MLB Player News

Ray did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Rays, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings.

Ray's only blemish came when Junior Caminero led off the fourth inning with a solo homer. The left-hander has now held opponents to two or fewer runs in four of his five starts since joining the Padres, posting a 3.42 ERA during that span, though his control remains a concern with a 5.5 BB/9. Through 149 innings this season, Ray owns a 3.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 126:73 K:BB. His next start is scheduled to be against the Yankees on Saturday.

De La Cruz (quadriceps) has a chance to play Monday against the Padres, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

De La Cruz exited Sunday's 7-5 win over the Cubs in the seventh inning with left quad tightness, but manager Terry Francona wasn't overly concerned following the game. The skipper said that he doesn't believe the injury is very bad, and he outlined that De La Cruz could be in the lineup for Monday's series opener with San Diego. The shortstop will undergo an evaluation Monday before any decision is made as to his availability, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, but De La Cruz appears to have avoided a significant injury and can be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Realmuto went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Angels.

Realmuto got the Phillies on the board with a solo homer to left-center field in the third inning. The veteran catcher has had a quiet August, slashing .221/.284/.351 with two homers, eight RBI and 14 runs across 22 games in the month. Overall, Realmuto is hitting .224/.299/.362 with 10 homers, 45 RBI, 45 runs and three stolen bases in 102 contests.

Happ went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Reds.

Happ recorded his fourth multi-hit performance in his last nine games, and during that stretch, he's batting .323 with three home runs, eight runs scored and 10 RBI. Overall, Happ is sporting a .750 OPS with 23 long balls, 61 RBI and 80 runs scored this season. The 32-year-old remains a steady performer for fantasy managers, as he rarely misses games and delivers similar offensive production every year.

Kerkering picked up the save Sunday against the Angels. He allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings.

Kerkering recorded the final out of the eighth inning before surrendering a run in the ninth frame, though the Phillies had built enough of a lead for him to secure his second save. Jhoan Duran, who owns a 1.64 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 28 saves, pitched two innings Saturday and was potentially unavailable Sunday. Kerkering has operated as one of Philadelphia's top right-handed relievers, posting a 3.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 56:27 K:BB and 16 holds across 53 innings this season.

Wheeler (11-5) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out six.

Wheeler worked out of a first-inning jam while allowing just one run before settling in for five scoreless frames. It was a much-needed rebound performance for the right-hander, who was pummeled for eight runs last time out against Seattle and entered Sunday with a 7.59 ERA and 1.88 WHIP across 21.1 innings over his previous five starts. Overall, Wheeler owns a 3.31 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 154:41 K:BB across 130.1 innings (23 starts) and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Saturday against Atlanta.

Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Reds.

A night after going deep three times, Crow-Armstrong led off Sunday's contest with his 37th home run of the season, and he added his 38th long ball in the ninth inning for good measure. That's already a new career best for the 24-year-old superstar, and with 32 stolen bases this year as well, he could be approaching his first 40-40 campaign. Crow-Armstrong's stellar performance has positioned him as a top contender for National League MVP, with Shohei Ohtani looming as his likely top competition for the award. Crow-Armstrong has been particularly dynamic in August with 14 home runs and a 1.098 OPS in 27 games this month.

De La Cruz exited Sunday night's contest against the Cubs in the seventh inning with left quadriceps tightness.

De La Cruz struck out in his final at-bat of the game in the top of the seventh inning, and it's possible that he suffered the quad injury in the process. The shortstop finished his night 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two punchouts, and he was replaced in the field by Ivan Johnson to open the bottom of the seventh frame. De La Cruz dealt with quad issues down the stretch in 2025, and more information on his status will likely be provided following Sunday's contest.

The Cardinals are expected to promote Bernal from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Bernal will make the jump to the major-league level after slashing .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs and nine stolen bases over 101 contests with Memphis this season. The 22-year-old has played primarily behind the plate, but he has also seen some exposure to first base and designated hitter during his time at Triple-A.

Pivetta (forearm) struck out seven and allowed two hits and one walk over 4.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Pivetta took a step up in competition Sunday after he made the first two starts of his rehab assignment with Single-A Elsinore. The right-hander had no trouble against the Triple-A competition, tossing 44 of 64 total pitches for strikes over his scoreless outing while sitting around 93 mph with his fastball for most of the game. Pivetta -- who has been on the shelf since April 14 while recovering from a right flexor strain -- will presumably need one more rehab start before rejoining the San Diego rotation.