MLB Player News

Higashioka went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Cardinals.

Higashioka has two home runs over his last five games, and he's hit four long balls while batting .224 over 17 contests in August. The catcher is up to 16 homers in just 66 games this season. He's added a .228/.275/.518 slash line with 43 RBI, 26 runs scored and one stolen base over 212 plate appearances. Higashioka is likely to continue sharing the catching duties with Luis Campusano, though a hot stretch at the plate for either backstop could lead to a corresponding uptick in playing time.

Nunez wasn't available for Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Diamondbacks due to forearm tightness, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Nunez returned from the injured list Friday after spending nearly a month on the shelf due to a right forearm strain. He went 1.2 innings and struck out three batters during his first appearance back Saturday, but manager Carlos Mendoza said the 28-year-old reliever hasn't recovered properly from the outing and is once again experiencing forearm problems. He's considered day-to-day for now, though the Mets will likely want to take a closer look at him to determine if he'll need to make another trip to the IL.

Suarez (8-2) allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Wednesday versus the Cardinals.

It wasn't a blown save -- Suarez was called upon to keep the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he couldn't get the job done. Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off single to hand Suarez his first loss since June 18. With five runs allowed over his last 8.2 innings, Suarez is amidst one of his shakiest stretches of the season, though he's converted all five of his save chances in that span. He's now at a 2.04 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB through 53 innings while racking up 29 saves in 32 chances this year.

Musgrove allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three over six innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Musgrove had mixed results in this contest. It was the first time in four starts since he returned from an elbow injury that he allowed multiple runs, but he also saw a full workload of 94 pitches (61 strikes) and turned in his second quality start in a row. Musgrove has been good since his return, shaking off both the injury and his struggles from early in the campaign. He's now at a 4.44 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 63:19 K:BB through 71 innings over 14 starts this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Tigers.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with one RBI in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Padres.

Goldschmidt has logged back-to-back three-hit efforts for the first time this year. Three of his five games with three or more hits have come in August, though he's still hitting a mediocre .247 (20-for-81) this month. The first baseman is up to a .235/.295/.396 slash line with 20 home runs, 53 RBI, 60 runs scored, eight stolen bases and 20 doubles over 126 contests.

Helsley (6-4) earned the win Wednesday over the Padres, allowing a hit and striking out two over a scoreless inning.

Helsley kept the game tied at 3-3 in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals walked it off with a Nolan Arenado single in the bottom of the frame. This was Helsley's seventh scoreless outing in a row, a span in which he's allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's at a 2.43 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 62:22 K:BB through 55.2 innings overall, and he's the only pitcher in the majors at the 40-save mark this year, which is impressive given the Cardinals are 66-67 after Wednesday's win.

Pallante allowed two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Wednesday.

Pallante has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last four starts. In that span, he's given up seven runs (six earned) with a 17:10 K:BB across 25.1 innings. He's been effective as a starter this year, pitching to a 3.50 ERA over 82.1 innings across his 14 starts. Overall, he has a 3.80 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 68:35 K:BB through 92.1 innings. Steven Matz (back) may be an option for the Cardinals' rotation next week, but the team has considered moving to a six-man rotation in September, so Pallante may still be used as a starter to finish the campaign.

Walker (3-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Astros, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits and one walk in six innings. He did not record a strikeout.

Walker got off to a nightmarish start in this one, allowing Jose Altuve to steal home plate in the opening frame, the first of 10 runs scored by the Astros. Walker then held off the Astros until the fourth inning, when he allowed five more runs to cross on four extra-base hits, including a two-run home run by Yordan Alvarez. Walker's 13 hits allowed match Patrick Corbin and Carson Spiers for the most allowed by a pitcher this season. The 32-year-old Walker has been an unmitigated disaster since returning from a finger injury Aug. 13, posting a 9.17 ERA, 2.09 WHIP and 10:8 K:BB in 17.2 laborious innings (four starts).

Hodge (3-1) tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win in Wednesday's 14-10 victory over the Pirates. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three.

Hodge has all three of his wins this season in the last 18 days, and he's been stellar this month with a 1.50 ERA and 0.92 WHIP across 12 innings in August. For the season, he has an outstanding 1.85 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 34 innings to go along with 43 strikeouts. With Hector Neris gone, Hodge has ascended to the top of the pecking order in Chicago's bullpen, and the young righty has certainly been up to the task so far.

Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and four runs scored in Wednesday's 14-10 win over the Pirates.

It was the first career four-hit game for Crow-Armstrong as the young outfielder stayed locked in at the plate. Over his last eight games, he's batting a robust .448. About the only thing missing Wednesday for Crow-Armstrong was a stolen base, but he's still tied for the team lead with 26 steals this season. The 22-year-old is coming into his own at the MLB level.