MLB Player News

Romero allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Monday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.

Romero has now picked up the Cardinals' first two saves since the team shipped Ryan Helsley to the Mets. This one wasn't a particularly pretty performance, but it was an improvement after he gave up a run during his first save Saturday versus the Padres. Romero had a rough early portion of the season, but he posted a 0.36 ERA and 28:8 K:BB from May to July before this recent shaky patch. He's at a 2.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 36:17 K:BB through 37.2 innings, and even if he isn't a full-time closer, he should still maintain high-leverage work after logging 16 holds earlier in the campaign.

Gray allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out eight over seven innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Monday.

Gray brought one of his best outings of the season, with only a Freddie Freeman solo shot in the fourth inning marring his line. This was a positive sign, as Gray allowed 26 runs (24 earned) over 27.2 innings across his six starts in July, including a pair of 11-hit outings, though his 32:3 K:BB last month suggests a bit of misfortune was in the mix. He's now at a 4.21 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 141:21 K:BB through 128.1 innings across 23 starts this season. Gray's next start is expected to be another tough one this weekend at home versus the Cubs.

Gordon (2-4) allowed seven runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out one batter over 2.2 innings to take the loss against Toronto on Monday.

Gordon struggled from the outset, giving up a run on three hits in the first inning. That frame was just the beginning of a rough outing for the right-hander; he gave up another run in the second and then had the bottom fall out in the third, when Toronto tagged him for six hits (three of which went for extra bases) while putting five more runs on his ledger. Gordon unsurprisingly didn't survive that inning, as he was pulled with two outs after 67 pitches. Gordon posted a respectable 3.13 ERA through his first four MLB appearances this season, but that number has ballooned to 6.59 following back-to back ugly starts during which he's surrendered a combined 14 runs (13 earned) across just 5.2 frames.

Thomas went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 win over the Padres.

Thomas has opened August hot, going 9-for-15 (.600) over the first four games of the month. He had just two multi-hit efforts in all of July. The outfielder has gone deep three times in his last six games and is up to eight homers on the year. He's added a .260/.308/.401 slash line with 30 RBI, 38 runs scored, five stolen bases, 13 doubles and two triples over 97 contests. Monday's performance moved his OPS over .700 for the first time since June 11.

Locklear went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 win over the Padres.

Locklear has started four straight games at first base for Arizona since he was acquired from Seattle in the Eugenio Suarez deal last week. The Diamondbacks' sell-off at the deadline suggests a pivot toward evaluating for 2026, and getting a prospect like Locklear some significant playing time is a factor in that. In addition to his homer, he's added a stolen base and a 2:5 BB:K in his time with Arizona so far. He may face a challenge for playing time once Pavin Smith (oblique) returns from the injured list.

Backhus allowed a hit and struck out two without walking a batter over two innings to earn the save in Monday's 6-2 win over the Padres.

Backhus entered the game in the eighth inning when Arizona was up 5-2, and he got a little insurance from his teammates before staying in for the ninth. Backhus was one of three relievers available who hadn't pitched on either of the last two days, so his staying in for a two-inning save was likely a bit of bullpen management by manager Torey Lovullo. The Diamondbacks' bullpen has lost a number of closer candidates, but Backhus is not expected to be at the top of the list -- Kendall Graveman and Jalen Beeks are the current favorites for saves following Kevin Ginkel's (shoulder) placement on the injured list Monday. Overall, Backhus has an underwhelming 3.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 14.1 innings while adding five holds as a 27-year-old rookie this season.

Pfaadt (11-7) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Padres on Monday.

Pfaadt was effective at limiting the damage, bouncing back after giving up three home runs in a seven-run meltdown versus the Tigers in his last start. While he kept the ball in the yard this time, the three walks matched his season high, which he's now done three times. The right-hander has a 5.02 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 102:28 K:BB through 122 innings over 23 starts this season. He's still prone to the occasional disaster outing, but he's been fairly steady since mid-June. Pfaadt's next start is projected to be at home versus the Rockies this weekend.

Sears (7-10) allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings to take the loss versus the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Sears' debut for the Padres wasn't pretty, as the Diamondbacks were able to plate at least one run in each of the first four innings. The southpaw has allowed 19 runs (17 earned) across his last five starts (23.1 innings). Overall, he has a 5.12 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 101:30 K:BB through 116 innings across 23 starts between the Athletics and Padres. Sears' first home outing for the Padres is expected to be this weekend against the Red Sox.

Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday in a 3-2 win against the Cubs.

Stephenson got the scoring started in the contest with a 389-foot solo shot in the second inning, giving him nine long balls on the campaign. The backstop has reached base in nine of his past 17 plate appearances, including six times via walk. Stephenson has a solid 11.7 percent walk rate on the season, though he's also posted an ugly 34.7 percent strikeout rate.

Borucki threw 1.2 scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner and striking out two Monday against the Giants.

The Pirates' bullpen was taxed after a short start from Johan Oviedo, and Borucki was relied upon for key innings late in the game. He delivered a strong performance in his first appearance since being activated from the injured list Friday and could be used in a setup role or other high-leverage spots to close the season.