MLB Player News

Vierling went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Astros.

Vierling's third-inning double put Detroit up 2-0, but the Tigers stagnated from there. The 27-year-old got the start at third base in this one, which is where he's seen most of his time lately with Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the injured list. Urshela recently began a rehab assignment, however, and his eventual return could push Vierling back to more of a utility role.

Berti went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in a 2-0 victory versus the Rays on Friday.

Berti started at third base and batted out of the No. 9 hole, and he was one of four Yankees with multiple hits in the victory. It was his third start in six games since returning from the injured list May 4, as Oswaldo Cabrera continues to get ample playing time at the hot corner. Berti has hit well since coming off the IL, going 5-for-11 with two runs, an RBI and two stolen bases.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a home run and two total RBI in Friday's 2-0 win over Tampa Bay.

Rizzo accounted for both runs in the contest, knocking an RBI single in the fourth inning and providing some insurance with a solo homer in the ninth. The veteran first baseman has reached base safely in all but one of his eight games so far in May, slashing .296/.406/.519 with two homers and seven RBI over that stretch. With seven long balls and 22 RBI through 39 games on the campaign, Rizzo is already more than halfway to the totals he posted over 99 contests last season.

Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Twins.

The utility infielder popped a solo shot off Joe Ryan in the third inning and brought home Bo Bichette with a ninth-inning single, but the rest of the Blue Jays' offense was quiet on the night. Kiner-Falefa is batting .379 (11-for-29) over the last nine games as he fills a near-everyday role while bouncing between second base and third base, but Friday's homer was just his second of the season, and his first extra-base since April 19.

Kikuchi (2-3) took the loss Friday as the Blue Jays were downed 3-2 by the Twins, giving up two runs on four hits over eight innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The left-hander pounded the strike zone, firing 68 of 97 pitches for strikes in his fifth quality start of the year, and he generated plenty of weak contact -- even Carlos Santana's solo homer in the fifth inning had a sub-100 mph exit velocity and barely made it over the fence down the right-field line. It was the longest outing of Kikuchi's Toronto tenure, and his longest MLB start since he gave the Mariners a shutout win in August 2019, which coincidentally was against the Jays. Kikuchi will take a 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 46:9 K:BB through 47.2 innings into his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Baltimore.

Santana went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

The veteran first baseman got his bat on a pitch out of the strike zone in the fifth inning against Yusei Kikuchi and poked it just fair down the right-field line, putting the Twins in the lead for good. Santana has been productive over the last few weeks -- all five of his homers on the season have come in his last 15 games, a stretch in which he's slashing .264/.328/.585 with eight runs and 12 RBI.

Jax gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning Friday while striking out one, recording his fifth save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Jhoan Duran got the call in the eighth inning to face the top of Toronto's order, leaving the ninth for Jax, but Jax ran into trouble with two outs after a Bo Bichette single kicked off a Jays rally. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has been using Duran as a relief ace rather than a pure closer and Duran has three saves and three holds in six appearances since coming off the IL in late April, but Jax hasn't been the sole beneficiary of the available opportunities -- Caleb Thielbar and Cole Sands have also picked up saves since Duran's season debut. Brock Stewart (shoulder) could also end up in that mix once he gets healthy. Jax has a 3.06 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB through 17.2 innings on the season, and while Duran should see the majority of the save chances for the Twins, his main understudy could creep into the low double digits in saves by the time the season is done.

Duran walked one batter in a scoreless eighth inning Friday to record his third hold of the season in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

The right-hander once again got used as a fireman rather than a closer, facing the top of the Toronto order in the eighth rather than being held back for the ninth. Griffin Jax wound up giving up a run in ninth but still came away with the save. Duran has three saves and three holds in six appearances since coming off the IL on April 30, and he's been lights out in general, posting a 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB through six innings. His usage could hurt his fantasy value in standard 5x5 roto or points formats that count saves but not holds, but Twins manager Rocco Baldelli isn't likely to change up how he deploys Duran as long as it keeps working.

Ryan (2-2) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on six hits over seven innings in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

A solo shot by Isiah Kiner-Falefa accounted for the only blemish on Ryan's line. The right-hander fired 75 of 104 pitches for strikes in his longest outing of the season, as he produced his fourth straight quality start and sixth of the year. Ryan will take a 3.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 53:6 K:BB through 47.2 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Yankees.

Kimbrel struck out one in a perfect seventh inning Friday to record his third hold of the season in a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

The 35-year-old reliever didn't exactly get deployed in the highest-leverage spot, as he faced Arizona's 8-9-1 hitters, but Kimbrel got the job done on an efficient 12 pitches (eight strikes). He topped out at 94.5 mph with his fastball -- he averaged 95.9 mph last season -- and it was only the second time in Kimbrel's last seven appearances that he avoided giving up a run. Yennier Cano got the save in the ninth inning, and that figures be the arrangement for a while until Kimbrel demonstrates his struggles are behind him, although other relievers like Danny Coulombe could also be in the saves mix. Over those last seven appearances, Kimbrel has a 10.13 ERA, 3.19 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB in 5.1 innings.