MLB Player News

MacIver went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and a stolen base in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.

MacIver opened the scoring with his first big-league homer, a second-inning solo shot. This was his second multi-hit effort, and he's now batting .237 with three RBI, three runs scored, two steals and three doubles over 13 contests. MacIver and Austin Wynns will continue to share catching duties while Shea Langeliers (oblique) is out.

Butler went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.

Butler was given an off day Wednesday after going 0-for-8 with three strikeouts over the first two games of the series versus Houston. The day off appeared to serve him well, as the outfielder bounced back with a second-inning solo shot. He earned his second multi-hit effort over the last nine games, a cool stretch that followed his fantastic start to June. Butler is at a .257/.320/.455 slash line with 11 homers, 31 RBI, 44 runs scored and 11 stolen bases over 72 contests. After finishing two steals short of a 20-20 campaign over 125 games in 2024, he's on pace to reach that milestone this year.

Wilson went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.

Wilson had gone four games without a multi-hit effort, and his homer Thursday was his first since June 5. The shortstop is batting .410 (25-for-61) over 16 games this month, though just five of his hits in that span have gone for extra bases. Wilson continues to be a contact machine, batting .359 with a .908 OPS, nine homers, 39 RBI, 40 runs scored and five stolen bases over 71 contests. He tied Aaron Judge with 101 hits to lead the majors so far this season, and no other player has more than 94 through Thursday's action.

Kurtz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.

Kurtz has found a taste for clutch power lately, delivering four homers over the last five games, all in the ninth inning or later. His blast Thursday was a walk-off homer against Josh Hader in the 10th. The hot hitting has Kurtz up to a .252/.308/.511 slash line for the year, and he's added nine homers, 23 RBI, 17 runs scored, five doubles and one triple over 37 contests. He's batting .270 (10-for-37) over nine games since he returned from a hip injury.

Miller allowed a run on two hits and struck out one over 1.1 innings, taking a blown save in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.

Miller was brought in with two outs in the eighth inning, but he allowed a game-tying, three-run home run to Victor Caratini. Miller stayed in for the ninth and kept the game tied, but he didn't reap the rewards of that effort, as Michael Kelly pitched the 10th and earned the win. Miller has converted 14 of 17 save chances this season, so his status as the Athletics' closer isn't in question despite mediocre ratios. He's at a 5.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 46:14 K:BB over 27.2 innings.

Lopez allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out nine over six innings in a no-decision versus the Astros on Thursday.

Lopez earned his third quality start of the year, and he's allowed just two runs (one earned) over 16 innings across his last three appearances. He's struck out nine batters in three of his last four starts. Lopez is now at a 4.25 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB through 36 innings over 10 appearances (six starts) this season. The southpaw has pitched well enough to maintain a spot in the Athletics' rotation, but he's projected for a tough road matchup versus the Tigers next week.

Locklear is slashing .282/.372/.427 with six home runs, 17 doubles, 38 RBI, 34 runs scored and 12 stolen bases over 68 games covering 293 plate appearances with Triple-A Tacoma this season.

The 24-year-old first baseman is showcasing an intriguing blend of power and speed at first base in the minor leagues. Locklear ranks as Seattle's top prospects for 2025, and he remains an option for a Mariners club that has gotten fairly lackluster production overall across their platoon at the first base. The lefty-hitting Rowdy Tellez has a .720 OPS against righties this season, and the righty-hitting Donovan Solano has a .413 OPS versus southpaws for the year.

Rasmussen (6-5) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings to take the loss Thursday versus the Orioles.

Rasmussen pitched well for the most part, but he allowed a leadoff single to Gunnar Henderson in the sixth inning that sparked Baltimore's rally. Reliever Edwin Uceta couldn't stop the bleeding, and after he allowed the inherited runner to score, Rasmussen ended up taking his first loss since May 11. He had allowed just six runs over 34 innings across his previous six starts, and Thursday's effort was by no means a bad performance. The right-hander has maintained a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 67:18 K:BB over 79.1 innings through 15 starts this season. Rasmussen is projected for a road start in Kansas City his next time out.

Cowser went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a double in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Rays.

Cowser has homered in three straight games. His long ball came in the sixth inning Thursday, giving the Orioles a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The outfielder is struggling a bit for consistency at the plate, but the power is there. He's posted a .210/.269/.532 slash line with six homers, 10 RBI, seven runs scored, two doubles and one stolen base over 67 plate appearances this season, but he could be held back by a 34.3 percent strikeout rate. He's avoided striking out in each of the last two games, but Cowser will need to continue improving his plate discipline, without sacrificing power, to be a reliable fantasy asset.

Bautista struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Rays.

Bautista had to work for it, throwing 12 of 21 pitches for strikes despite not allowing a baserunner. He's on an eight-inning scoreless streak with a 13:5 K:BB and has allowed just one hit during that span. Bautista struggled at times in May with a 5.59 ERA in 10 outings, but he's rounded back into form with his recent dominant stretch. He's at a 2.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 34:17 K:BB through 25.2 innings while converting 15 of his 16 save chances this season.