MLB Player News

With top prospect Owen Caissie expected to make his MLB debut Thursday, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com, Happ and other Chicago outfielders may be more crunched for regular playing time.

Chicago already has a fairly crowded outfield with Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker playing most days left to right, and regular DH Seiya Suzuki also capable of filling a corner spot. The addition of Caissie is likely an attempt to jumpstart a Cubs' offense that has been struggling lately, and the top prospect figures to take playing time away from any of the current outfielders who are slumping or could use a break. Happ has the lowest season-long OPS of the aforementioned quartet, and he's slashing just .222/.310/.361 this month. It remains to be seen how Chicago divvies up playing time moving forward, but it makes sense to think that the 31-year-old Happ could see more rest days during the stretch run.

Dollander is slated to start Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Following a month-long stay in the minors, Dollander made his return to the big leagues Monday, joining the rotation as the team's new No. 5 starter in place of Anthony Molina. The rookie right-hander delivered an excellent performance in a no-decision on the road against the Cardinals, striking out five and allowing one run on five hits and three walks over five innings. He showcased premium velocity in the start, registering at least 98 miles per hour on 45 of his 60 strikes across 92 total pitches. Even after the impressive showing in St. Louis, Dollander still owns a 6.35 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 57:36 K:BB in 73.2 innings. The 23-year-old doesn't yet profile as a reliable fantasy option, especially heading into his next start in hitter-friendly Colorado.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI and two walks in a loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Smith helped the Dodgers get off to a fast start with a two-run home run in the first inning. He added another RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, but the backstop's production wasn't enough to prevent his team from getting swept in the season series. The good news for Smith is that he appears to be getting his swing back; since gong 0-for-13 during a four-game hitless streak from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10, the All-Star catcher has gone 3-for-8 with two walks across his subsequent three games.

Ohtani allowed four runs on five hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Wednesday. He also went 1-for-4 with a triple, a run and a walk as a hitter.

Ohtani took the mound for the first time in his career against the Angels, with whom he played his first six big-league campaigns. The two-way star again showed flashes of brilliance on the bump, racking up 14 whiffs and seven punchouts while throwing 50 of 80 pitches for strikes. The pitch count itself was noteworthy -- It was by far his highest this season, exceeding the 54 pitches he threw against St. Louis in his previous outing. Wednesday also marked the first time Ohtani has pitched into the fifth frame this year, though he may have run out of gas late, as the final three batters he faced got a hit against him, culminating in a two-run double off the bat of Zach Neto. While that marred Ohtani's final line, the bigger picture is that he would have been allowed to finish five frames had the Angels not strung together the trio of hits to end his night. With that in mind, Ohtani seems to be at the point where he'll be allowed to pitch deep enough into games to qualify for wins, which should further boost his already robust fantasy appeal.

Soto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and a walk Wednesday in a loss to Atlanta.

Soto helped the Mets get off to a fast start with a 407-foot, two-run blast to center field in the second inning. It was the veteran outfielder's fourth homer during his current six-game hitting streak. The power surge has pushed Soto up to 29 long balls on the season, fourth most in the National League. When he hits his next homer, Soto will secure his third straight campaign of at least 30 round-trippers.

Harris went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 11-6 victory versus the Mets.

After falling behind by six runs early, Atlanta stormed back with a nine-run fourth inning. The capper on that big frame was Harris' grand slam to center field that gave his team its first lead. Harris recorded his fifth straight multi-hit game, and over that span he's batting .476 (10-for-21) with three homers and eight RBI. It's a continuation of what has been a resurgent second half for the outfielder -- since the All-Star break, he's slashing a robust .366/.385/.693 with seven home runs, 15 RBI, 17 runs scored and one stolen base over 25 contests.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two total runs and three total RBI in an 11-6 win against the Mets on Wednesday.

The Mets raced out to an early 6-0 lead, but Atlanta came back with a nine-run fourth frame that included Ozuna's RBI single. The veteran slugger tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth with a home run to left field. Ozuna took a hit to his playing time just after the All-Star break, but he's responded loudly by batting .302 with seven homers, 17 RBI and 12 runs over 14 games since July 28. As a result, he's back to being a lineup regular, staring seven of Atlanta's past eight contests.

Peterson pitched 3.1 innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing six runs on five hits and five walks while striking out five batters.

The Mets staked Peterson to a 6-0 lead through two innings, but it didn't take long for the lefty to give all those runs back. He got through three scoreless frames before completely imploding in the fourth, allowing six of the seven batters he faced in that inning to reach base, including four by walk. All six of those hitters came around to score, resulting in a season-worst run total by Peterson. The five free passes also tied a season-high mark, and the 3.1 frames were the fewest Peterson has completed in an outing this year. After giving up two or fewer runs in five consecutive starts from July 3 to Aug. 1, Peterson has now yielded 10 earned runs over 9.1 innings across his past two appearances.

Carrasco allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two batters over two innings in a no-decision against the Mets on Wednesday.

Facing the team he pitched for from 2021 to 2023, Carrasco was unable to reach the third frame. The Mets got to him for three runs in each of the first two innings, with the biggest blow being a Juan Soto two-run homer. Carrasco needed 67 pitches -- only 36 of which were strikes -- to retire six batters, and he gave up four extra-base hits. After notching a quality start against the Reds in his Atlanta debut July 31, the veteran righty has surrendered 12 runs over 7.2 innings in his subsequent two outings. His season ERA now stands at 7.09 across 45.2 frames between Atlanta and the Yankees, and it's fair to wonder how much the 38-year-old has left in the tank.

Goodman went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Goodman began the game on the bench but pinch hit in the ninth inning with the Rockies down by one. He delivered his 24th home run of the season to put Colorado up for good, and he now has seven home runs across 20 games since the All-Star break. Goodman is in the midst of a breakout campaign, as he now owns a .251 ISO and .362 wOBA across 427 plate appearances.