MLB Player News

Strider (oblique) did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks over 3.1 innings against the Rockies. He struck out six.

Strider made his first start of the season after opening on the injured list with a left oblique strain and struggled to consistently find the zone, throwing 48 of 87 pitches for strikes and issuing five free passes. It wasn't a strong outing for the right-hander, who also allowed a homer to TJ Rumfield in the third inning, but Strider did strike out six and simply being back on a big-league mound is a step in the right direction. After posting a 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with a 131:51 K:BB across 125.1 regular-season innings (23 starts) in 2025, the 27-year-old is looking to return closer to his form from 2022 and 2023 prior to injuries. Strider is tentatively scheduled to start Saturday against the Dodgers, though how Atlanta manages his workload will be worth monitoring.

Defrank has no timetable for a return after suffering a right biceps injury, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Defrank will not require surgery, so he's not necessarily out for the season, but he will be forced to miss substantial time. The 17-year-old was expected to pitch limited innings in the Florida Complex League this season, and it's unclear if he'll be able to pitch again in 2026.

Busch went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple, a run scored and four RBI in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Busch was all over the bases Sunday as he helped power the Cubs to victory, The first baseman is heating up with a .298 batting average, eight extra-base hits and 14 RBI across his last 12 games. Busch had the opportunity to bat first Saturday with Nico Hoerner out for a game with a neck issue, but the latter returned Sunday. That development pushed Busch down to sixth in the order, with Hoerner returning to the top spot.

Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Ballesteros snapped an 0-for-16 slump across his previous four games with a strong performance Sunday. Even following the mini cold spell, the 22-year-old is having a tremendous season with a .317/.380/.598 slash line, six home runs and 18 RBI across 30 contests. The Cubs also announced recently that Ballesteros would begin to see more playing time behind the plate, which should elevate his fantasy appeal once he gains eligibility at catcher in most formats.

Peterson will pitch in bulk relief behind an opener in Monday's series opener against the Rockies in Colorado, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Peterson will follow an opener for the second time this season after last doing so April 19 against the Cubs, when he tossed 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing three hits in the team's 2-1 loss to Chicago. The southpaw has posted a disappointing 6.53 ERA and 1.71 WHIP with 29 strikeouts over 30.1 innings in seven appearances (five starts) with New York this season.

Lovelady notched a save Sunday against the Brewers, allowing no runs on one hit and no walks in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

Lovelady was brought in for matchup-related reasons Sunday in his first save opportunity of the year. The southpaw faced a pair of left-handed hitters in Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell, retiring Mitchell before striking out Brandon Lockridge for the final out. Since coming over from the Mets via trade, Lovelady has a 1.29 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 7:5 K:BB over seven innings for Washington.

Littell (1-4) earned the win Sunday against the Brewers, allowing one run on one hit and one walk in 3.2 innings. He struck out one.

Working behind opener PJ Poulin on Sunday, Littell quietly gave the Nationals one of his better performances of 2026 in long relief. It was just the right-hander's second appearance of the year with fewer than three runs allowed, and he kept the ball in the yard for just the second time in seven outings this season. Littell still has a rough 7.24 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 17:12 K:BB over 32.1 innings, so fantasy managers can likely find more appealing streaming options.

Henderson (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Nationals, allowing two runs on three hits and zero walks in six innings. He struck out eight.

Henderson hardly deserved the loss Sunday, throwing 56 of his 76 pitches for strikes in a quality start. It was somewhat surprising to see the right-hander get pulled with a fairly low pitch count, but it was just his second major-league start of 2026 after he worked as a swingman for Triple-Nashville earlier this year. Henderson is set to see at least a handful of turns in Milwaukee's rotation due to Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) being on the injured list, next lining up for a tough test versus the Yankees.

Paddack (0-5) took the loss Sunday against the Phillies, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. He struck out one.

The Phillies ambushed Paddack on Sunday, throttling the hurler for six runs in the opening frame. The right-hander remains with just one quality start in 2026, and he's been unable to get through five innings in his other six outings. Still winless on the season, Paddack won't be a recommended fantasy option when he takes a 7.63 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 27:10 over 30.2 frames into his next scheduled outing versus the division-rival Nationals.

Luzardo (3-3) earned the win Sunday against the Marlins, allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks in 6.1 innings. He struck out 10.

The hard-throwing left-hander worked aggressively Sunday, tallying double-digit strikeouts for the second time this year while throwing 66 of his 102 pitches for strikes. Although the eight hits allowed were his second most of the year, Luzardo also registered an impressive 16 whiffs on the afternoon. He's been inconsistent overall in 2026, as evidenced by a 5.09 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 40.2 frames, but Luzardo is set to carry a stellar 51:9 K:BB into a favorable home matchup versus the Rockies his next time out.