MLB Player News

Loperfido went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a triple and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the Marlins.

Loperfido has hit safely in his last four games, going 5-for-13 with four extra-base hits and four RBI in that span. This was his first multi-hit effort since June 21. The outfield prospect is up to a .288/.337/.450 slash line with two homers, 13 RBI, 10 runs scored, five doubles, one triple and two stolen bases across 87 plate appearances. Loperfido continues to play in the corner outfield spots, though he's seen slightly less than a strong-side platoon role over the last week. Chas McCormick and Mauricio Dubon continue to be Loperfido's biggest competitors for playing time.

Isbel went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base and three total runs in Game 2 of a doubleheader sweep versus the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Isbel didn't play in Game 1 of the twin bill but made a big impact in the nightcap. He singled, stole second base and scored in the fifth frame, scored again following a walk in the seventh, and finished with a solo shot to right field in the ninth. Isbel had been ice cold through six games in July coming into Wednesday, going 1-for-14 with four strikeouts.

Valdez (8-5) allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out 10 over seven innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Wednesday.

This is the seventh time this season Valdez has gone at least seven innings, and he's allowed more than one run in just one of those outings. The southpaw has earned quality starts in four of his last five games, allowing 13 runs (10 earned) over 30.2 innings in that span. For the season, he's at a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 82:32 K:BB across 98.1 innings through 16 starts. He's been giving up a lot of hits this season, but he's done a decent job at damage control and could have a strong second half if he can keep traffic off the bases.

Perez went 3-for-7 with two home runs and four RBI over both games of Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of St. Louis.

Perez started at catcher in Game 1 and recorded a 424-foot solo homer along with an RBI single. He was back in the lineup at DH in Game 2 and belted another solo shot while adding a sacrifice fly. Perez is up to 16 long balls on the campaign, tied for third most among MLB backstops. He's also tied for the lead among catchers with 59 RBI.

Wacha (6-6) earned the win over the Cardinals in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out three batters over five innings.

It wasn't a smooth outing for Wacha, as he tossed only one 1-2-3 inning and needed 84 pitches to get through five frames. Kansas City's offense gave him ample support, but the right-hander nearly lost his chance at a victory when he gave up two runs in the bottom of the fifth to allow St. Louis to close the gap to 5-4. The three earned runs were the most Wacha has allowed since May 4 -- over his previous eight starts, he had posted a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 46.2 frames. Wacha's overall 3.83 ERA puts him on pace to log a third straight season with a sub-4.00 earned run average.

McArthur earned a save in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, pitching two total innings during which he gave up one run on three hits while striking out two batters.

McArthur gave up a Paul Goldschmidt solo homer and a Nolan Arenado single in the first game of the twin bill but managed to get through the ninth frame in 15 pitches. That left him fresh enough to be called upon again in the ninth inning of Game 2, and he finished off that contest in 19 pitches without yielding a run. McArthur thus became the first Kansas City pitcher with two saves in one day since Greg Holland in 2013. McArthur went through a stretch between June 7 to 23 during which he didn't record a single save (or get a single save opportunity), but since then he's registered five saves while giving up just one run over 7.2 frames.

Bichette was removed from Wednesday's game versus San Francisco due to right calf soreness.

The severity of Bichette's injury remains unclear, but it was apparently bothering him enough to warrant his removal from Wednesday's contest in the fourth inning. Leo Jimenez entered as Bichette's replacement at shortstop and would likely be the next man up to start should the 26-year-old's calf cause him to miss any amount of time.

Marsh (7-6) earned the win over St. Louis in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.

Marsh gave up two homers but only one additional hit. The right-hander was atypically prolific in the swing-and-miss department, racking up 16 whiffs and tying his season high with eight punchouts. Marsh notched his second quality start over his past three outings, though his other appearance during that span was a poor one during which he allowed five earned runs across three frames. He's been very up-and-down during the campaign, giving up one or zero runs in six of 17 starts but five-plus runs on four occasions. That's led to a mediocre 4.57 overall ERA.

The Royals returned Pennington to Triple-A Omaha following Wednesday's doubleheader against St. Louis.

Pennington didn't pitch in either of Wednesday's games while serving as the Royals' 27th man. He's been a reliable option for Omaha, however, posting a 2.22 ERA and 0.96 WHIP alongside an 81:21 K:BB through 56.2 innings. Should Kansas City need to bring another fresh arm into its bullpen, the 26-year-old southpaw would be a likely candidate for promotion.

Varsho was removed from Wednesday's game against the Giants due to a left knee contusion.

Varsho made an awkward dive/slide into first base while trying to avoid being tagged out in the second inning. He was able to take the field for the bottom half of the frame but was eventually replaced in left field by Davis Schneider during the third. Varsho's injury shouldn't cause him to miss an extended period of time, though it's possible the Jays give him a day off Thursday to recover.