MLB Player News

Houser (4-7) earned the win against the Guardians on Wednesday, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out three over five scoreless innings.

Houser entered the game in the third inning and kept the Guardians in check for five frames despite throwing 48 of 80 pitches for strikes with only four whiffs. The 33-year-old has now allowed just one earned run over three straight outings of five or more innings, and he owns a 1.61 ERA in seven second-half appearances (one start). He'll take a 4.08 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 73:34 K:BB across 108 frames this season and should pitch early next week against Cincinnati.

Pfaadt didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing five runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

Pfaadt's eight strikeouts marked a new season high, though he was hurt by the home-run ball Wednesday -- the righty gave up solo shots to Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran before Mickey Gasper added a three-run blast in the sixth inning. Prior to Wednesday, Pfaadt had gone four straight outings without allowing an earned run, posting a 0.69 WHIP across 27.2 innings in that span. His ERA now sits at 3.39 across 98.1 innings this season with a 1.14 WHIP and 69:24 K:BB. Pfaadt's currently in line to face the Cubs at home his next time out.

Smith earned the save in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Guardians, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out five over two scoreless innings.

Smith entered with a one-run lead in the eighth inning and was dominant, throwing 22 of 30 pitches for strikes to earn his third save of the campaign. The 26-year-old has now converted two of three save chances since taking over as the Giants' closer and has posted a 3.24 ERA through eight August appearances. On the season, he owns three saves and six holds while posting a 2.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 33:12 K:BB across 26.1 innings.

Mendez was reinstated from High-A Eugene's 7-day injured list Tuesday and assigned to Double-A Richmond.

Mendez had resided on the 7-day injured list at Double-A San Antonio in the Padres organization before he was dealt to the Giants on Aug. 3 as part of the deal that sent lefty Robbie Ray to San Francisco. Prior to being traded, Mendez had already made one rehab start with the Padres' High-A affiliate, and he made another 2.1-inning appearance with the Giants' California League affiliate in San Jose last weekend before getting cleared to move up to Double-A. Mendez possesses a spot on the Giants' 40-man roster, but he's not under consideration to make his big-league debut in 2026.

The Phillies designated Keller for assignment Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Keller gave up one run in three innings during his MLB debut July 25 but has coughed up 12 runs in just 9.2 frames since returning to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 32-year-old righty will now lose his place on the 40-man roster to make room for Nestor Cortes, who signed a major-league deal with the Phillies on Wednesday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that MRI results on Diaz's neck revealed no additional damage, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Diaz landed on the injured list Tuesday due to neck inflammation, but Roberts said that the right-hander received a "best-case" prognosis during his visit with a doctor Wednesday. The Dodgers will keep him shut down from throwing for a few days before determining next steps, though he doesn't seem to be trending toward a lengthy IL stint.

Castro isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Castro will move to the bench Wednesday after going 3-for-7 with a homer, two RBI, four runs and a steal across the first two games of the series. Connor Norby will move to third base while Castro sits, opening up second for Adael Amador.

House is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

House will take a seat after he had started at third base or designated hitter in each of the last seven games. After recording at least one hit in the first five of those contests, House went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts in his most recent two starts.

Crews is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Crews will hit the bench after he went 1-for-11 with a walk while starting in the Nationals' last three contests. Washington will roll out an outfield of Jose Tena, Jacob Young and Daylen Lile from left to right Wednesday.

Fleming signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Fleming has spent time with the Blue Jays and Cubs this season. He gave up six runs over three innings during his lone big-league appearance but owns a 3.16 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 82.2 frames in the minors. He'll report to Triple-A Memphis to begin his tenure with the Cardinals but could get another opportunity to pitch in the majors if he continues to perform well.