MLB Player News

Kelly went 3-for-3 with two home runs, two walks, three total runs and three total RBI in a 16-0 rout of the Dodgers on Saturday.

Kelly made the score 3-0 in favor of the Cubs with a solo shot in the seventh inning, and he tacked on another long ball -- this time a two-run blast -- off position player Miguel Rojas in the ninth. The veteran catcher is already up to four home runs on the campaign, and he's added 13 RBI while slashing a fiery .417/.571/1.042. Perhaps most impressively, Kelly has drawn 10 walks while striking out just three times. The huge start has pushed Kelly into a near-even playing-time split behind the plate with Miguel Amaya, who also went deep Saturday and is off to a nice start offensively as well.

Busch went 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, four total runs and three total RBI in a 16-0 rout of the Dodgers on Saturday.

As impressive as Busch's stat line was, it could have been even bigger had Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages not robbed him of what looked to be a grand slam in the third inning. Even with that bad luck, Busch put up an impressive display against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, collecting three extra-base hits, including his second long ball of the campaign. Busch's big performance lifted his season slash line to .300/.386/.540, and he's driven in nine runs through 16 games.

Sasaki (0-1) took the loss against the Cubs on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Sasaki continues to be a work in progress, and his stat line would have looked a lot different had center fielder Andy Pages not brought back what looked to be a grand slam off the bat of Michael Busch in the third inning. Still, Saturday was another step forward for the young hurler, as he completed five frames for the first time in his big-league career. Sasaki also showed much better control than he did earlier in the campaign, as he threw 50 of his 81 pitches for strikes. The right-hander's 12:13 K:BB through 13.2 frames remains ugly, but Sasaki has at least been better with a 7:4 K:BB across his past two starts. Despite his inconsistencies so far, Sasaki has managed a 3.29 ERA, and Los Angeles appears comfortable letting him work through his growing pains with the big club rather than in the minors.

Brown (2-1) earned the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing five hits and striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.

Brown cruised through six, as Los Angeles didn't manage any extra-base hits against him. The right-hander came into the contest having issued nine free passes over 11.2 innings, but he had outstanding control Saturday, throwing 59 of 84 pitches for strikes and finishing the outing without issuing a walk. Brown has pitched in four games this season -- three times as a starter and once in relief -- and has posted a 5.09 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 20:9 K:BB over 17.2 frames. His next start lines up to be against Arizona at home.

Heyward went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 2-0 victory over the Rockies.

Heyward provided an insurance run for San Diego with his 410-foot solo shot in the fifth inning. It was the veteran outfielder's first long ball in what has been a slow start to the campaign, as he's slashing just .182/.243/.303 through 37 plate appearances. Despite those poor numbers, Heyward has been in the lineup consistently against right-handed pitchers, and he's likely to continue working on the strong side of a left-field platoon.

Tatis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 2-0 win over Colorado.

Tatis led off the Padres' half of the first inning with a 424-foot blast to center field. He struck out in his remaining three at-bats, but the long ball was a good sign that the shoulder injury that forced the star outfielder to sit out Wednesday isn't a serious concern. Tatis has homered in both games since that missed contest and is up to four long balls and nine RBI on the campaign.

Dollander (1-1) took the loss against San Diego on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings.

There were plenty of positives to be taken from Dollander's performance -- he racked up 10 whiffs, punched out seven and allowed just three hits. However, two of the knocks were homers, and Colorado couldn't put any runs on the board, resulting in Dollander taking his first loss as a big leaguer. The rookie has given up four home runs over 10.2 frames to begin his MLB career, but he's otherwise looked pretty good with a 13:3 K:BB.

Suarez earned a save against the Rockies on Saturday, allowing two hits and striking out two batters over one scoreless inning.

Suarez entered with a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning and found himself in trouble when two of the first three batters he faced reached base. However, the right-hander was able to get out of trouble by striking out Ryan McMahon and getting Kris Bryant to fly out to right field. Suarez leads the league with seven saves and has yet to give up a run through seven innings this season.

Hart (2-0) earned the win over Colorado on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out four batters over six scoreless innings.

This was a drastic turnaround for Hart, who allowed five runs in just two-thirds of an inning in his previous start against the Cubs. The southpaw was nearly flawless Saturday -- the only baserunner he allowed came on a fourth-inning Kyle Farmer double. Hart's game-to-game performance is pretty hard to predict given the up-and-down nature of his results so far and the fact that prior to this season he last pitched in the majors in 2020. Fantasy managers will likely pay him more attention following Saturday's start, but it's worth noting that he still has just a 5.40 ERA and 8:5 K:BB over 11.2 innings on the campaign.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after Saturday's win over the Dodgers that Suzuki (wrist) is considered day-to-day, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Suzuki was lifted from Saturday's contest in the top of the fifth inning due to right wrist pain. Counsell said Suzuki initially injured the wrist Monday against the Rangers. If Suzuki is unable to play in Sunday's series finale against Los Angeles, Justin Turner would be the most logical candidate to fill in as the designated hitter.