MLB Player News

The Cubs promoted Smith from High-A South Bend to Double-A Tennessee on Monday, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

South Bend's season came to an end Sunday, but Smith will get the opportunity to play on for at least another two weeks while he links up with Tennessee. The No. 14 overall pick of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft has gotten off to a stellar start to his professional career with a combined .323/.412/.635 slash line and a 14:21 BB:K over 114 plate appearances between South Bend and Single-A Myrtle Beach.

Tong received a promotion from High-A Brooklyn to Double-A Binghamton on Sept. 1.

Tong made his Binghamton debut Thursday, and it went about as well as possible, with the right-hander striking out nine over six no-hit, scoreless innings. The promotion was the third of the season for Tong, who has compiled 2.87 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 155:43 K:BB over 109.2 innings across stops with Binghamton, Brooklyn and Single-A St. Lucie.

Miller (4-5) allowed a hit and a walk while failing to record a strikeout over 1.2 scoreless innings, earning the win Sunday over the Padres.

Spencer Bivens got the start but couldn't get through five innings. The Giants led 6-1 when Bivens was relieved by Miller, and they were able to hold the lead the rest of the way to give the southpaw reliever his first win since July 9. Since the start of August, Miller has a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB over 14 innings. He's at a 3.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 78:34 K:BB with 12 holds over 61.2 innings this season.

Abrams went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.

The shortstop led off the game by taking Jared Jones deep, but it was the last lead the Nationals would hold on the afternoon in a 7-3 loss. The homer was the 19th of the year for Abrams, a new career high, and he's tied the career-high 64 RBI he collected last year. The 23-year-old's overall offensive profile hasn't taken the step forward expected of him in 2024, however -- his .238/.307/.422 slash line is nearly identical to his .245/.300/.412 performance from 2023, and Abrams has fallen from 47 steals in 51 attempts to 28 in 40.

Williams (elbow) will make a rehab start for Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and remains confident he'll pitch again for the Nationals before the end of the season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander is expected to throw about four innings and build up to 65-to-70 pitches Tuesday. Nationals manager Dave Martinez hinted that Williams might need to make a second rehab start before being activated from the 60-day injured list, with 80 pitches as the target. Williams landed on the IL after a May 30 start against Atlanta due to a right flexor strain, but the pending free agent was having an outstanding campaign to that point, posting a 5-0 record in 11 starts with a 2.22 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 47:16 K:BB through 56.2 innings. He could return to the Washington rotation for a road series against the Cubs that runs Sept. 19 through 22.

Iglesias went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Reds.

With Jeff McNeil (wrist) done for the season, the door is open for Iglesias to get an everyday role at second base down the stretch for the Mets. The 34-year-old infielder has been remarkably productive since joining the team in late May, and he's slowed down only a little in the second half, slashing .278/.326/.329 over 86 plate appearances since the beginning of August. Iglesias offers effectively no power and only a little speed, but consistent playing time will still give him some fantasy upside in deep formats.

Sanoja went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Phillies.

Making his first career big-league start and batting eighth as the center fielder, Sanoja led off the second inning with a double into the right-center field gap for his first career hit. The 22-year-old switched to shortstop late in the 10-1 rout, mirroring his minor-league utility usage -- at Triple-A Jacksonville he's played at least 39 games at second base, shortstop and in center field this season. That versatility also came with a .294/.356/.438 slash line, and while he offers little power from a 5-foot-7 frame, Sanoja's speed, hit tool and batting eye could be good enough for him to carve out a regular role in the majors.

Edwards went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's rout of the Phillies.

Even without collecting a hit, Edwards still made a contribution from the leadoff spot in a 10-1 win. The switch-hitting shortstop is up to 25 steals on the season in only 53 big-league games, including three in the last two contests, and he's slashing an impressive .325/.399/.401 with one homer, 19 RBI and 29 runs.

The Mets acquired Alvarez from the Red Sox on Sunday in exchange for cash considerations.

The move replenishes some organizational utility depth for the Mets. Alvarez, 34, has spent all of the 2024 season at Triple-A Worcester, posting an .811 OPS with 18 home runs and 18 stolen bases while making starts at six different positions.

Kelenic went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's extra-innings win over the Blue Jays.

The 25-year-old got Atlanta on the board in the second inning by belting a Yariel Rodriguez splitter over the fence in right-center field. Kelenic has a modest five-game hit streak going in which he's produced two homers and five RRBI, but on the season he's slashing just .234/.287/.401 with 15 long balls, seven steals, 44 RBI and 48 runs in 126 contests.