MLB Player News

Steer went 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, five RBI and a stolen base Monday against the Cardinals.

After snapping a homerless stretch of 18 games over the weekend, Steer doubled up by taking Sonny Gray deep twice, driving in a season-high five runs to help steer the Reds to victory. It was the 23rd multi-hit effort of the campaign for Steer, who also added a walk and a stolen base that lifted his slash line to .237/.324/.433 with 18 homers, 74 RBI, 60 runs and 19 steals across 485 plate appearances.

Gray (11-7) took the loss Monday, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks over five innings against the Reds. He struck out nine.

Gray allowed six earned runs for the second time this season with five of those runs coming by way of two home runs off the bat of Spencer Steer. The other run allowed also came via the long ball as Elly De La Cruz followed Steer's two-run blast in the third with a solo dinger of his own. It was the third time this season Gray has allowed at least three homers in the same game. The outing lifted his ERA to 3.93 with a 1.08 WHIP over 130.2 innings while the nine strikeouts lifted his season total to 162, good for 10th best in all of baseball. His next start is slated to take place over the weekend when the Dodgers make the trip to St. Louis.

Abbott (10-9) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over 6.2 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out six.

Abbott rebounded from allowing three homers in his last start to shut down the Cardinals, with a Nolan Arenado run-scoring single in the third representing the lone blemish against him. Abbott was on track to complete seven innings while allowing one run or fewer for the fifth time this season, but a two-out error by Elly De La Cruz extended the inning and Abbott was pulled after tossing 93 pitches. The 25-year-old lefty has now tossed a career-high 133 innings while holding a 3.59 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 110 strikeouts. He's next scheduled for a home matchup against the Royals.

Merryweather (1-1) allowed one run on three hits and a walk over an inning of relief to take the loss Monday against the Guardians. He struck out one.

Merryweather worked a quick seventh inning but he couldn't keep things going in the eighth, when he allowed three straight hits to start the frame, with the final one bringing in the go-ahead run before he got the hook. The righty missed most of this season with a rib stress fracture, as this was just his 10th appearance of the year. Merryweather was much more heavily used in 2023, when he posted a 3.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts across 72 innings out of the bullpen. If the 32-year-old is healthy heading into next season, he should be able to secure a middle-relief role again for the Cubs or another team based on his ability to miss bats.

Marte was removed from Monday's game against the Rockies after aggravating his left ankle injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Marte showed signs of discomfort at the dish during his first at-bat of the game, as he fell down on one of his swings and gingerly made his way to first base on a flyout. The team removed him from the matchup shortly afterward, deploying Kevin Newman at second base. It's clear that Marte is not yet 100 percent after suffering a bruised left ankle Saturday, and the club later confirmed that he aggravated the left ankle injury during his first at-bat.

Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 9-8 loss to the Guardians

Crow-Armstrong went deep in the fourth inning for his fourth home run of the season and first since July 14, when he left the yard twice. The 22-year-old is known more for his speed, as he has 23 stolen bases this year, though he did launch 20 homers combined between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. If Crow-Armstrong can develop his power at the MLB level, he'd take a big step forward as a fantasy asset.

The Pirates selected Ryan's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Ryan was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh at the end of July and reported to Triple-A after failing to draw interest on waivers. However, he'll get another crack at big-league action following the placement of Marco Gonzales (forearm) on the 60-day injured list. Ryan has made 13 relief appearances for the Pirates in 2024, posting a 5.29 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 16 strikeouts over 17.0 innings.

The Pirates placed Gonzales on the 60-day injured list Monday with a left forearm strain, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The Pirates found out earlier in the day that Gonzales would require a trip to the IL, and after reviewing the extent of the injury, the club has elected to shut him down for the rest of the season. He'll finish the 2024 campaign with a 4.54 ERA and 1.60 WHIP with 23 strikeouts over 33.2 innings of work. Jake Woodford will move from the bullpen to fill Gonzales' spot in the rotation Monday in San Diego, while Pittsburgh selected the contract of Ryder Ryan from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace Gonzales on the 40-man roster.

Happ went 1-for-2 with three walks, a two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Monday's 9-8 loss to the Guardians.

Happ celebrated his 30th birthday in style as he reached the 20-homer plateau for the second straight season and third time in the last four years. The outfielder also demonstrated his good eye at the plate as he drew three walks in a game for the first time this season. Happ is now riding a four-game hitting streak as well, and he's gone deep three times during the hot streak.

Lynn (knee) will throw another bullpen session Friday or Saturday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Lynn completed Monday's session without issue, hurling around 20 pitches at 75 percent effort, per Denton. The team will take the next few days to ensure he's feeling strong before sending him out for another throwing session later in the week. It's unclear if Lynn, who last started July 30, will need a rehab assignment or if he'll be able to build up on the side before rejoining the rotation.