MLB Player News

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com on Friday that Walker (oblique) is swinging against soft-toss pitching and doing light running.

Walker, who landed on the injured list July 30, remains hopeful he'll be ready to go by the three-week mark, which is fast approaching. This coming week marks his potential return. Fortunately for Arizona, the team has covered his absence well with the addition of Josh Bell, and the Diamondbacks don't have to rush Walker back.

Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Rays.

Marte was back in the lineup, albeit as a designated hitter, after missing three games due to a left ankle injury. He batted leadoff against a left-hander, which has been the custom since late June. Marte was first injured Aug. 10 and attempted to return a couple of days later but was pulled from that contest. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com that Marte will be brought back cautiously as the DH. It's unclear how long it will be before he returns to the field.

Wilson went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Nationals.

The 29-year-old drew his third straight start in left field as Washington sent a third consecutive southpaw to the mound, and while Wilson didn't hit for the cycle as he did Thursday, he still put together a productive effort that included his second steal of the year. Since moving into a short-side platoon role in August, he's gone 8-for-15 (.533) with four extra-base hits, two RBI and five runs.

Sanchez (9-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits over nine innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The southpaw was incredibly efficient in his second complete game of the season, firing 71 of 99 pitches for strikes, and an Alex Call solo shot in the fourth inning was the only blemish on his performance. Sanchez followed up his other nine-inning gem, a shutout of the Marlins on June 28, with a seven-run stinker against the Cubs -- an outing that began a tough stretch in which the 27-year-old posted a 6.63 ERA over the seven starts prior to Saturday. Sanchez will look to avoid a similar swoon in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Atlanta.

Call went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Phillies.

His fourth-inning long ball off Cristopher Sanchez was one of only two hits for the Nationals on the night. Call has been impressive since his late-July promotion and ascension into a starting role following the Lane Thomas trade, slashing .373/.425/.567 over his last 18 games with two homers, three steals, six runs and 12 RBI, but there's nothing in the 29-year-old's track record to suggest he'll keep it up for much longer. Dylan Crews is also slashing .300/.396/.600 over his last 10 games for Triple-A Rochester, and a promotion for the top prospect could bump Call to the bench.

Gore (7-11) took the loss Saturday, coughing up five runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings as the Nationals were downed 5-1 by the Phillies. He struck out six.

The southpaw held a 3.24 ERA after a June 14 win over the Marlins, but since then Gore's campaign has gone completely off the rails. He's been tagged for at least five runs in three straight starts and six of his last 11, going 1-6 over that stretch with a 6.75 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 45:31 K:BB in 50.2 innings. While his control hasn't been sharp, he's also been somewhat unlucky given his .370 BABIP on the year, and his 4.66 ERA is outpacing his 3.62 FIP by a wide margin. Gore will try to find a way to stop the bleeding in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Atlanta.

Gallen (9-6) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out three as the Diamondbacks were downed 6-1 by the Rays.

Despite getting extra rest after his last outing Aug. 10 due to cramping and general body soreness, Gallen didn't look to be at his best Saturday as he generated only seven swinging strikes among his 98 pitches. The 29-year-old right-hander has yet to allow a home run in six starts since the All-Star break, but the rest of his numbers during that stretch (3.78 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 26:16 K:BB in 33.1 innings) aren't up to his usual standards. Gallen will look to regain his form in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Boston.

Lindor went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Marlins.

He led off the game by driving a fastball from Max Meyer over the wall in right-center field, giving Luis Severino all the run support he would need as the right-hander pitched a shutout. Lindor extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the process, and he's reached base safely in every contest so far in August, slashing .338/.386/.508 with two homers, two steals, eight RBI and 12 runs in 15 games. The shortstop needs just one more home run and one more stolen base to record his third career 25-25 campaign.

Severino (8-6) picked up the win Saturday, scattering four hits and a walk over nine scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins. He struck out eight.

Three of the four hits off Severino were doubles, but he bore down and stranded the runner each time. The right-hander needed a season-high 113 pitches (78 strikes) to record his second career shutout, with the other coming back in 2018. It was an impressive turnaround for Severino, who had gone 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA and 1.83 WHIP over his prior four starts. The 30-year-old is scheduled to make his next trip to the mound on the road next week in San Diego.

Meyer (3-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks over four innings as the Marlins fell 4-0 to the Mets. He struck out three.

While the Miami offense gave the rookie right-hander no support, Meyer created his own problems by throwing only 49 of 90 pitches for strikes and having poor command within the strike zone -- four of the six hits he served up went for extra bases, including solo shots by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. In five outings since returning to the big-league rotation in late July, Meyer has stumbled to an 8.10 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB through 23.1 innings, but the Marlins will let him work through his growing pains. The 25-year-old lines up to make his next start at home next weekend against the Cubs.