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Nelson Velazquez LF | HOU
Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Flips game around with homer
Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Mariners.
Mariners starter Logan Gilbert was excellent until the seventh inning, and Velazquez made him pay. The homer was Velazquez's third of the year and his first since April 4. He went just 5-for-55 over a 19-game span from April 14 to May 9, but Velazquez now has a five-game hitting streak during which he's 6-for-16 (.375). Overall, he's at a .227/.292/.361 slash line with 11 RBI, 18 runs scored and a stolen base over 37 contests. With fellow corner outfielders MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe hitting .183 and .159, respectively, there's room for Velazquez to challenge them if manager Matt Quatraro opts for other players at designated hitter.
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James McArthur RP | KC
Royals' James McArthur: Converts 10th save
McArthur allowed a run on two hits and struck out three without walking a batter over 1.1 innings to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Mariners.
McArthur gave up a solo home run to Mitch Haniger in the ninth inning, but he was able to avoid any further damage. The right-hander has surrendered seven runs (six earned) over his last five appearances, and he's been tagged for four homers in that span. He's managed to convert saves in each of his last two outings despite the long balls. McArthur is 10-for-13 in save chances this year while adding a 4.58 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB through 19.2 innings. He does not appear to be in danger of losing the closer job yet, but it is concerning to see him give up so much hard contact.
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Michael Wacha SP | KC
Royals' Michael Wacha: Earns win over Mariners
Wacha (3-4) allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven over six innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Mariners.
Wacha limited the damage to a Luke Raley solo home run in the fourth inning. This was Wacha's second quality start in a row and his fourth in nine outings this year. He's also walked multiple batters in five of his starts, but he's given up a reasonable five homers. The right-hander has a 4.71 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB through 49.2 innings. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Tigers.
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Mitch Garver C | SEA
Mariners' Mitch Garver: Battling back spasms
Garver was scratched from Seattle's lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against Kansas City due to upper-back spasms, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The 33-year-old backstop missed a few games in March due to back spasms, though manager Scott Servais said Garver's current injury is unrelated to his previous issue. No timeline was given for his return, but it's possible the M's hold him out for a game or two in order to allow him to properly recover.
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Reese Olson SP | DET
Tigers' Reese Olson: Stellar against Marlins
Olson did not factor into the decision Tuesday despite allowing just three hits over eight scoreless innings. He struck out six.
While Olson was spectacular Tuesday, he was matched on the other side by Ryan Weathers, who also delivered eight scoreless frames in an eventual 1-0 Marlins win in 10 innings. Olson has held opponents to one run or fewer in five of his last six starts, including four straight. His ERA is down to 2.09 on the year with a 0.99 WHIP and 41:15 K:BB across 47.1 innings. Still, Olson's been incredibly unlucky to open his sophomore campaign, as he's yet to earn a win through eight starts. He'll look for more support in his next outing, currently scheduled for early next week in Kansas City.
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Zack Gelof 3B | ATH
Athletics' Zack Gelof: Hitless in return
Gelof (oblique) went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Astros.
Gelof missed just under three weeks with an oblique strain. The second baseman returned to the No. 6 spot in the lineup, which is where he was slotting into just before the injury after starting the year batting second. He's slashing a poor .188/.250/.323 with three home runs, seven RBI, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases over 25 contests this season. Gelof showed promise with 14 homers and an .841 OPS over 69 games in 2023, but he's still looking to get into a rhythm this year.
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JP Sears SP | SD
Athletics' JP Sears: Pitches well in no-decision
Sears allowed a run on five hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings in a no-decision versus the Astros on Tuesday.
Sears' lone mistake was a solo home run by Alex Bregman in the second inning. While it wasn't the most efficient outing -- Sears threw 65 of 100 pitches for strikes -- it was a decent performance for a pitcher that's had few middle-of-the-road efforts so far. This was the fifth time he's allowed one or fewer runs, but he's given up four or more runs in each of his other four outings. Sears is at a 3.96 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 35:14 K:BB through 50 innings, and he'll carry a 3-2 record into his next start, tentatively projected to be in Kansas City.
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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Astros' Alex Bregman: Goes deep again Tuesday
Bregman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the Athletics.
Bregman entered the Oakland series with one homer on the year, but he's hit three long balls and added two doubles over his last two games. The third baseman has gone 10-for-24 (.417) during a six-game hitting streak, though he's still got a long way to go to get his season-long numbers at an acceptable level. Bregman is slashing .225/.293/.358 with four homers, 18 RBI, 12 runs scored, eight doubles and two stolen bases over 39 contests.
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Josh Hader RP | HOU
Astros' Josh Hader: Collects win Tuesday
Hader (2-3) allowed a walk and struck out three over two scoreless and hitless innings to earn the extra-inning win over the Athletics on Tuesday.
After starter Ronel Blanco was ejected for the alleged use of a foreign substance, this became a bit of a bullpen game for the Astros as they looked to protect a 1-0 lead. Ryan Pressly couldn't maintain the lead in the eighth inning, but Hader pitched well in the ninth and 10th, and he got the win after Victor Caratini delivered a walk-off hit as a pinch hitter. Hader's active 4.1-inning scoreless streak is his longest of the season. He's now at a 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB with five saves in six chances over 19 innings this season.
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Justin Anderson RP | CHW
White Sox's Justin Anderson: Returned to Charlotte
The White Sox returned Anderson to Triple-A Charlotte after Tuesday's doubleheader against Washington.
Anderson pitched a scoreless inning during the first game of the twin bill, giving up one walk while punching out two batters. He owns a 2.81 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 16 frames in Triple-A, and he could return to the majors later this year if Chicago's bullpen depth is tested further.