MLB Player News

Barger went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against Baltimore.

Barger didn't start either contest and didn't play at all in Game 2, but he enjoyed an MLB milestone n the matinee with a three-run homer -- his first career long ball -- in the fifth inning. The outfielder entered that contest in the second frame as a result of Justin Turner being pulled after he was dealt to the Mariners in a trade. Barger has played sporadically while with the big-league club, and that doesn't figure to change much in spite of Toronto's roster shakeup given his .174/.197/.261 slash line on the season.

Melendez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 8-5 win over the White Sox.

This was Melendez's second game back from a minimum stay on the injured list due to an ankle sprain. The outfielder went 0-for-4 versus the Cubs on Sunday in his return. He's homered four times over his last eight games. Melendez is up to 12 homers, 30 RBI, 27 runs scored and two stolen bases while slashing .197/.259/.398 through 87 contests this year. While he's never been one to carry a high average, he could generate some fantasy value if he can continue to tap into his power.

Stratton (3-3) allowed one run on two hits and struck out one over 1.2 innings to earn the win over the White Sox on Monday.

Stratton got out of Angel Zerpa's jam in the sixth inning but went on to give up an Andrew Vaughn solo home run in the seventh. The Royals then rallied from behind with a six-run eighth, giving Stratton his first win since April 23. The right-hander is at a 4.60 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 38:27 K:BB with four saves and five holds over 43 innings this season. He's played an important role in the bullpen, but Stratton's mediocre numbers make him a shaky fantasy option.

Guerrero went 7-for-10 with two home runs, three doubles, four total runs, five total RBI and one walk across both games of Monday's doubleheader split against the Orioles.

Guerrero hit a solo shot in both contests, and he rapped a trio of doubles in the nightcap. He racked up an absurd 16 total bases and collected what for many players would be a solid week's worth of hits in just one day. Guerrero leads MLB with seven long balls, 45 total bases, a 1.125 slugging percentage and a 1.678 OPS since the All-Star break.

Cowser went 3-for-7 with a home run, three total runs, three total RBI and a walk across both games of Monday's doubleheader split versus the Blue Jays.

Cowser went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly in the matinee and followed that with a solo homer and an RBI single in Game 2. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games, during which he's batting .375 with three home runs, 10 runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases. Cowser failed to go deep in 77 plate appearances during his initial big-league cup of coffee last year, but he's hit 15 long balls across 337 plate appearances so far in 2024.

Westburg went 5-for-8 with a home run, three doubles, four RBI, three runs and a walk against Baltimore across both games of Monday's doubleheader.

Westburg racked up three doubles in the first game and added a two-run homer int he nightcap, and he accumulated 11 total bases over both contests. The shortstop had been pretty cold coming into the twin bill, batting .167 (4-for-24) over his previous six games. On the season, Westburg is slashing .273/.320/.505 with 18 homers, 25 doubles, five triples, 58 RBI, 54 runs and six stolen bases over 99 contests.

Santander went 3-for-8 with a two-run home run, an additional run and a walk across both games of a doubleheader split against Toronto on Monday.

Santander was particularly productive in the first game, collecting two hits, including a two-run homer. The long ball was his 30th of the campaign, elevating the outfielder to his second career 30-homer season. It seems inevitable that Santander will surpass his career-best mark of 33 home runs by the end of the campaign, and with 70 RBI, he has a good chance of beating his career high of 95 runs batted in as well.

Mountcastle went 4-for-7 with a home run, two RBI, two runs and two walks over both games of Monday's doubleheader split with the Blue Jays.

Mountcastle did the majority of his damage in Game 1, when he collected three hits, including a solo homer and a run-scoring single. The slugger started at first base in the matinee and at DH in the nightcap. Mountcastle has been very productive of late, batting a robust .440 (11-for-25) with nine RBI over his past seven contests.

Francis (4-2) earned the win in the second game of Monday's doubleheader versus the Orioles, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 5.2 innings.

Francis was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Monday in order to serve as Toronto's starter in the second game of the twin bill. The right-hander gave up three runs on two homers over his first two innings but managed to settle down after that, pitching into the sixth frame and falling one out shy of a quality start. Francis had come out of the bullpen for 13 of his previous 16 big-league outings this season, though he started in four of his six appearances in Triple-A and dominated with a 0.93 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 24:3 K:BB over 19.1 frames. With Yusei Kikuchi traded to Houston on Monday, Francis figures to stick in the rotation, and he's tentatively slated to face the Yankees in New York this weekend.

Hader (4-6) allowed three runs on a hit and two walks while striking out two over one inning to take the loss Monday versus the Pirates.

Hader was brought in with the game tied at the start of the ninth inning. He allowed a three-run home run to Michael Taylor, and the Astros weren't able to recover. Hader had a shaky start to July, but he had settled in with a six-inning scoreless streak that ended Monday. He's at a 4.11 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 72:15 K:BB while converting 20 of 21 saves through 46 innings.