MLB Player News

Hassell went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Making his return to the majors Friday, Hassell wasn't in the starting nine but made a quick impact after pinch hitting for Jacob Young in the eighth inning. With Daylen Lile staying productive in right field, Hassell may have to settle for a bench role during his latest stint with the Nats, especially once Dylan Crews (oblique) gets healthy.

Lile went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Robert Hassell got called back up Friday to replace Alex Call on the big-league roster, but it was Lile who got the start in right field against southpaw Jose Quintana. The 22-year-old outfielder has stayed productive since the All-Star break to help him maintain a consistent spot in the lineup, slashing .279/.327/.512 over his last 12 games with four doubles, three triples, a steal, eight runs and eight RBI. Regardless of how Lile and Hassell divide the playing time in right in the short term, they will eventually cede the job to Dylan Crews (oblique), who began a rehab stint with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Pham is not in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Rockies on Saturday.

Pham will begin Saturday's game on the bench while Alexander Canario, Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds start in the outfield from left to right. Pham is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, and over that span he has gone 16-for-38 (.421) with four doubles, one triple and four RBI.

Hill (finger) will begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Hill landed on the 10-day IL on July 22 after spraining his left middle finger during a session in the batting cage. Hill may only need a couple of rehab outings before returning to the majors, but that will depend on how his injury reacts to increased activity. He has a slash line of .211/.276/.322 with six steals, two home runs and seven RBI over 100 plate appearances this season.

Sheehan is expected to be part of the Dodgers' six-man rotation moving forward and is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Cardinals, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Even with Blake Snell (shoulder) scheduled to return from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday against the Rays, Sheehan will move into the rotation after Los Angeles cleared another spot by trading Dustin May to the Red Sox on Thursday. In his most recent appearance Wednesday against the Reds, Sheehan worked in relief behind Shohei Ohtani, but Sheehan still covered 3.2 innings and tossed 72 pitches to keep himself stretched out for a starting role. Since making his 2025 Dodgers debut June 18 after completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Sheehan has turned in a 3.60 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB in 25 innings over six appearances (four starts).

Diaz (5-1) took the loss Friday as the Mets fell to the Giants, giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in the 10th inning. He struck out one.

New York forced an extra inning with a rally in the eighth inning, but Diaz couldn't prevent the phantom runner from crossing the plate in the top of the 10th. The Mets added former Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley to their bullpen at the trade deadline to fill a setup role, but Diaz remains entrenched in the top job -- he hasn't been tagged for an earned run since June 2, delivering a 0.82 ERA and 26:9 K:BB over his last 18.1 innings along with an unsullied ERA.

Helsley gave up two hits and struck out three in a scoreless ninth inning during Friday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.

Acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, Helsley was impressive in his Mets debut, with seven of his 16 pitches (14 strikes) topping 100 mph. The right-hander will immediately slot in as the top setup man in front of closer Edwin Diaz, and while Helsley had a shaky start to his 2025 campaign, he's been in elite form over the last six weeks or so, posting a 0.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over his last 12 innings.

Soto went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Friday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.

The 26-year-old superstar sat out Wednesday's game before a team off day Thursday to heal up after fouling a ball off his foot, but Soto looked no worse for wear in his return to the lineup Friday, swiping his 16th bag of the season in the eighth inning as the Mets rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Soto continues to add to a new career high in pilfers, but he's struggled to find his form at the plate coming out of the All-Star break, slashing .140/.275/.302 over his last 12 games.

Swanson is not in the Cubs' starting lineup against the Orioles on Saturday.

Swanson will begin Saturday's game on the bench after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Friday's series opener. Nico Hoerner will shift over to shortstop and newcomer Willi Castro will draw the start at second base.

Kelly is not in the Cubs' starting lineup against the Orioles on Saturday.

Kelly will take a seat after going 2-for-3 with a run in Friday's 1-0 win over Baltimore. Reese McGuire will serve behind home plate and bat eighth.