MLB Player News
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Aaron Nola SP | PHI
Phillies' Aaron Nola: Builds up to 84 pitches Tuesday
Nola (ankle/rib) made his third rehab start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out 11.
Perhaps more importantly than piling up 11 punchouts, Nola was able to stretch out to 84 pitches Tuesday in what may have been his final rehab outing before rejoining the Phillies. The veteran right-hander has worked to a 2.19 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB across 12.1 innings in the minor leagues. If Philadelphia decides Nola is ready to be activated from the injured list, he could start as soon as Sunday's series finale in Washington against the division-rival Nationals.
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Brandon Nimmo RF | TEX
Mets' Brandon Nimmo: Breaks out of slump with homer
Nimmo went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 13-5 win over Atlanta.
It was the 20th round tripper of the year for Nimmo, who had entered the day in quite a slump. He was 4-for-31 (.129) with zero extra-base hits to open the month prior to Tuesday, and the long ball was his first since July 23 versus the Angels. The veteran outfielder is still slashing a healthy .266/.346/.455 with 11 homers, 11 doubles, 37 RBI and 11 stolen bases over his last 264 plate appearances (61 games), and Nimmo remains locked into an everyday role in left field.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Season-best showing in rout
Alvarez went 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 13-5 win over Atlanta.
It was the first multi-homer game of the season for Alvarez, who matched a season high in hits and set a season high in RBI in the process. After being demoted to the minor leagues for about a month of action, the slugging backstop seems to have discovered a rhythm at the dish. Alvarez is slashing .304/.418/.630 with eight extra-base hits and eight RBI covering his last 55 plate appearances (16 games), so he's worth considering in deeper fantasy leagues and two-catcher formats.
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Pete Alonso 1B | BAL
Mets' Pete Alonso: Makes history in easy victory
Alonso went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 13-5 win over Atlanta.
It was a record-setting night for the All-Star first baseman, who passed Darryl Strawberry for the most home runs in Mets franchise history, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. After posting a miserable .548 OPS in the month of July, Alonso is heating back up in August. He's hitting .350 with six long balls, four doubles and 15 RBI across his first 40 at-bats of the month to bring his OPS to .880 for the season.
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Brice Turang 2B | MIL
Brewers' Brice Turang: Nursing finger injury
Turang was removed from Tuesday's game against the Pirates due to a pinky injury, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Manager Pat Murphy said after the game that Turang's finger was giving him trouble before Tuesday's contest. However, it seems the Platinum Glover's removal in the seventh inning had more to do with the fact that the Brewers were already leading 12-0 at that point. Because he was able to play through his injury Tuesday and hit a home run off Paul Skenes in the process -- Turang's fourth homer in five games -- the 25-year-old may be able to stick in the lineup when the Brewers go for the series sweep Wednesday.
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Ben Brown RP | CHC
Cubs' Ben Brown: Solid in relief Tuesday
Brown allowed one run on four hits and a walk across four innings of relief in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
Brown was originally expected to start Tuesday's contest, but it was Javier Assad (oblique) who ended up with that honor in his season debut. Assad allowed four runs on eight hits in his four innings of work, with Brown looking sharper in long relief. Even with Brown turning in a good performance, his opportunity as a starter this year may have run its course, as Assad is now healthy and Jameson Taillon (calf) is expected back from the injured list soon. Brown will likely settle into a bullpen role with the Cubs getting healthier in their rotation.
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Clay Holmes RP | NYM
Mets' Clay Holmes: Labors in no-decision
Holmes took a no-decision Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing five runs on six hits and five walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out four.
It was a laborious outing for Holmes, who fell one walk shy of matching his season high and couldn't get through four innings despite throwing 85 pitches. The five runs allowed also established a season worst, and the former reliever is showing signs of fatigue late in his first full campaign as a starter. Holmes is now up to a career-high 126 innings, which is nearly double his previous career high, and he has a 5.45 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 26:17 K:BB across 38 frames since the start of July. He's tentatively scheduled to take the ball this weekend versus the Mariners.
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Spencer Strider SP | ATL
Braves' Spencer Strider: Hammered by Mets for eight runs
Strider (5-10) took the loss Tuesday against the Mets, allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out two.
After getting knocked around for a season-high 11 hits allowed in his last start, Strider was hammered for a season-worst eight runs Tuesday. The two punchouts were also a season low for the hard-throwing right-hander, who has now been tagged for 13 runs on 19 hits over his past two outings. Strider has a 5.79 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 43:15 K:BB covering 37.1 innings since the beginning of July, so he'll be aiming to rediscover his form his next time out in Cleveland this weekend.
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Javier Assad RP | CHC
Cubs' Javier Assad: Poor showing in season debut
Assad (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against Toronto, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk in four innings. He struck out two.
Assad struggled in his season debut, and most of the damage was done courtesy of an Ernie Clement three-run home run in the fourth inning. The right-hander threw just 70 pitches in his first start off the 60-day injured list due to an oblique injury, so he still has some building up to do after tossing 68 pitches in his final rehab start for Triple-A Iowa. That said, Assad won't be a recommended streaming option as he aims to extend his pitch count next week versus the first-place Brewers.
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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Suffers bruised foot
Contreras was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rockies with a right foot contusion, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Contreras took a pitch off his foot in the fourth inning before being replaced on defense to start the sixth. The fact that the Cardinals are calling his injury a bruise suggests the 33-year-old didn't suffer any structural damage, though he may still sit out Wednesday's series finale as a precaution.