MLB Player News

Mead suffered a bruised left wrist during Monday's game against the Athletics, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Mead was struck by a pitch in just his second at-bat since being traded from the Nationals to the Red Sox, and he was forced to exit Monday's matchup. However, his X-rays returned negative, per Healey, ruling out a serious injury. Mead can be considered day-to-day until the team has more information to share on his availability going forward.

Varland secured the save Monday against the Nationals, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk in the ninth inning. He struck out two.

Washington got the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base Monday, but Varland ultimately slammed the door for his fourth consecutive scoreless outing. The hard-throwing right-hander has been sublime since usurping Jeff Hoffman as Toronto's closer, successfully converting all 22 of his save opportunities this year. Through 53 innings, Varland boasts a 1.02 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 72:14 K:BB to establish a strong grip on the closing gig.

Scherzer took a no-decision Monday against the Nationals, allowing one run on four hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. He struck out four.

Making his return from a lengthy absence with back spasms and a thumb injury, Scherzer struggled to find his control Monday and also lacked efficiency. He threw 75 pitches (44 strikes) and still couldn't make it through three frames against one of his former teams, and Scherzer has now walked three batters in three consecutive starts while failing to work into the fifth inning in each. The 42-year-old right-hander appears to be on his last legs amidst an injury-plagued 2026 campaign, dragging a 9.49 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 18:14 K:BB over 24.2 frames into his next scheduled appearance at home against the Cardinals.

Mead was removed from Monday's game against the Athletics after being hit by a pitch on his left hand, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Mead was struck by a pitch in just his second at-bat as a member of the Red Sox, and he was removed shortly after. Anthony Seigler was called upon to man second base in Mead's absence. The severity of the injury is unknown at this time.

Garcia was credited with the save in Monday's 8-5 win over Detroit, when he struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning.

Garcia was tagged with a blown save in three of his four outings prior to Monday's game, but he managed to get the job done in Detroit on 17 pitches (10 strikes) with two punchouts. Given the number of opportunities he's had since the All-Star break, Garcia could be the Orioles' preferred option at closer over Andrew Kittredge and Tyler Wells in the absence of both Ryan Helsley (elbow) and Felix Bautista (shoulder).

Taveras went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Orioles' 8-5 win over the Tigers on Monday.

Taveras entered Monday's game having gone 0-for-14 over his four prior outings, but he contributed offensively by belting a solo home run off Keider Montero in the fifth inning to extend Baltimore's lead to 5-3. Despite his recent struggles at the plate, Taveras has been seeing more reliable playing time in the outfield, which has coincided with the absence of Blaze Alexander (hand).

McKinstry went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 8-5 loss to the Orioles.

McKinstry is struggling overall with a .206 batting average and .594 OPS this season, though he's been better since the start of June. While the veteran utility player feels unlikely to match last year's career best totals of 12 home runs and 19 stolen bases, he is at least seeing regular playing time. McKinstry is known for moving around defensively, though he may focus primarily on right field in the short term with Wenceel Perez (orbital) and Kerry Carpenter (foot) both on the injured list.

Mayo went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored during Baltimore's 8-5 win over Detroit on Monday.

Mayo's two-run homer in the fifth inning extended the Orioles' lead to 7-3 and essentially sealed the game for Baltimore. It was his 14th home run of the season and fourth since July 1, and for the month he has gone 9-for-34 (.265) with one steal and seven RBI. He's been losing out on reps at the hot corner to Christian Encarnacion-Strand, but more nights like Monday would afford Mayo more playing time over the last two months of the regular season, especially for as long as Blaze Alexander (hand) is out of action.

Waguespack, who tossed two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts Monday against the Orioles, now has a 1.47 ERA across 18.1 innings this season.

Waguespack allowed an earned run in his last appearance before Monday, but prior to that, he had rattled off 10 straight scoreless outings. The righty did not pitch in the majors in 2025, and he had a 5.40 ERA in limited action in 2024, so it remains to be seen if he can maintain his current form. As it stands, Waguespack is starting to earn some degree of trust within Detroit's bullpen, and his role could increase accordingly.

Bradish did not factor into Monday's decision against the Tigers, when he allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out four across 4.2 innings.

Bradish limited the Tigers to one run through three innings before giving up two runs in both the fourth and fifth frames, and he was lifted one out shy from being in line for the decision. The five earned runs he allowed matched a season high that he set three times earlier in the season, and the veteran right-hander now has a 3.74 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 114:52 K:BB across 118 innings this season. Bradish's next start is lined up for this weekend at home against the Phillies.