MLB Player News

Freeman started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers.

Freeman had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and made his first MLB start. He's unlucky in that his first start in the show came against Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal (2.19 ERA, 2nd in MLB), but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy typically uses a right-handed batter at third base when facing a southpaw. With Josh Jung back in the minors, the Rangers' hot corner has become a rotation of Josh Smith against righties with Ezequiel Duran and now Freeman against lefties.

Hill earned a hold against Atlanta on Sunday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter in one scoreless inning.

Hill handled the eighth inning Sunday, throwing 10 of 11 pitches for strikes and working around a one-out single to set up closer Devin Williams with a two-run lead. The left-handed Hill is up to 10 holds on the campaign, his most since the 2021 season, when he was with San Diego. Five of those holds have come over his past 11 outings, a span in which he's recorded a 2.31 ERA with a 7:1 K:BB across 11.2 frames.

Stanton went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-2 victory against Atlanta.

Though none of his knocks went for extra bases, Stanton posted his first three-hit performance of the campaign. The veteran slugger has at least one hit in eight of his past nine games, batting .393 (11-for-28) with three homers, two doubles and nine RBI during that span. While he seems to be heating up, Stanton hasn't been an everyday part of the lineup of late -- he's started just four of New York's past seven contests.

Judge went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk Sunday in a 4-2 win against Atlanta.

Judge got the scoring started Sunday with a 409-foot solo blast in the first inning. It was the fearsome slugger's first homer of the second half, and he's now up to 36 long balls on the campaign. Only Cal Raleigh (38) has more home runs than Judge this season.

Stephenson (biceps) has resumed throwing and is currently playing catch from up to 90 feet, per MLB.com.

Stephenson landed on the 15-day injured list due to right biceps inflammation in early June and was subsequently shut down from throwing for several weeks. He resumed playing catch June 30 but continued to experience discomfort and had his throwing program halted again until July 7. Stephenson is now back to building up, but considering that he hasn't yet thrown from a mound, he's unlikely to be activated until August, at the earliest.

Taylor (hand) began a minor-league rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Thursday and has gone 4-for-6 with two walks and two RBI through two games.

Taylor fractured his left hand when he was pit by a pitch in a game June 9 but is far enough in his recovery to play in games. Assuming he doesn't have any setbacks during his rehab stint, the utility man could be back with the Angels before the end of July.

Smith went 1-for-5 with two RBI on Sunday against the Mariners.

Smith has progressively moved up the Astros' lineup, and he hit leadoff for the first time Sunday. He delivered a two-RBI double in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3 while also accounting for his first extra-base hit in his last six starts. Smith has had inconsistent fantasy production, but he continues a very impressive rookie season during which he's maintained a .328 wOBA and 111 wRC+ across 2238 plate appearances.

Baez exited Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rangers in the sixth inning with left shoulder soreness, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Baez finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before exiting the contest with an apparent aggravation of the shoulder he first injured while sliding into home plate in a June 14 game against the Reds. He said after the game Sunday that he "didn't want to keep playing with soreness" and is hopeful to avoid a stint on the injured list. The Tigers begin a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday, and Baez's status will be worth keeping an eye on.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Sunday's 11-3 win over Seattle.

Walker took Bryan Woo yard in the sixth inning, marking the first baseman's 13th long ball of the campaign. He's been on a tear lately, going 17-for-52 with three home runs in his last 12 games. Walker is on pace to log his fewest home runs in a season since 2021 after hitting 26 or more round trippers in each of the last three seasons.

Caratini went 3-for-5 with a two-RBI double and an RBI single during Sunday's 11-3 win over the Mariners.

Caratini drove in at least three Astros for the fifth time this season and notched his sixth three-hit game of the year. The 31-year-old has recorded a hit in 12 of his 13 games in July, going 20-for-52 with four homers and 17 RBI. He's slashing .272/.321/.447 overall.