MLB Player News

Refsnyder entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a 4-2 loss to Baltimore.

Refsnyder produced Boston's final run with his eighth home run of the season in the ninth inning. His .902 OPS against left-handers puts him in starting lineups against southpaws and leads to frequent pinch-hit appearances.

Hendriks (elbow) pitched a prefect fifth inning for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.

Hendriks, making the first appearance of a rehab assignment, needed 12 pitches (10 strikes) to dispatch the side in order on a flyout and two groundouts. He threw seven four-seam fastballs (topping out at 95.6 miles per hour), one curveball and one slider, per Baseball Savant. Hendriks is confident he'll return from the 60-day injured list and pitch in the majors later this season, and he could be a helpful piece out of the bullpen as the Red Sox attempt to make the postseason.

Smith started at third base and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning win over Minnesota.

Smith, who was given a break Saturday after starting eight games in seven days, was back in the lineup and stole his eighth base. A strong first half put him on fantasy radars, but a .202/.264/.294 line since the All-Star break is more in line with Smith's production from previous seasons.

Kelly started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Twins.

Kelly made his fifth start in the last six games, including four as the catcher and one at DH. Sunday's hitless effort put a halt to a six-game hit streak, but he could continue to steal at-bats from primary backstop Jonah Heim, who is mired in a 4-for-27 (.148/.233/.296) run.

Sears did not factor into the decision in Sunday's loss to the Giants, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out nine over 7.2 innings.

Sears blanked the Giants through six frames before Heliot Ramos led off the seventh with a solo home run to even the game at 1-1. It was another dominant performance by Sears, who posted his fourth straight quality start and his second over the last four with nine strikeouts. Sunday's outing was the longest Sears has gone over his three-year MLB career, and since the start of July he owns a 2.65 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 48:8 K:BB in 51 innings. He'll look to keep rolling along in a projected home matchup against the Brewers.

Kochanowicz (1-3) took the loss Sunday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings. He did not strike out a batter.

Kochanowicz nearly escaped the first inning clean, but Atlanta was able to scratch a run across. They tacked on a second when Ramon Laureano took him deep to open up the fourth to make it a 2-0 game. He's given the Angels some excellent length in his two recent starts, though he did post a 2:4 K:BB in 13.2 innings, so there hasn't been much swing-and-miss with his pitches. He's also given up a home run in all four of his starts thus far. The 23-year-old owns a 6.53 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 7:7 K:BB in 20.2 innings. He lines up for a road start against the Blue Jays his next time taking the mound.

Massey went 3-for-4 in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Reds.

Massey didn't get directly involved in any of the run production, but he put in a solid game. This was his fourth multi-hit effort over his last nine games, a span in which he's gone 12-for-35 (.343) with four extra-base hits. The second baseman is up to a .266/.289/.468 slash line with 10 home runs, 35 RBI, 34 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples and no stolen bases through 64 games this year. Massey hasn't been a full-time player even against right-handed pitchers, as lefty Adam Frazier and righty Maikel Garcia continue to get looks at the keystone.

Slater recorded a stolen base as a pinch runner in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

Slater has gone 6-for-15 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored over nine contests with the Orioles, but his theft Sunday was his first with his new team. He's had limited chance to make an impact as a short-side platoon player, and it's unlikely he serves as anything more than a fourth or fifth outfielder. For the year, he has a .211/.331/.260 slash line with one home run, three steals, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored over 151 plate appearances between the Giants, Reds and Orioles.

Mullins went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

Mullins has been more active on the basepaths with three steals over his last four games. It helps that the outfielder has gone 8-for-27 (.296) across his last 10 contests, which is one of his better stretches this season. For the year, he's at a .224/.283/.397 slash line with 22 steals, 13 home runs, 41 RBI and 51 runs scored over 373 plate appearances. He remains limited to a strong-side platoon role in center field, with Colton Cowser often shifting over from left when the Orioles face a southpaw.

Rutschman went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

Rutschman was scratched from the lineup Friday due to back soreness, and he didn't start Saturday, though he went 0-for-2 off the bench. This was his first homer since July 19 -- he hit a poor .216 (16-for-74) over 23 games between long balls. That rough patch has dulled the shine of Rutschman's overall stats, as he's now at a .266/.331/.428 slash line with 18 homers, 70 RBI, 59 runs scored, 16 doubles and a stolen base over 114 contests. Despite the recent struggles, Rutschman's heavy workload between catcher and designated hitter gives him ample fantasy appeal. There's also a fair chance he bounces back, as he struck out at just an 11.9 percent rate during his power drought.