MLB Player News

Burger went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-2 extra-inning loss to the Padres.

The 28-year-old slugger opened the scoring in the fourth inning by taking Martin Perez deep, continuing a power surge that has seen Burger launch seven homers in the last 11 games while slashing .311/.347/.800 with 11 RBI. The improved performance at the plate could be due to his reduced defensive responsibilities -- he's played third base only three times during that stretch while lining up at first base and DH four times each. Burger is batting .242 on the season with 20 home runs and 50 RBI in 94 contests.

Cabrera came away with a no-decision in Friday's 6-2 extra-inning loss to the Padres, allowing four hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander extended his shutout streak to 12 innings as he fired 64 of 106 pitches for strikes, but the Miami bullpen squandered a 2-0 lead as soon as Cabrera left the mound. Control remains an issue for the 26-year-old, but he's been able to work around the traffic he puts on the basepaths -- Cabrera has given up three runs or less in five straight starts, posting a 2.00 ERA over that stretch despite a less impressive 1.26 WHIP and 26:16 K:BB in 27 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend against the Mets.

Merrill went 3-for-4 with a walk, a triple, a home run, two RBI and two stolen bases in Friday's 6-2 extra-inning win over the Marlins.

The 21-year-old outfielder had a huge game from a fantasy perspective, but it was also clutch for the Padres, as his solo shot off George Soriano tied the game in the ninth inning and set the stage for a big 10th. Merrill has been on fire since the All-Star break, slashing .373/.395/.716 over his last 18 games with four homers, three steals, 16 RBI and 17 runs as he makes a push for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Perez came away with a no-decision in Friday's 6-2 extra-inning win over the Marlins, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out six.

Both runs came on back-to-back solo shots by Jake Burger and Jonah Bride in the fourth inning, but otherwise Perez was sharp in his second outing for San Diego. The veteran southpaw tossed 90 pitches (58 strikes) en route to his third straight quality start and seventh of the year, but he was still on the hook for the loss until Jackson Merrill forced extra innings with a solo homer of his own in the ninth. Perez will look for his first win in a Padres uniform when he takes the mound next week at home against the Pirates -- the team that sent him west at the trade deadline.

Steer went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Brewers.

Steer turned on the first pitch he saw to lead off the seventh inning with his 16th home run of the season. It was the first homer in 19 games for Steer, who's experienced a cold second half. He batted .141/.179/.234 over the first 16 games following the All-Star break before logging a pair of two-hit games Thursday and Friday.

Fairchild entered Friday's game after Jake Fraley (ankle) was removed and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in an 8-3 loss to Milwaukee.

Fairchild swatted his eighth homer of the season as part of the Reds' three-run seventh inning. It came off a right-hander; Fairchild is batting .152 with a .522 OPS against righties this season. It's unclear why Cincinnati manager David Bell went with Fairchild instead of the lefty-hitting Will Benson, who has slightly better results against right-handers. Bell told MLB.com following the game that Fraley is "fine" and could return to action Saturday.

Fraley (ankle) is expected to play Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Fraley rolled his ankle during an at-bat in the second inning of Friday's 8-3 loss to the Brewers. Following the game, Reds manager David Bell said Fraley was "fine" and "should be back in there" Saturday. Fraley was replaced Friday by Stuart Fairchild.

Martinez (5-2) earned the win over the Phillies on Friday, allowing one run and striking out one over a scoreless ninth inning.

Martinez's ascension to the back end of the Diamondbacks' bullpen continued. He was prepping for a save opportunity, but setup reliever A.J. Puk allowed an inherited runner to score, negating the chance. For Martinez, it was a sixth straight scoreless outing, during which he's struck out 12 batters in six innings.

Bart went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Bart remains hot at the plate, with four homers and 10 RBI over his last seven contests. He's also posted a 1:7 BB:K in that span, but that's less of a concern when he's making such authoritative contact. For the year, the catcher is up to a .267/.349/.514 slash line with 10 homers, 32 RBI, 23 runs scored and six doubles over 49 contests. His career high in homers is 11 in 97 games with the Giants in 2022.

Cruz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Cruz came up a triple shy of the cycle, logging his second three-hit game in a row since returning from an illness. The shortstop has gone 12-for-24 (.500) with three extra-base hits over six contests in August. Cruz is up to a .262/.315/.473 slash line with a career-high 18 homers, 59 RBI, 54 runs scored, 24 doubles and 11 stolen bases over 103 games this season.