MLB Player News

Ozuna went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's rout of the A's.

His sixth-inning blast to right-center field off Mitch Spence was the fifth of five Atlanta long balls against the right-hander in a 9-2 win. Ozuna snapped a 21-game homer drought in the process, a stretch in which the 34-year-old slugger slashed just .182/.281/.234 with six RBI. Ozuna has had a rough first half of the season, and there are signs he could be nearing the end of the road on his career -- his 73.6 mph bat speed is down significantly from the 75.0 mph he recorded in 2023, and his 112.1 mph max exit velocity would be a career low -- but he still boasts an 83rd percentile hard-hit rate and 76th percentile AEV, so there's still some juice left in his bat. A second-half rebound can't be ruled out.

Collier is hitting .303 with zero home runs in 20 games for Double-A Chattanooga.

Collier missed the first six weeks of the minor-league season while recovering from left thumb surgery. He slashed .338/.443/.514 with two home runs, a 15.9 percent walk rate and a 20.5 percent strikeout rate across 21 games while rehabbing and easing into things in the lower levels before getting promoted to Double-A on June 17. Collier has controlled the zone at Double-A (0.83 BB/K), but his power has been lacking since returning from the thumb issue. He is one of the youngest hitters at Double-A and won't turn 21 until November.

Riley went 2-for-5 with a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's win over the A's.

The third baseman took Mitch Spence deep in the second inning, staking Atlanta to an early 6-0 lead. Riley appears to be kicking off his usual summer surge -- he has a career .955 OPS in July, the highest in any month for his career, and his .867 mark in August is second -- and over his last 10 games he's batting .333 (14-for-42) with four homers and two homers. On the season, he's up to 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 91 games with a .274/.324/.441 slash line.

Griffin is slashing .312/.414/.505 with four home runs and 14 steals in 24 games for High-A Greensboro.

Griffin has 13 homers and 40 steals in 74 games across Single-A and High-A in his first pro season after getting selected ninth overall in last year's draft. A 6-foot-4 shortstop who has also played eight games in center field, Griffin is an elite athlete who seems to be getting better as a hitter as the season goes on. He had a 22.9 percent strikeout rate and 6.5 percent walk rate in 50 games at Single-A and has a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and 11.7 percent walk rate so far at High-A. Once Roman Anthony graduates, Griffin will have a strong case for being the No. 1 overall prospect for dynasty leagues.

Casparius notched a hold against Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over 1.2 scoreless innings.

Casparius got into a game for the first time since July 4, when he tossed three innings against Houston as a starter. Prior to that he had been working on a starter's schedule as a bulk reliever, but Wednesday's outing came in a traditional bullpen role. That appears to be Casparius' role moving forward, as Los Angeles' rotation is beginning to get healthy -- Tyler Glasnow returned from the IL and started Wednesday, while Blake Snell (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab stint Thursday. Casparius had also struggled in his previous four outings, allowing 17 earned runs over 15.2 frames during that span, so Wednesday's effective relief appearance was a positive step toward getting back on track.

Romero has surrendered just one earned run over his last 23 appearances, netting 12 holds over that stretch.

Romero held a 7.27 ERA and 5:6 K:BB over 8.2 innings covering his first 11 appearances. He was averaging just 92.8 mph with his sinker during that span, but after work in the weight room and a mechanical adjustment, Romero has his sinker up to 94.3 mph on average during the aforementioned 23-game stretch. The left-hander is the Cardinals' primary left-handed setup man and should continue to be a solid source of holds moving forward.

McNeil is not in the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader in Baltimore.

McNeil should be back in the starting nine for the nightcap, but he'll begin Thursday's matinee on the bench. Tyrone Taylor will cover center field and Brett Baty will start at second base for the Mets in the first contest of the day.

The Mets recalled Acuna from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Acuna slashed .241/.293/.283 with 11 steals in 65 games for the Mets before being sent down to Triple-A last month. He will offer a bit more versatility than outfielder Travis Jankowski, who was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for Acuna. Even so, Acuna is unlikely to find himself in the lineup on a regular basis.

The Mets recalled Warren from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Warren will be the 27th man on the roster for the Mets in Thursday's doubleheader against the Orioles. The righty reliever has allowed one run in five frames for the Mets this season and has collected a 3.82 ERA and 38:12 K:BB over 30.2 innings with Syracuse.

The Mets designated Jankowski for assignment Thursday.

Jankowski was added to the roster two-plus weeks ago but saw just one plate appearance during his time with the Mets. The veteran outfielder is likely to clear waivers and become a free agent.