MLB Player News

Murphy went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Angels.

Murphy struck out in his other three plate appearances, but he made his one hit count as he took the first pitch of the at-bat from Ryan Zeferjahn deep to left-center field for a three-run homer in the sixth. Murphy has a home run in each of his last three starts, and his 12 home runs this season is tied with Shea Langeliers for fourth most among major-league catchers.

Olson went 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Angels.

Olson blew the game wide open for Atlanta in the sixth, when he took Ryan Zeferjahn deep to right field for a 358-foot grand slam, the ninth of his career. Wednesday marked Olson's 16th multi-hit game of the season, five of which have come in the midst of his current nine-game hitting streak. Over that span, he has gone 15-for-38 (.395) with four doubles, one home run and seven RBI.

Fuentes did not factor into Wednesday's decision against the Angels, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six across 3.2 innings.

Fuentes put Atlanta behind early, as he yielded a two-run single to Jo Adell in the first. Fuentes kept the Halos off the board for the rest of his outing, and he managed to generate 10 whiffs and log a season-high six punchouts while pushing his pitch count up to 92 pitches (52 strikes). Fuentes has not made it through four innings in each of his last two outings and has given up 12 runs over his first 12 big-league innings. He's adjusting to major-league hitting, but his call-up from Triple-A Gwinnett was out of necessity with four Atlanta starters on the injured list, most recently Chris Sale (ribs) and Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow). Fuentes is lined up to make his next start on the road against the Athletics next week.

Palencia picked up the save in Wednesday's 5-4 win over Cleveland, allowing one unearned run on no hits and one walk with no strikeouts in the ninth inning.

The save was the 10th of the campaign for Palencia, who has stepped up as Chicago's clear favorite for saves. The right-hander has converted each of his last 10 save opportunities, turning in an outstanding 1.17 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 19:4 K:BB over his past 15.1 innings. The Cubs could look to upgrade their bullpen ahead of the trade deadline later this month, but it appears the team's closing job is Palencia's to lose for the time being.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a triple, four RBI and one run scored in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Tigers.

After going hitless in Game 1, Lowe got going early in Game 2 with an RBI single in the first inning before delivering the game-winning blow with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth. The first baseman has been streaky over his past 10 games, going hitless four times but also logging five multi-hit efforts and 13 RBI. On the season, he's slashing .233/.298/.402 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI, 37 runs scored and one steal across 359 plate appearances.

Moniak went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-3 defeat to the Astros.

The 27-year-old outfielder blasted homer No. 12 on the campaign, with most of his slugging production coming in the past month-plus. Over his last 23 games (76 plate appearances), the 2016 No. 1 overall pick is slashing a robust .286/.342/.743 with nine long balls, three doubles, one triple, 16 RBI and two stolen bases.

Muncy was removed from Wednesday's game against the White Sox due to an apparent left knee injury, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

A stealing Michael Taylor collided with Muncy's left knee while sliding into third base, causing the latter's leg to bend awkwardly. Muncy needed to be helped off the field by a trainer after the play and will almost certainly be taken in for imaging. If the two-time All-Star ends up needing to miss any amount of time, Enrique Hernandez would likely fill in at the hot corner for the Dodgers.

Gray (8-3) took the loss against the Pirates on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six across 6.1 innings.

Though he gave up a run in the second, Gray was dominant through his first six frames, at one point retiring 14 straight batters. However, things fell apart for the Cardinals' ace in the seventh, when he allowed three of the four hitters he faced on base and was tagged for three more runs. He now sits at a 3.51 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 100 innings this season, and his 107 strikeouts is tied with Nick Pivetta for 13th most in the National League. Gray is projected to start against the Nationals at home next week, which may be his final turn in the rotation before the All-Star break.

Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3 with a two-run single in Wednesday's 5-0 win over St. Louis.

Kiner-Falefa doubled the Pirates' lead in the seventh inning with a two-run single that brought Ke'Bryan Hayes and Tommy Pham home. Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in seven of his last eight games and has gone 8-for-27 (.296) with one steal and five RBI over that span.

Pham went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Cardinals.

Pham was responsible for the Pirates' first two runs of the game with RBI singles in the second and seventh innings. The journeyman outfielder has gone 13-for-29 (.448) with two home runs and 13 RBI over his last eight games, which is a stark contrast to his 1-for-16 mini-slump across his prior nine outings.