MLB Player News

Jeffers went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-1 loss to Boston.

Jeffers took Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello yard in the third inning to put the Twins on the board. Both of the catcher's two homers this season have come in the past five games, and he's beginning to heat up at the plate after a slow start to the year. Over his last nine games, Jeffers is hitting .333 (9-for-27) with three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored.

Diaz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI double and two total runs scored in Friday's 7-3 loss to the White Sox.

Diaz was the engine of the Astros' offense in this loss, but his contributions weren't enough. The catcher's bat has been warming up lately with three multi-hit efforts over his last seven games. Overall, he's up to a .208/.232/.365 slash line with three homers, 14 RBI, 10 runs scored, four doubles, one triple and no stolen bases over 99 plate appearances. Diaz had some struggles early in 2024 as well, but he's been one of the better offensive catchers in baseball over the last two seasons.

Valdez (1-4) took the loss Friday versus the White Sox, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings.

Valdez allowed a run in each of the first two innings and then gave up two more in the fifth. The southpaw just wasn't at his sharpest Friday, throwing just 48 of 87 pitches for strikes, which isn't particularly impressive given the competition. He hasn't won since his season debut while posting a 4.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 37:15 K:BB across 41 innings over seven starts in 2025. Despite his inconsistency, he has earned four quality starts. Valdez's next start is projected to be on the road in Milwaukee.

Robert went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Robert hit safely for the seventh game in a row. He's gone 9-for-26 (.346) with three homers, eight RBI, seven runs scored and six stolen bases on eight attempts in that span. It's an encouraging stretch for the outfielder, who looks to be putting his early struggles behind him. He's still batting just .189 with a .668 OPS, five homers, 13 steals, 14 RBI and 17 runs scored over 30 contests this season. Robert's career high in steals is 23, which he set last year. He could shatter that mark if he stays healthy and continues to draw walks at a high rate.

Cannon (2-3) allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out five without walking a batter over six innings to earn the win Friday over the Astros.

Cannon was back in a starting role after operating as a bulk reliever in his appearance versus the Athletics last Saturday. He wasn't dominant, but just two of the nine hits he allowed went for extra bases, and they were back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning that led to the Astros' first run. Cannon's two wins have come over his last two outings, and this was his first quality start of the season. He's pitched to a 4.26 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB across 38 innings over seven appearances this season. The 24-year-old is tentatively projected to take on the Royals in Kansas City his next time out.

Bautista logged his sixth save of the season in Friday's 3-0 win over the Royals, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Bautista was tasked with preserving the Orioles' three-run lead and needed just 12 pitches (nine strikes) to get through the inning, inducing two groundouts with a strikeout in between. Bautista has converted all six of his save opportunities this season and has yielded just three walks and two hits over his last eight appearances (all scoreless), striking out nine batters.

Wacha (1-4) took the loss against the Orioles on Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 6.1 innings.

Wacha faced the minimum number of batters in four of his first six scoreless innings, but things unravelled in the seventh. After giving up a double, Wacha lost his shutout bid on a Ryan O'Hearn two-run home run, and the former was tagged for a third run later in the frame. It was a disappointing finish to what was otherwise a strong performance for Wacha, who has logged two quality starts in a row. He's in line to face the White Sox at home next week.

Kremer (3-4) earned the win against the Royals on Friday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out two over seven scoreless innings.

Kremer hadn't made it past 5.2 innings in any of his six starts entering Friday's game. He made light work of the Royals' batters, however, needing only 82 pitches (56 strikes) to make it through seven innings. It was his first quality start of the season, and his efforts lowered his ERA and WHIP to 5.73 and 1.38, respectively, over 37.2 innings. He's in line to face the Twins on the road next week.

Witt went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Orioles.

Witt's strikeout in his final at-bat of Friday's game halted a 22-game hitting streak, tied for seventh longest in Royals history. Witt is having another All-Star-caliber season and ranks in the top five in the American League in doubles (12), hits (39), stolen bases (nine) and batting average (.312).

Hoglund (1-0) earned the win Friday against Miami after allowing one run on six hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out seven.

Making his major-league debut, the 2021 first-rounder mostly cruised through Miami's lineup. Dane Myers took Hoglund deep for a solo homer to lead off the sixth inning, but the Athletics took a 6-0 lead in the fifth to give Hoglund plenty of cushion. The right-hander produced a 2.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 29.2 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas this year, and he almost certainly earned another chance in the rotation with Friday's impressive performance. Hoglund's next turn lines up for next week in a tough test versus the Mariners.