at shortstop in the blowout win. Wilson looks good to go moving forward, which is a big boost for the Athletics' offense. While his consistency has wavered recently -- he's hitting a modest .232 over his last 19 games -- he's still at a .337/.379/.474 slash line with nine home runs, 42 RBI, 43 runs scored, five stolen bases and 17 doubles through 82 contests overall.

Perkins allowed two runs on three hits and struck out five without walking a batter over three innings to earn the save in Friday's 11-2 win over the Giants.

Perkins was scored upon for the first time in his major-league career when he gave up a solo home run to Brett Wisely in the eighth inning. He's maintained a starter's schedule despite pitching out of the bullpen in all three of his appearances with the Athletics, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts so far. He's also earned a pair of saves, but he's not in contention for closing duties while serving as a multi-inning reliever. There's no path to a starting role just yet, but Perkins has made an excellent first impression and will be a candidate to make starts if a rotation spot opens up.