MLB Player News

Kershaw came away with a no-decision in Friday's 7-5 extra-innings win over the Mets, walking one and striking out one over two scoreless innings.

A 98-minute rain delay ended Kershaw's night prematurely, but the veteran lefty looked sharp in his second start of the season as he tossed 14 of 26 pitches for strikes in his two frames, lowering his ERA to 7.50. The abbreviated outing might give the Dodgers the option of shuffling their rotation slightly to deploy Kershaw on four days' rest rather than using a sixth starter ahead of their next off day May 29, but for now he's scheduled to make his next trip to the mound at home next weekend against the Yankees.

Cruz went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs during Friday's 6-5 win over the Brewers.

Cruz opened the scoring Friday in the third inning with a 442-foot blast into center field that left his bat at 118 mph. He then came up clutch with the Buccos down a run in the ninth by hitting another solo shot 427 feet into right-center field. The 26-year-old's power display elevated his OPS from .783 to .822, and he now has four hits in his last three games after going 0-for-15 across his prior five contests.

Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and three strikeouts in Friday's 13-6 loss to the Cubs.

Stephenson helped build the Reds' lead in the fifth inning when he doubled in a run and eventually scored. It was his second consecutive game with an extra-base hit, a positive sign for Stephenson, who is batting .186 this season. When he makes contact, it's been positive for the catcher/DH, who has a 54.8 hard-hit percentage, but that's been offset by a 41.2 percent strikeout rate (28 Ks in 68 PAs).

Skenes didn't factor into the decision in Friday's win over the Brewers, giving up one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters across six innings.

Make it four consecutive quality starts for Skenes, who, despite turning in a 1.73 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in that span, doesn't have a win since late April. He was on his way to changing that Friday after departing the game with a 2-1 lead through six innings, but the Pirates' bullpen gave Milwaukee the lead in the seventh before the team's offense clawed its way back to win the game in extras. The 22-year-old righty will hope for better luck when he faces the Diamondbacks next week.

Steer went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 13-6 loss to the Cubs.

Steer finished the Reds' three-run first inning when he doubled in a run. The two-bagger extended his hitting streak to 11 games, during which Steer's batting .359 (14-for-39) with five doubles, a home run and two RBI. He's had a season of peaks and valleys thus far and is batting just .225 with four home runs, 13 RBI and 23 runs through 45 games this season.

Peralta didn't factor into the decision in Friday's loss to the Pirates, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three batters across 4.1 innings.

Friday's outing certainly wasn't the most efficient of Peralta's career, as he had already reached 101 pitches (58 strikes) by the time he turned things over to the bullpen in the fifth inning after walking in a run with the bases loaded. The 28-year-old righty owns a 2.55 ERA and 1.12 WHIP through 60 frames on the year and is tentatively lined up to make his next start in Philadelphia next weekend.

Marte went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-3 loss to St. Louis.

Marte gave Arizona an early lead with a fourth-inning home run. It was the second straight game with a homer for Marte, who has five long balls over the last eight games. He's gone deep eight times in 27 contests this season, with seven of those being solo shots.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo had Jose Herrera catch Gallen for Friday's series opener against St. Louis, after the pitcher had struggled in his previous outing, Joe Harris of MLB.com reports. The right-hander threw five strong innings before running into trouble in the sixth in a 4-3 loss.

It's been a rough start to the 2025 season for Gallen, whose 5.25 ERA is the highest its been since he became a full-season starter in the majors. However, when Herrera has caught him, Gallen's ERA is 3.56 compared to 6.89 when Gabriel Moreno is behind the dish. "We got a pretty good relationship," Gallen said. "I think he knows what I'm looking for out of the shapes of my pitches. He kind of knows when certain things aren't right, not necessarily to shy away from those pitches, but use them a little differently. So yeah, there's definitely a comfort there." Given the pitcher's results thus far, Lovullo may opt to pair Gallen and Herrera going forward.

Moreno entered Friday's game as a pinch hitter and hit a two-run home run in a 4-3 loss to the Cardinals.

Moreno batted for catcher Jose Herrera in the ninth inning and pulled the Diamondbacks closer. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo decided to pair starter Zac Gallen with Herrera, after the pitcher was rocked in his previous outing. Gallen has a better ERA this season with Herrera (3.56) than Moreno (6.89). The pitcher has a career 3.27 ERA over 34 games when paired with Herrera. The Gallen/Herrera arrangement could be how Lovullo operates going forward, so fantasy managers that roster Moreno should be cognizant of that.

Rojas went 1-for-4 with one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 4-3 win over the Athletics.

Rojas remains in a part-time role, but he has struggled at the plate lately. He's just 2-for-19 with a 2:6 BB:K and two steals over his last nine games while pushing for playing time in center field. Rojas has always had more speed than power, which makes him more effective off the bench at times. He's batting .258 with one home run, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored and seven thefts across 101 plate appearances, mostly as a short-side platoon option.