MLB Player News
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Notches three hits, stolen base
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a stolen base in Thursday's 4-2, 10-inning win over the Cardinals.
Hoerner didn't score or record any RBI with his three hits, but he did at least record his 16th stolen base of the season in 19 attempts. The speedy infielder has been locked in this month with a .311 batting average across 23 games in July. Overall, Hoerner is slashing .257/.320/.350, and he seems to be rounding into form after enduring a few rough patches earlier in the year.
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Jacob Webb RP | CHC
Cubs' Jacob Webb: Records win Thursday
Webb (4-2) worked around a hit to toss 1.1 scoreless innings and earn the win in Thursday's 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Cardinals. He had no strikeouts or walks.
Webb worked the bottom of the ninth inning in a 2-2 game and managed to force the game into extra innings. He then picked up the win when the Cubs scored twice in the top of the 10th. Webb has been effective out of Chicago's bullpen this year with a 2.64 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 47.2 innings. With Daniel Palencia (elbow) still on the injured list, Webb has a pathway to saves in the short term, though Trent Thornton is also in the mix. It remains to be seen how Chicago approaches things when Palencia returns, but Webb has given the team another reliable end-game option if needed.
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Aaron Civale RP | CHC
Cubs' Aaron Civale: Earns first 2026 save
Civale retired the final two batters of Thursday's 4-2, 10-inning win over the Cardinals to record his first save of the season.
Civale was the sixth Chicago pitcher used on the afternoon, and he retired his two batters on nine pitches to record just his second career MLB save, with his other one coming last year. The veteran righty has now appeared in three games for the Cubs since coming over via trade from the A's on July 18, and he's allowed two runs across five innings while striking out six. Civale doesn't have a ton of fantasy value at the moment, as he's mostly just bullpen depth with his new team, though he's capable of making spot starts if needed.
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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Cubs' Alex Bregman: Leads charge Thursday
Bregman went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's 4-2, 10-inning win over the Cardinals.
Bregman had a nice series against St. Louis, going 10-for-18 with a home run, three RBI and seven runs scored across the four games. Overall, the veteran third baseman is now slashing .248/.341/.381 through106 contests and seems to be trending upward after a slow start to his tenure with the Cubs. Bregman has also been incredibly durable, as he's now played in all but three of Chicago's games this season.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Sitting due to knee soreness
Ohtani is not in the starting lineup Thursday against Seattle as a result of left knee soreness, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ohtani has been dealing with an ongoing knee issue for over a month, and the Dodgers decided to give their superstar a day off. Manager Dave Roberts is "very confident" that the 32-year-old will be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener at home versus Boston.
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Drew Gilbert CF | SF
Giants' Drew Gilbert: Sitting again versus lefty
Gilbert is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Padres.
The Padres are sending southpaw JP Sears to the mound Thursday, so the left-handed hitting Gilbert is taking a seat. It's the third consecutive game Gilbert is beginning the game on the bench, with the last two of those coming against southpaws. While he sits, Grant McCray is starting in center field and batting eighth.
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Drew Cavanaugh C | SF
Giants' Drew Cavanaugh: Sitting Thursday
Cavanaugh is not in the lineup Thursday against the Padres.
It's the second straight game coming off the bench for Cavanaugh, though he still served as a pinch hitter Wednesday and delivered an RBI single. Daniel Susac is operating as the starting catcher Thursday and is batting seventh.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Omitted from lineup Thursday
Ohtani is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Mariners, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani has appeared in all 11 games as a hitter since the All-Star break despite ongoing soreness in his right biceps and inflammation in his left knee. The issues have caused the superstar to put a pause on pitching, and sitting Thursday is likely just a day for him to rest up. As he sits, Teoscar Hernandez is starting as the designated hitter while Enrique Hernandez is inserted in left field.
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Quinn Mathews SP | STL
Cardinals' Quinn Mathews: Making MLB debut Saturday
Matthews will be called up from Triple-A Memphis to start Saturday against the Blue Jays for his MLB debut, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Matthews was removed as the probable pitcher for Memphis on Thursday, which hinted at his promotion. He has been stellar in Triple-A since the start of June with a 1.55 ERA across 52.1 innings. The left-hander is joining the big club as a sixth starter for now, but a full-time rotation spot could open soon if Dustin May is traded ahead of Monday's deadline.
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Gavin Sheets 1B | SD
Padres' Gavin Sheets: Resting vs. lefty
Sheets is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Giants.
The Giants are sending southpaw Robbie Ray to the mound Thursday, so the left-handed-hitting Sheets will take a seat. Jase Bowen has the start in left field and is batting ninth.