MLB Player News

Bivens did not factor into the decision in Sunday's win over the Padres, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three over 4.1 innings.

Bivens blanked the Padres through four innings before Jackson Merrill finally broke through with a leadoff home run in the fifth. Bivens threw 63 pitches with 42 going for strikes and the home run being the only extra-base hit allowed. It was the second-longest outing of the season for him after he went five innings in his only other start back on June 30. Bivens could be given a look in the rotation down the stretch with Kyle Harrison (shoulder) potentially done for the year and Mason Black struggling during his time in the majors so far this year. For the year, Bivens owns a 2.77 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB in 39 innings. If he were to make another start, it would project to come against the Padres again over the weekend.

Merrill went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's loss to the Giants.

Merrill took Spencer Bivens deep in the fifth to finally get the Padres on the board and later scored again in the seventh on a wild pitch. The home run was his third in six starts this month and he's now second on the team in home runs and RBI, trailing Manny Machado in both categories. For the year, Merrill is slashing .290/.322/.499 with 23 homers, 83 RBI, 72 runs, 16 steals and a 25:93 BB:K in 531 plate appearances.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's loss to the Giants.

Bogaerts' only hit of the afternoon was a two-run shot to left in the eighth to bring the Padres within a run after they were down 6-0. That's his third home run over the last nine games after having just six in his other 86 games this season. He's showcased his lowest slugging percentage and OPS this year since his first full MLB season in 2014 and is now slashing .266/.210/.379 with 23 extra-base hits, 36 RBI, 46 runs, 10 steals and a 25:67 BB:K in 400 plate appearances.

Musgrove (5-5) took the loss Sunday against the Giants, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven over 4.1 innings.

Musgrove blanked the Giants through three innings but completely unraveled in the fourth, allowing three home runs in the inning. It was an uncharacteristically bad start for Musgrove, who hadn't allowed a home run in any of his five starts since coming off the injured list Aug. 12. The six runs allowed also matched the amount of runs he'd given up combined over his last seven starts. Musgrove's strikeout numbers have been up, as he's sporting a 27:4 K:BB over his last 23.1 innings. For the year, he owns a 4.54 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 78:22 K:BB in 81.1 innings. Musgrove lines up to face the Giants on the road over the weekend his next time out.

Smith went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Guardians.

Smith posted his second three-hit effort since the All-Star break. His double Sunday was just his second extra-base hit since Aug. 21. He does have three multi-hit games over his last five starts but is slashing just .185/.282/.266 with two homers, 14 RBI, 16 runs and a 13:35 BB:K in 142 plate appearances since the All-Star break.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Guardians.

Ohtani took Tanner Bibee 450 feet to right field in the fifth that was calculated at 116.7 MPH off the bat. The home run brought him up to 46 for the year, which ties his career high from 2021. He's also now at 101 RBI for the season, which is a new career high. Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to have 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases in the same season and he's knocking on the door of history with a 50-50 campaign. For the year, Ohtani is slashing .291/.374/.618 with 83 extra-base hits, 113 runs and a 72:145 BB:K in 642 plate appearances.

Muncy went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Guardians.

Muncy took Anthony Gose deep in the eighth to pad the Dodgers lead for his first home run since Aug. 20 and his first extra-base hit in September. He has just two hits in 15 at-bats so far this month but has kept a patient eye with a 5:5 BB:K. For the year, Muncy is slashing .231/.347/.495 with 12 homers, 36 RBI, 34 runs and a 32:64 BB:K in 222 plate appearances.

Flaherty (12-6) got the win Sunday over the Guardians, throwing 7.1 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and striking out six.

It was Flaherty's first time this year reaching seven innings and also his first time not walking a batter since June 4. He's now 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA in seven starts with the Dodgers and has given up one run or less in three of his last four starts. For the year, Flaherty owns a 2.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 180:29 K:BB in 148 innings. He lines up for a road start against Atlanta over the weekend his next time out.

Sale did not factor into the decision in Sunday's win over Toronto, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out seven in six scoreless innings.

Sale was his usual dominant self Sunday, allowing just three baserunners while adding seven strikeouts, giving him an MLB-best 213 on the year. Sale has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in 16 consecutive starts dating back to June 1, a remarkable streak highlighting his consistency. With a league-leading 2.38 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 213:35 K:BB to go with his sparkling 16-3 record, Sale has all but cemented himself as the NL Cy Young Award winner. The southpaw lines up to face the Dodgers next weekend.

Herrera went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 10-4 loss to the Mariners.

Herrera was the only Cardinal with multiple hits in the contest. The catcher has gone 3-for-12 with one RBI and four runs scored over four games in September. Herrera has operated as the No. 2 catcher behind Pedro Pages since Willson Contreras (finger) landed on the injured list. Herrera has a .281/.350/.382 slash line, three home runs, five steals, 22 RBI and 30 runs scored across 223 plate appearances this season.