MLB Player News

De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Giants.

De La Cruz continued his recent surge, taking Tyler Mahle deep for a 442-foot solo shot in the fourth inning for his sixth home run of the season. It was also the 24-year-old's third homer in his last five games, a stretch in which he's gone 8-for-19 with five RBI. The dynamic shortstop appears to be settling into a groove at the plate after a somewhat uneven start.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Bogaerts got the Padres on the board with his blast off Emerson Hancock in the sixth inning. The shortstop has hit safely in eight of the last nine games, and five of his efforts in that span have included multiple hits. He's also clubbed all three of his homers this season during that hot stretch. Bogaerts is batting .284 with a .790 OPS, 13 RBI, five runs scored, two doubles and two stolen bases over 17 contests.

Stewart went 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in Wednesday's win over the Giants.

Stewart delivered the biggest game of his young career, launching two three-run homers in the first two innings to put Cincinnati firmly in control. His first long ball gave the Reds an immediate lead in the first, and he followed it up an inning later with another three-run shot off Tyler Mahle to break the game open. It was Stewart's first career multi-homer game, and his six RBI set a career high. The 22-year-old continues to be one of baseball's breakout stars early on, batting .323 while ranking near the top of the league in home runs (seven), slugging percentage (.726) and OPS (1.160) through 18 games.

Vasquez allowed four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six over four innings in a no-decision Wednesday versus the Mariners.

Vasquez hadn't allowed more than a single run in any of his first three starts, but the Mariners got to him early Wednesday. Dominic Canzone hit a two-run double in the second inning and Brendan Donovan added a two-run single in the fourth. This was an inefficient showing for Vasquez, who threw just 45 of 85 pitches for strikes. Even with the shaky work in this outing, he's at a 2.49 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 25:8 K:BB across 21.2 innings through his first four outings this year. He's tentatively lined up to make his next start at Colorado.

Mahle (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Reds, allowing eight runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out six over four innings.

The right-hander was in trouble from the jump, serving up back-to-back homers in the first inning, including a three-run shot to Sal Stewart. Stewart took him deep again an inning later for another three-run blast, and Elly De La Cruz added Cincinnati's fourth homer of the night in the fourth to cap the damage. The outing surprisingly could have been even worse, as Mahle managed to strand runners in scoring position in multiple innings despite all the traffic. It's now the second time in his first four starts that he's allowed at least eight hits and five runs, and his season line has ballooned to a 7.23 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB across 18.2 innings. It will be a tall task to rebound from Wednesday's performance as a difficult matchup against the Dodgers awaits Mahle next week.

McCarthy went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base Wednesday against the Astros.

McCarthy began the season as Colorado's primary left fielder against right-handed pitching. However, he's been in the lineup for just four of Colorado's last eight games and has hit only .171 with three RBI and one run scored across 43 plate appearances this year. However, McCarthy has been aggressive on the basepaths when he's reached, logging five stolen bases on six attempts.

Jones (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Pitching coach Bill Murphy reported that Jones looked "amazing," though the team didn't release specific details about the session. Jones is expected to throw a few more live bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment, and he continues to line up for a return in late May.

O'Hearn went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Nationals.

O'Hearn managed his sixth multi-hit performance across 17 games to begin the season, and his second in his last four contests. He also recorded his first stolen base of the year. O'Hearn has had a strong start to his first campaign in Pittsburgh, hitting .333 with nine runs scored, 13 RBI and three home runs.

Lowder (2-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Giants, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Lowder ran into trouble in the second inning, allowing three straight baserunners, capped by a two-run double from Daniel Susac, but Lowder settled in well after that, tossing four straight scoreless frames. The 24-year-old found himself running into traffic again in the seventh, when he exited with runners at the corners, and one inherited runner later came around to score. Despite the late blemish, Lowder delivered another strong outing and has now posted quality starts in two of his last three appearances. Through 23 innings, the right-hander owns a 3.52 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 15:7 K:BB, with a road matchup against Tampa Bay on deck.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Wednesday against the Nationals.

Ozuna drove in one of Pittsburgh's two runs with a single in the first inning. That extended his hitting streak to three games and continued some needed improvement, as he had only two hits across his first 39 at-bats of the year. During his modest three-game hit streak, Ozuna has one double, two RBI and a run scored.