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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Nails down 23rd save
Clase picked up the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Orioles, firing a clean ninth inning. He struck out two.
Clase nailed down his 23rd save of the season, and it was his seventh straight scoreless outing. The star right-hander has done an excellent job of returning to form this year after posting a 7.84 ERA through April 20. Over his last 35.2 innings, Clase sports a 1.26 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 38:7 K:BB while converting 19 of his 21 save opportunities.
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Royce Lewis 1B | MIN
Twins' Royce Lewis: Launches fifth homer in loss
Lewis went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk and a double in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers.
It was Lewis' fifth homer of the season and his third in the month of July. The slugging third baseman is finally beginning to come around amidst what's been another injury-plagued campaign, and his recent surge could help him work his way back up Minnesota's batting order. Since the start of June, Lewis is slashing .322/.381/.529 with four big flies, six doubles and 16 RBI over 97 plate appearances.
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Slade Cecconi SP | CLE
Guardians' Slade Cecconi: Six strong innings vs. Baltimore
Cecconi didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out two.
Cecconi was able to work at least six innings in his fourth consecutive start, though the two punchouts did tie a season low. The 26-year-old right-hander has also hurled at least six frames while conceding two runs or fewer on four occasions over his last six outings. Cecconi has put together a steady 3.76 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 60:20 K:BB over 69.1 frames, and he's in line to carry plenty of streaming appeal next week at home versus the last-place Rockies.
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Zach Eflin SP | BAL
Orioles' Zach Eflin: Sharp in return Wednesday
Eflin didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.
Eflin was sharp in his first start since returning from the injured list, and he experienced smooth sailing until the Guardians brought in a pair of runs in the fourth inning. The veteran right-hander managed to toss 84 pitches, and he also generated a respectable 10 whiffs. Eflin owns a 5.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB over 67 innings, and he'll aim to further increase his pitch count in his next scheduled appearance versus the Blue Jays.
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Marcelo Mayer 3B | SF
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Exits with wrist injury
Mayer was removed from Wednesday's game against the Phillies due to right wrist discomfort, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Mayer went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored before his wrist forced him out of the game in the fifth inning. The severity of his injury is unclear, but a day off for the Red Sox on Thursday will give him extra time to recover and possibly allow him to be ready for Friday's series opener against the Dodgers.
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Chase Lee RP | TOR
Tigers' Chase Lee: Continues to pitch well
Lee tossed two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Pirates.
Lee allowed six runs across two appearances earlier this month, but he's bounced back with three straight scoreless outings. The rookie righty has been good overall with a 3.31 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 35.1 innings this year. Lee generally sees low-leverage work, which limits his fantasy upside, though the 26-year-old is making a case for a larger role in future seasons based on his promising debut campaign.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Provides offense Wednesday
Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Pirates.
Torkelson had one of just five Detroit hits on the afternoon and scored the team's lone run. While it's a modest stat line for the slugger, Torkelson did at least continue his solid start to the second half, as he's now 7-for-22 with three doubles and two runs scored across six games following the break. The 25-year-old remains a boom-or-bust fantasy option with tremendous power potential.
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Chris Paddack RP | TEX
Twins' Chris Paddack: Stymies Dodgers with eight Ks
Paddack didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Dodgers, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out eight.
Paddack was able to keep a dangerous Dodgers lineup in check, but he was taken deep by the red-hot Shohei Ohtani for a solo shot in the first inning. It was an impressive bounce-back effort by Paddack, who registered his most strikeouts since his June 1 start in Seattle and threw at least six frames for the first time since a June 7 outing versus Toronto. The right-hander's shaky 4.95 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 83:27 K:BB over 111 innings still render him tough to trust his next time out versus the Red Sox, who have a .823 OPS against right-handed pitching over 18 games since the start of July.
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Brandon Walter RP | HOU
Astros' Brandon Walter: Sharp in no-decision
Walter did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out five.
Walter got off to an inauspicious start Wednesday, allowing a home run to Ketel Marte on his first pitch of the game. However, the damage would stop there, as the left-hander held the D-Backs scoreless over his final six innings while allowing just three more hits. While he doesn't have a win since June 27, Walter has delivered three consecutive quality starts, allowing just four runs over 19 innings in that span. His ERA is down to 3.35 with a 0.93 WHIP and an impressive 52:4 K:BB across nine starts (53.2 innings) this season. Walter is currently in line to face the Nationals at home in his next outing.
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Vinnie Pasquantino 1B | KC
Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino: Goes yard twice in win
Pasquantino went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.
The first baseman gave the Royals an early lead that the team would never relinquish with a two-run shot off Colin Rea in the first inning, and Pasquantino added a second two-run blast against the righty in the fifth. It's his second multi-homer game of the month for Vinny P, who's batting .279 (19-for-68) through 17 games in July with six doubles, five home runs, eight runs and 14 RBI.