MLB Player News

Profar went 1-for-2 with four walks, two runs and a stolen base in a 13-5 win against Tampa Bay on Friday.

Profar did an excellent job setting the table out of the leadoff spot for San Diego, drawing four free passes and adding a single. The All-Star outfielder busted a four-game mini-slump during which he went 0-for-14. Despite that brief downturn, Profar has been an overall consistent producer for the Padres this season, slashing .283/.384/.465 with 21 home runs, 80 RBI, 79 runs and eight stolen bases through 566 plate appearances.

Peralta went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and an additional run in Friday's 13-5 win against the Rays.

Peralta singled and scored in the third inning and added a two-run blast to right field in the fourth. The long ball was his first in 15 games, though the veteran outfielder kept up his good hitting even during the power drought, batting .286 with a 5:6 BB:K. On the season, Peralta is slashing .278/.340/.438 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 29 runs and two stolen bases over 212 plate appearances.

Spiers tossed two innings of relief and gave up three earned runs on three hits and no walks while striking out three Friday in the Reds' 14-0 loss to the Brewers in the second game of a doubleheader.

Even though injuries have tested the Reds' starting depth of late, manager David Bell has seemingly pulled the plug on Spiers as a member of the rotation. Spiers has made three of his last four appearances out of the bullpen, and his outing came behind a traditional starter (Rhett Lowder) rather than an opener. The right-hander looks poised to operate as a multi-inning reliever moving forward, with most of his usage likely to come in lower-leverage spots.

The Brewers returned Hall to Triple-A Nashville after Friday's doubleheader versus the Reds, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hall turned in what was by far his best start of the season during the Brewers' 14-0 victory in the nightcap of the doubleheader, claiming the win while making it through seven innings without allowing a run and tallying five strikeouts. However, since he was designated as the 27th man for the twin bill, he'll have to at least temporarily head back to the minors. The 25-year-old southpaw could return to Milwaukee to boost its pitching depth once rosters expand Sunday.

Cruz will serve as the Reds' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Brewers, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

For the second time in five games, Cruz will operate as an opener for the Reds. Despite not having recorded more than six outs in any of his prior 61 appearances this season, Cruz covered three innings as an opener in Wednesday's 9-6 loss to the Athletics, striking out six while allowing one earned run on two hits and zero walks. Cruz tossed 42 pitches in that outing and will be taking the hill Saturday on just two days' rest, so he shouldn't expected to push up his innings count much, if at all, in his second start of the season.

India went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Brewers in the first game of Friday's doubleheader. He went 0-for-4 in the nightcap.

India set up the extra inning with a solo blast in the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4. The home run was his 13th of the season and fifth during the month of August. The second half hasn't been kind to India (.184/.282/.313), but the Reds need healthy bodies and will continue to trot him out there every day.

Bellinger went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.

Bellinger went deep in the second inning with a runner on, giving him 14 home runs and 57 RBI for the season. The 29-year-old had 26 long balls and 97 RBI last year in his first campaign with the Cubs, figures which appear to be out of reach with only 27 games remaining in the 2024 regular season. However, Bellinger has still delivered decent numbers for fantasy managers this year, and he's capable of turning things up during the stretch run.

Miller allowed three runs on two hits and a walk while retiring only a single batter in relief during Friday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.

Miller was tasked with the bottom of the ninth inning in a non-save situation with the Cubs up 7-3. However, things quickly went awry for the righty, and Chicago eventually turned to Drew Smyly and then Keegan Thompson to record the last two outs of the frame, with the latter picking up the save. Miller saw his ERA climb from 1.64 to 2.17 in the process. His previous success suggests he'll bounce back quickly from the rough outing, as this was the first time he allowed a run since late July, breaking a streak of 11 straight scoreless appearances.

Espinal is day-to-day after fouling a ball off his left shin during Friday's 14-0 loss to the Brewers, MLB.com reports.

When Espinal first sustained the injury, the specific body part was unclear. Reds manager David Bell confirmed following the game that Espinal is dealing with a hematoma in the area of his left shin.

McCarthy went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in Friday's 10-9 loss to the Dodgers. He was also hit by two pitches.

McCarthy is finishing up a productive August. He's knocked in 26 runs in 26 games this month, more than half of the 50 he's knocked in all season. The struggles of Alek Thomas have created an opportunity for McCarthy, who has seized it and delivered a .912 OPS since the All-Star break.