MLB Player News

DeGrom (10-2) picked up the win over the Athletics on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while striking out nine over six innings.

DeGrom surrendered a leadoff home run to Lawrence Butler to open the game but otherwise was dominant. His nine strikeouts tied for his second-highest total in a start this season, and he recorded 28 whiffs, which tied for the second-most whiffs in all of baseball this year. DeGrom is now 6-0 since the start of June and has lowered his ERA to a 2.28. He's now up to 118.1 innings, which is his most since 2019. DeGrom lines up for his next start on the road against the Angels to begin next week.

Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Tuesday's 10-7 win over the Dodgers.

Vazquez produced a two-run double in the second inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. The catcher continues to see a near-even split of playing time behind the dish with Ryan Jeffers. Vazquez is 8-for-29 (.276) in July, lifting his slash line for the year to .190/.254/.272 with two home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored and no stolen bases over 173 plate appearances.

France went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, one RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 10-7 win over the Dodgers.

France had a strong game from the No. 5 spot in the order, posting his first multi-hit effort since June 26 versus the Mariners. The first baseman has gone just 5-for-36 (.139) with three walks and seven strikeouts over 13 games in July, which has seen him slip into a fairly even timeshare with Kody Clemens at first base. Luckily for France, a righty, it hasn't become a straight platoon -- he's been in the lineup against three of the last seven right-handed starters the Twins have faced. For the season, France has a .249/.316/.357 slash line, six home runs, 43 RBI, 41 runs scored, 18 doubles and one stolen base across 367 plate appearances. Both France and Clemens could be at risk of losing playing time when Luke Keaschall (forearm) returns from the 60-day injured list, though Keaschall is expected to be more of a utility option once healthy.

Correa went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and four runs scored in Tuesday's 10-7 win over the Dodgers.

Correa is 5-for-16 with seven walks over five games since the All-Star break. The shortstop was effective from the cleanup spot Tuesday, which was especially valuable since the Twins' top third of the order combined to go 2-for-15. Correa is at a .266/.319/.392 slash line on the year while adding seven home runs, 31 RBI, 40 runs scored, 19 doubles and no stolen bases across 88 contests.

Woods Richardson allowed three runs on two hits and five walks while striking out two over three innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Woods Richardson benefited from a strong showing by the Twins' offense, because his pitching alone wasn't getting the job done. He threw just 28 of 58 pitches for strikes in his first start coming out of the All-Star break. Prior to the break, he posted a 1.47 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over his previous six starts, so this was a significant step back for the right-hander. He's now at a 4.14 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 64:33 K:BB through 76 innings across 16 appearances (15 starts) this season. The 24-year-old will look to bounce back next week in a home start versus the Red Sox. While Woods Richardson has been just average, it's likely one of David Festa or Zebby Matthews is at a higher risk of losing the last spot in the rotation when Bailey Ober (hip) returns.

Matthews went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Matthews appears to be liking Arizona's pitching, hitting the first three homers of his big-league career over the last two games. The infielder's blast off reliever Jake Woodford on Tuesday was a clutch one, giving the Astros a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning after they were stymied for 6.1 innings by Eduardo Rodriguez. Matthews is now 4-for-20 with three homers, seven RBI, five runs scored and a 2:9 BB:K through six major-league contests. As long as he continues to show growth at the plate, he should be able to hold down a starting role at second base.

King allowed three hits and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Josh Hader was evidently unavailable after throwing 53 pitches across his last two appearances dating back to Saturday. Manager Joe Espada elected to have Bryan Abreu work the eighth inning against the heart of the Arizona order, while King got the ninth. King loaded the bases with three singles before striking out Blaze Alexander and inducing a double-play grounder from Jose Herrera. King has emerged as a steady setup option for the Astros in his first full big-league season, pitching to a 2.55 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 45:8 K:BB through 42.1 innings while adding 21 holds and two blown saves. He's been scored upon in just seven of his 43 appearances, including a five-run fiasco versus the Rays on May 29 that skewed his ratios, though he has an 8.1-inning scoreless streak in July.

Hill (0-1) took the loss Tuesday, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks over five innings against the Cubs. He struck out one.

Hill made MLB history Tuesday by pitching for his 14th team, tying Edwin Jackson's all-time record. The 45-year-old delivered a solid outing, allowing one earned run and three total over five innings, with defensive miscues by the Royals contributing to the damage. While the veteran lefty no longer has swing-and-miss stuff or any velocity, which will likely limit his effectiveness at this level, just being on a major league mound for a 21st consecutive season is a remarkable accomplishment. His current big-league stint may end once Michael Lorenzen (oblique) returns, but Hill's longevity is undeniably impressive.

Valdez (11-4) allowed one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over seven innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Diamondbacks.

Valdez allowed the lone run on a groundout in the fifth inning. He looked in line for a hard-luck loss until Brice Matthews' two-run home run in the eighth, which put the Astros ahead for good. This was the sixth straight start of at least six innings for Valdez, who has given up just six runs (five earned) over 38 frames in that span. He's also won 10 of his last 13 outings after beginning the year 1-4 over seven starts. For the season, the southpaw has a 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 129:42 K:BB across 128 innings. He's lined up for a favorable home start versus the Athletics this weekend.

Raleigh went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Brewers.

Raleigh went just 3-for-17 over his first four games following the All-Star break, though he had just two strikeouts in that span. Offense was at a premium Tuesday, and his sixth-inning solo shot off Nick Mears was the lone run of the game. Raleigh is up to 39 homers on the year while adding 84 RBI, 68 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 16 doubles and a .256/.370/.619 slash line across 99 contests. It wouldn't be surprising to see his batting average regress a bit in the second half, but he should still be capable of producing big numbers in his counting stats.