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Nathan Eovaldi SP | TEX
Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi: Rocky return from injured list
Eovaldi took the no-decision after throwing three innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Mariners.
Eovaldi made his first start in exactly a month, and it came with mixed results. The 35-year-old lasted just three innings and 45 pitches, and he surrendered three runs in the process, tied for his most runs allowed in a start all season. It will likely take some time for the right-hander to get where he was before the injury, and that was one of the best pitchers in the game while sporting a 1.56 ERA. Assuming no setbacks, Eovaldi is set to face the Orioles in his next appearance.
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Jo Adell RF | CLE
Angels' Jo Adell: Keeps mashing Friday
Adell went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 15-9 loss to the Nationals.
Adell is up to 18 homers on the year, including 11 over 24 games in June and five across his last nine contests. He got the Angels on the board in the second inning, answering a two-run shot from Josh Bell that opened the scoring in the top of the frame. Adell has also hit safely in nine straight games, going 11-for-34 (.324) in that span to solidify his role as the Angels' starting center fielder. He's now at a .234/.308/.498 slash line through 74 games while adding 42 RBI, 31 runs scored and three stolen bases.
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Jose Soriano SP | TOR
Angels' Jose Soriano: Turns in dud versus Nationals
Soriano allowed eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four over four-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Nationals on Friday.
Soriano had allowed just two runs over his prior three starts, spanning 20.2 innings, but he burned fantasy managers in what was a favorable matchup on paper. Despite the poor performance, he escaped with his fourth no-decision in five starts in June, as the Angels pulled ahead in their half of the fifth inning following his exit. Soriano was consistently strong in May, but he bookended his strong three-start stretch in the middle of June with poor outings to begin and end the month. Overall, he's at a 3.99 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 84:45 K:BB through 97 innings over 17 starts this season. The right-hander's next outing is expected to be on the road in Atlanta.
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Robert Stephenson RP | LAA
Angels' Robert Stephenson: Plans to resume throwing Monday
Stephenson (biceps) expects to begin throwing again Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Stephenson landed on the injured list June 2 (retroactive to May 31) due to a stretched nerved in his right biceps. The veteran reliever was initially shut down from throwing but appears close to beginning to ramp back up. If he progresses well, Stephenson could return to the Angels' bullpen around the All-Star break.
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Cam Smith RF | HOU
Astros' Cam Smith: Smacks homer in win
Smith went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run, two walks and two total runs scored in Friday's 7-4 win over the Cubs.
Smith's fourth-inning blast provided the Astros' margin of victory in this game. This was his sixth multi-hit effort over his last 16 games, a span in which he is batting .367 (22-for-60) with 11 RBI and seven extra-base hits. He's kept the slumps to a minimum as a rookie, posting a .277/.353/.420 slash line with six homers, 31 RBI, 31 runs scored and four stolen bases over 68 contests.
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Yainer Diaz C | HOU
Astros' Yainer Diaz: Homers in three-hit effort
Diaz went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 7-4 win over the Cubs.
Diaz has had some struggles at the plate recently, going just 3-for-20 with one RBI and six strikeouts over his last five games. He's started just three of the last five games while batting seventh or eighth in those games after spending much of the first three weeks of June hitting between second and sixth in the order. Houston hasn't settled on one particular cleanup hitter for much of the season, and much of the lineup is in flux against right-handed pitchers. Diaz has had some struggles this year -- he's slashing .245/.276/.396 with 10 homers, 34 RBI and 30 runs scored over 71 contests.
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Josh Hader RP | HOU
Astros' Josh Hader: Gets last out for save
Hader retired the only batter he faced to earn the save in Friday's 7-4 win over the Cubs.
Bennett Sousa stayed in the game in the ninth inning after pitching the eighth, but he struggled a bit in the frame. Hader was called in with two outs and a runner on second base, and he got Ian Happ to line out to end the threat. Hader is up to 22 saves on the year, including one in each of his last four appearances. He's shown a little shakiness with four runs allowed (three earned) over 12.2 innings in June, but his 21:1 K:BB for the month showcases his continued late-inning dominance. Overall, he's at a 1.72 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 56:7 K:BB through 36.2 innings on the year.
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Brandon Walter RP | HOU
Astros' Brandon Walter: Bounces back with first win
Walter (1-1) allowed a run on five hits and struck out five without walking a batter over six innings to earn the win over the Cubs on Friday.
Walter limited the damage to a solo home run by Nico Hoerner in the fifth inning. This was his third quality start in five outings this season, and it was a good bounce-back effort after he was tagged for seven runs over six innings by the Angels last Saturday. Walter is now at a 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 30:2 K:BB over 29.2 innings. Lance McCullers (foot) will return Saturday, and it's unclear if Walter will stay in the rotation, but he's pitched better than Ryan Gusto if the decision comes down purely to numbers. Walter would be lined up for a road start in Colorado next week if he keeps his place in the rotation.
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Jonathan Aranda 1B | TB
Rays' Jonathan Aranda: Extends hitting streak to 12 games
Aranda went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 22-8 loss to the Orioles.
Aranda opened Friday's scoring with a 433-foot solo home run off Tomoyuki Sugano. That home run extended Aranda's hitting streak to 12 games, and over that span he has gone 19-for-48 (.396) with eight runs scored, four doubles, one home run and five RBI.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Rays' Brandon Lowe: Brings home four runs
Lowe went 3-for-5 with a double, a three-run home run, an RBI single and an additional run scored in Friday's 22-8 loss to Baltimore.
Lowe capped off the Rays' six-run second inning with a three-run homer to right-center field off Tomoyuki Sugano. Lowe brought home another run in the fourth, and his four RBI tied a season high. He extended his hitting streak to 14 games, during which he's slashed a blistering .404/.433/.649 with 13 runs scored, four home runs and 11 RBI in 60 plate appearances.