MLB Player News

Stewart (shoulder) threw 20 pitches to live hitters before Friday night's game, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The right-hander has been on the shelf with shoulder tendinitis since early May. He's had several bullpen sessions in the past few weeks, and the advancement to live hitters could be an indication he's ready for a rehab assignment. However, no schedule for the next step of his comeback has been announced.

Kimbrel picked up the save in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Athletics. He pitched a clean inning with two strikeouts.

The veteran closer extended his scoreless appearances streak to six with this performance, promptly retiring the side on a tidy 10 pitches. Kimbrel stands fourth all-time in career saves with 439, needing 40 more to pass Lee Smith for third. The Baltimore right-hander has been nearly untouchable since May 10, firing a 0.45 ERA, 0.25 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB across 20 innings while securing 14 saves.

Suarez (5-2) earned the win Friday against Oakland, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out six.

The 34-year-old required only 86 pitches to collect his second consecutive quality start. He held the Athletics in check, as the only blemishes on his outing came via solo shots yielded to Miguel Andujar and Shea Langeliers. Suarez now sports a 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:23 K:BB across 65.1 innings this season. He is currently slated to make his next start against the Cubs at home.

Harris (1-3) took the loss Friday against Baltimore, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four.

The Oakland southpaw held his own against a staunch Orioles lineup, turning in his seventh consecutive start of three or fewer earned runs. Over that stretch, Harris has pitched to a 3.00 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 27:14 K:BB across 36 innings. He lines up to make his next appearance against Boston on the road next week.

Hader picked up a save in Friday's 13-12 win against the Twins. He faced two batters, allowing one run on one hit while striking out one.

Hader likely didn't expect to enter Friday's contest as the Astros held a 13-5 lead entering the ninth. However, Luis Contreras allowed three runs and then loaded the bases, forcing the call to the Houston closer. Hader allowed a grand slam to Carlos Correa to bring the Twins within one before fanning Manuel Margot for his 15th save of the campaign. The Houston southpaw now sports a 3.92 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 61:11 K:BB across 39 total innings while going 15-for-16 in save chances.

Dubin did not factor into the decision in Friday's 13-12 win over Minnesota, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk over 2.2 innings. He struck out two.

Dubin made his second consecutive start and failed to escape the third inning as the Twins collected five hits -- including two for extra bases -- off the Houston right-hander. The 28-year-old now owns a 5.40 ERA and 29:15 K:BB across 28.1 total innings on the season. Jake Bloss (shoulder) is scheduled for a rehab appearance at Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend and will likely step into the rotation for Dubin next week.

Bregman went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two walks in Friday's win at Minnesota.

The veteran third baseman cracked a 404-foot, three-run blast off Kody Funderburk in the ninth inning for his first long ball since June 3. This marks the seventh season Bregman has reached double-digit homers in his nine-year career. Despite the recent power outage, the Houston third baseman has still been hitting well over his last 25 games, batting .295 (31-for-105) with 18 runs scored and 11 RBI.

Miranda went 4-for-4 with a homer, a double, two RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 13-12 loss to the Astros.

Miranda came a triple shy of the cycle and set a Twins franchise record in the seventh inning by tallying his 10th consecutive plate appearance with a hit. The 26-year-old launched a 414-foot solo shot off Shawn Dubin earlier in the game for his ninth homer of the season. Miranda now sports a nine-game hit streak over which he's batted an absurd .559 (19-for-34) with seven extra base hits, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored.

X-rays on Altuve's left hand came back negative following his removal from Friday's game versus Minnesota, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Altuve made an early exit from Friday's game in the eighth inning after taking a pitch off his hand, but he managed to escape the incident with only a bruise. It's possible he sits out a game or two in order to give his hand a chance to properly recover, but an extended absence isn't likely. The 34-year-old is slashing .387/.457/.516 with a homer and five RBI over his last seven games.

Lopez (8-7) took the loss Friday against Houston, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.

Despite not allowing a homer, the Minnesota right-hander managed to yield six or more runs for the fourth time this season. Lopez generated a paltry eight whiffs out of his 91 pitches as Houston was dialed in on his arsenal. The 28-year-old now sports a disappointing 5.18 ERA across 99 innings on the season. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, tentatively scheduled to be versus the White Sox in Chicago.