MLB Player News

Freeman went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks Wednesday in a loss to Cincinnati.

Prior to Wednesday, Freeman had gone 23 games without a homer. He snapped that drought in the fourth inning against Reds hurler Nick Martinez, bashing a two-run shot to account for Los Angeles' only runs of the game. Freeman has reached base safely in eight of his past nine contests and is slashing .343/.425/.457 with seven RBI during that span.

Sheehan (2-2) took the loss against the Reds on Wednesday, allowing three unearned runs on one hit and three walks while striking out five batters over 3.2 innings.

Shohei Ohtani (lower body) started and completed three innings, and after Anthony Banda took over for one frame, Sheehan entered in the fifth. The right-hander breezed through three scoreless innings before a pair of walks got him into trouble in the eighth. Sheehan almost got out of the inning, but Andy Pages dropped a foul ball that could have been the third out, and Cincinnati went on to score three times. Despite taking the loss, Sheehan impressed, racking up 15 whiffs on his 72 pitches and notching five punchouts. The Dodgers are still figuring out their rotation with Blake Snell (shoulder) set to return Saturday, but that may not keep Sheehan from working as a starter moving forward, as the team is using a six-man rotation and Dustin May is headed to the bullpen, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Wentz adjusted the grip on his cutter last month, which he says has fueled his recent form, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old southpaw struggled earlier in the season for the Pirates and Twins, but since Atlanta claimed him off the waiver wire July 11, Wentz has delivered a 1.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB over 18 innings and four appearances (three starts). "Joey's been great," manager Brian Snitker said after Wednesday's game, in which Wentz blanked the Royals over 6.2 innings. "It's just been about getting him stretched out, and now he is. He's just kind of quietly doing a really, really good job for us. And we're in a situation because we were looking for starters." Wentz's mediocre big-league track record still outweighs his July numbers, but if his cutter has become a true out pitch, he might finally begin to live up to his draft pedigree after being the 40th overall selection in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.

The Padres acquired Sears and Mason Miller from the Athletics on Thursday in exchange for Leo De Vries and three pitchers, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Sears has posted a 4.95 ERA and 97:29 K:BB over 111 innings covering 22 starts this season for the Athletics and comes with team control through the 2028 campaign. With Sears supplementing their rotation, the Padres could now be more motivated to trade Dylan Cease to enhance their roster elsewhere.

The Padres acquired Miller and JP Sears from the Athletics on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports, in exchange for shortstop Leo De Vries and three right-handed pitchers -- Braden Nett Eduarniel Nunez and Henry Baez.

De Vries is the headliner going to the Athletics, and the Padres will send three pitchers to the A's, as well. With Miller poised to take over as the Padres' closer, incumbent closer Robert Suarez is expected to be traded. Miller has collected a 3.76 ERA and 59:18 K:BB over 38.1 innings this season for the Athletics and is under team control through 2029.

Smith went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Pirates.

Smith tallied two of the Giants' six hits and delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning. The first baseman has seen a slight dip in playing time since the All-Star break, logging a plate appearance in five of San Francisco's 12 games in that stretch. During that span, he's slashing .412/.500/.471 with two RBI, two runs scored and a double across 20 plate appearances.

Walker (2-4) took the loss in Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning defeat to the Pirates, allowing one unearned run and a walk in the 10th inning.

Walker induced a groundout that moved the automatic runner to third before walking the next batter. The 29-year-old then cleanly fielded a groundball but attempted a double play, allowing the automatic runner to score. Over six appearances since the All-Star break, the right-hander has been charged with three earned runs on seven hits -- including one home run -- and four walks while striking out eight across 6.1 innings. Walker now owns a 4.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 43:13 K:BB over 43.2 innings in 47 outings this season.

The Diamondbacks plan to deploy Locklear as their primary starting first baseman after acquiring him in a trade with the Mariners on Wednesday, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.

Pavin Smith (oblique) should return from the 10-day injured list sometime in August, but he could remain mostly at designated hitter while Locklear receives an opportunity to become the Diamondbacks' long-term answer at first base. Locklear struggled during his cup of coffee in the majors last season but has slashed .316/.401/.542 with 19 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 434 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma this season.

Graceffo "looks to be an early contender" to serve as the Cardinals' closer if Phil Maton joins Ryan Helsley in being traded, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Woo mentions Kyle Leahy and Riley O'Brien as possibilities, as well. JoJo Romero would likely also be in the mix, but he is a candidate to be traded. Since moving to a full-time bullpen role in late April, Graceffo has collected a 2.89 ERA and 44:11 K:BB over 43.2 innings between Triple-A Memphis and St. Louis.

Brown is listed as the Cubs' probable starting pitcher for Saturday's game against the Orioles at Wrigley Field.

Brown will make his second straight turn through the Chicago rotation after he delivered an impressive start his last time out Sunday, when he earned a win while limiting the White Sox to one earned run on three hits and no walks over five innings. Though most of his underlying ratios suggest that he's pitched far better than the 6.22 ERA he's posted over 88.1 innings in the majors this season, Brown could find himself back in the bullpen or at Triple-A Iowa following Saturday's start, regardless of how he performs. The Cubs acquired Michael Soroka from the Nationals on Wednesday, and he's expected to replace Brown at the back end of the rotation.