MLB Player News

Johnson (2-3) picked up the win in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning victory over the Reds, striking out one in 1.1 perfect relief innings.

The right-hander was viewed as a potential closer candidate for the final two months of the season if Raisel Iglesias got dealt, but with Iglesias still in Atlanta after the trade deadline, Johnson will remain in a setup role. He put an impressive July in the books during which he posted a 0.75 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB over 12 innings while notching one win and three holds in 12 appearances.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning win over the Reds.

The veteran designated hitter was widely expected to get shipped out by Atlanta at the trade deadline, but the deadline came and went without a deal in place to send Ozuna to a contender. He's started four straight games -- three against left-handers and one against a righty -- and even hit cleanup Thursday, going 4-for-13 with two home runs, six RBI and a 6:1 BB:K during that span. However, his .235/.365/.399 slash line on the season and the remaining money on his $16 million salary for 2025 was apparently enough to deter teams from submitting a trade offer that Atlanta found palatable. With no reason to showcase the 34-year-old any further, Ozuna could slip back into a bench role while catchers Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy get more work at designated hitter the rest of the way.

Murphy went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning win over the Reds.

Getting the start behind the plate and batting sixth, Murphy had a perfect night as part of a 13-hit barrage from Atlanta. The veteran catcher got regular playing time in July as both he and rookie Drake Baldwin saw plenty of action at DH, but the fact that Marcell Ozuna remains on the roster after the trade deadline will likely cost Murphy at-bats over the final two months of the campaign. Over 82 plate appearances in July, Murphy slashed .250/.366/.559 with six doubles, five homers, 12 runs and 15 RBI.

Albies went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning win over the Reds.

The second baseman led a 13-hit attack for Atlanta, scoring multiple runs in a game for the first time since May 29. Albies is on pace for the worst season of his career, but he's shown signs of life at the plate since the All-Star break, slashing .289/.411/.467 over the last 13 contests with two doubles, two homers, two steals, eight runs, 13 RBI and a strong 10:10 BB:K.

The Marlins are expected to select Marsee's contract from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Miami traded Jesus Sanchez to Houston ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, opening up a roster spot for Marsee to receive his first look in the majors. The 24-year-old has been one of the hottest hitters in the International League over the last six weeks or so, slashing .313/.419/.611 in his last 40 games with 11 homers, 13 steals and more walks (27) than strikeouts (25).

Sasaki (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The rookie right-hander began throwing bullpens in mid-July and has progressed enough to move onto the next step in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement. This will be Sasaki's first time facing live hitters since he landed on the injured list in mid-May. It's expected that Sasaki will need to make at least three minor-league rehab outings before he's ready to be activated from the IL, so the earliest he's likely to return to the Dodgers is late August.

De La Cruz went 3-for-6 with a home run, three total RBI and an additional run scored in Thursday's 12-11 loss to Atlanta in 10 innings.

De La Cruz extended Cincinnati's lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a two-run blast off Carlos Carrasco, his 19th homer of the year and first in 31 games. Despite the power drought, De La Cruz has been productive at the plate of late, going 12-for-30 (.400) over his last seven contests. Overall, the shortstop is slashing .285/.363/.489 with 72 RBI, 80 runs scored and 29 steals across 474 plate appearances this season.

Hayes went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in Thursday's 12-11 loss to Atlanta.

After homering just once in 392 plate appearances with the Pirates this year, Hayes went deep in his first game with the Reds, kick-starting Cincinnati's rally in an eight-run eighth inning. Hayes, whose previous homer came June 10, is slashing .235/.278/.297 with 39 RBI, 35 runs scored and 10 stolen bases this season. While Hayes plays excellent defense at third base, he could find himself in a part-time role after the Reds made another trade for Miguel Andujar on Thursday.

Iglesias earned the save in Thursday's 12-11 win over the Reds in 10 innings. He struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Iglesias was seen as a likely trade candidate, though he ultimately remained with Atlanta following Thursday's deadline. Brought in to protect a one-run lead in the 10th inning, Iglesias set the Reds down in order, locking down his 13th save in 18 chances this season. After a shaky start to the year, Iglesias has now held opponents scoreless in 19 of his last 21 appearances. His ERA sits at 4.74 with a 1.15 WHIP and 48:10 K:BB across 43.2 innings.

Brown is no longer listed as the Cubs' probable starter for Saturday's game against the Orioles,Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.

Brown was originally scheduled to make a second straight turn through the rotation this weekend, but the Cubs are now listing Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea as their three starters for the series versus Baltimore. The shakeup in the pitching schedule comes after the Cubs acquired another starter Wednesday in Michael Soroka, whose arrival presumably bumps Brown out of the rotation. It's unclear if Brown will stick on the 26-man active roster as a reliever, or if he will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to continue to stay stretched out as a starter.