MLB Player News

Triolo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.

Triolo ended August on a six-game hitting streak, though his homer Sunday was his first extra-base hit since Aug. 13. The utility man had just one RBI during his power drought as well. Triolo is batting .247 with a .639 OPS, three homers, 26 RBI, 30 runs scored, 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases over 101 contests this season. He's typically more of a short-side platoon option, but the Pirates have faced five left-handers over the last eight games, giving Triolo a decent run of playing time that he's taken full advantage of to potentially earn a larger role.

Valdez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.

Valdez had gone just 4-for-29 (.138) with a 4:17 BB:K over his last eight games. He has homered twice over his last four contests, but his overall consistency at the plate is still a work in progress. The outfielder is batting .244 with an .890 OPS, 16 homers, 44 RBI, 37 runs scored, 13 doubles, one triple and no stolen bases over 65 games this season, though his 37.5 percent strikeout rate is a major limiting factor.

Montgomery pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.

Montgomery retired the side on 11 pitches (seven strikes) to earn his seventh save overall and fifth in August. He ends the month riding a 13.1-inning scoreless streak dating back to July 27, and he looks to have a decent amount of security in the closer role for now. Montgomery is at a 3.07 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 89:22 K:BB through 55.2 innings this season.

Ashcraft (14-5) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

While he wasn't quite as effective as in some of his other August starts, Ashcraft did enough to pick up his fourth win over six outings this month. He allowed a total of 10 runs (nine earned) across 38 innings in those games, and he's avoided giving up a home run in his last two starts. Ashcraft is at a 3.59 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 164:35 K:BB through 160.1 innings over 27 starts this season. He's lined up to make his next start at home versus the Angels.

Manager Blake Butera said Sunday that Cavalli is "fine" after being struck in the calf by a comebacker during Saturday's game against the Marlins, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

The right-hander was forced to depart Saturday's contest after four scoreless frames since he was hit by a 93-mph comebacker, but it appears he's avoided a serious injury. Cavalli lines up to take the mound next weekend on the road against the Dodgers, but he'll likely need to come through his between-starts bullpen session with no issues to gain full clearance.

Adams did not factor into the decision Sunday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out five.

Both runs charged to Adams came in the third inning -- Sean Murphy led off the frame with a solo home run before Ronald Acuna drove in a second with a two-out hit. Overall, Adams has been solid through his first two major-league starts, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out 10 over nine innings. If Kyle Freeland (neck) is unable to return, Adams would line up for a home matchup with the Cardinals his next time out.

Mahle allowed a run on five hits and no walks across 6.2 innings Sunday against the Rockies. He struck out nine.

Mahle was excellent Sunday, as he matched a season high with nine strikeouts while holding Colorado to one run on a Jake McCarthy solo homer in the sixth inning. Mahle has now held opponents to two runs or fewer in each of his first five outings with Atlanta. He's posted a 1.48 ERA while striking out 32 across 30.1 innings in that span after struggling to a 5.13 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and 89:37 K:BB across 18 starts (94.2 innings) with San Francisco. Mahle will look to keep rolling his next time out, currently scheduled to come on the road against the Phillies.

Cosgrove was charged with a blown save in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins. He allowed three runs on a hit and a walk across two-thirds of an inning.

After Max Kranick loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, the Nationals turned to Cosgrove, who promptly poured gasoline on the fire -- the southpaw hit the first batter he faced, forcing in a run to cut Washington's lead to 2-1, before ultimately giving up a two-run homer to Otto Lopez to cap a six-run frame. After allowing just three runs in his first 10.2 innings with the Nats this year, Cosgrove's struggled to an ugly 17.47 ERA across 5.2 innings in his last seven appearances.

Kelly is out of the lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Reds.

Despite contributing four RBI to a 17-5 win Saturday, Kelly will sit out Sunday's series finale with the Reds. Miguel Amaya will be the backstop and bat ninth for the Cubs.

Junk did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Nationals, allowing a run on four hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out two.

Junk returned to Miami's rotation Sunday after he was unexpectedly deployed in relief Wednesday. The right-hander was sharp, blanking Washington through four innings before allowing a lone two-out run in the fifth. Junk would then depart the game after throwing just 65 pitches. It appears that Junk could be on a pitch limit down the stretch -- he's now thrown 103 innings this season after delivering a career-high 110 last year. Overall, Junk's ERA sits at 4.11 with a 1.30 WHIP and 70:28 K:BB. He tentatively lines up to face the Cubs at home his next time out.