MLB Player News

Tovar went 2-for-4 with a double Saturday against the Mets.

Tovar began July with seven consecutive hitless starts, though he now has a five-game hitting streak. His production has been largely empty, as across his last five games he has gone 8-for-21 with three extra-base hits, one RBI and two runs scored. Even with the slower production of late, Tovar has had a solid season, showing improvement in his OPS, ISO and batting average relative to 2023.

Lopez (7-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up three runs on 11 hits over six innings as Atlanta was downed 4-0 by the Padres. He struck out two without walking a batter.

The right-hander didn't give up a lot of hard contact, as nine of the 11 hits were singles and the other two were well-placed doubles, but it was still a season high in knocks allowed for Lopez. It's his first loss since May 25, snapping a seven-start stretch in which he'd gone 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB through 38.1 innings. Fatigue could be creeping in for the converted reliever, as his 95.2 innings on the year are already his highest total since 2019, but he may not get much of a rest over the break after earning an All-Star Game berth for the first time in his career.

Hernandez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's extra-inning loss to Detroit.

Hernandez gave Los Angeles an 8-4 lead with his two-run blast in the seventh inning, but the Tigers later rallied to secure the victory. Even with Max Muncy (oblique) and Mookie Betts (hand) on the IL, Hernandez has been a part-time player, starting four of Los Angeles' past seven contests. Saturday's long ball was his first of July, and he's gone 1-for-21 over 10 games this month.

Winn went 4-for-9 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Cubs.

Hitting leadoff in both contests, Winn banged out two hits in each and wrapped his day with a solo shot off Javier Assad on the third pitch he saw in the nightcap. Winn is having a strong start to July, slashing .300/.364/.400 through 12 games with two doubles, a homer, a steal, five RBI and 10 runs.

Helsley recorded his 32nd save of the season Saturday, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning during the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs.

After blowing a save July 5, Helsley got an extended rest and bounced back with a strong performance. The right-hander has hardly been struggling lately though -- he's allowed earned runs in only one of his last 12 appearances, posting a 1.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 16:9 K:BB over 13 innings during that stretch. Helsley's 32 saves leads the majors, three clear of the Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, and that impressive first half has earned him his second career All-Star Game berth.

Gibson came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs, giving up four runs on 10 hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out three.

All four runs scored in the second inning as Chicago batted around, with the biggest blow being a two-run shot by Miguel Amaya. Gibson wound up exiting after 97 pitches (56 strikes) as he failed to last more than five innings for the fourth straight start, a stretch in which he's stumbled to a 7.50 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB in 18 innings. The veteran righty will try to use the All-Star break to regroup, but there are warning signs his numbers could continue to regress after a promising start to 2024 -- his 91.0 mph average velocity on his fastball would be his lowest since 2016, while his 9.5 percent walk rate would be his highest over a full season since 2018.

Suzuki went 3-for-9 with a home run and two RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

The outfielder launched a solo shot off Lance Lynn in the first inning of the matinee before adding an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap. Suzuki has flipped the switch in July, slashing .306/.346/.592 through 12 games with three of his 13 homers and 13 of his 44 RBI on the season.

Hoerner went 3-for-8 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

The Cubs got swept in the twin bill while being outscored 16-7, but Hoerner did his best to spark some offense and reached base twice in each contest. The 27-year-old infielder extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the process, a stretch in which he's slashing .375/.426/.425 with two doubles, six runs and eight RBI. Hoerner hasn't even attempted a stolen base since June 27 however, and his 14 steals through 88 games is a mild disappointment after he swiped 43 bags in 2023.

Amaya went 1-for-2 with two walks and a two-run home run in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

After sitting out the matinee, Amaya took Kyle Gibson deep in the second inning of the nightcap for his third homer of the year, helping the Cubs to an early 4-2 lead that slipped away late. The 25-year-old backstop has been alternating starts with Tomas Nido over the last week, and the arrangement seems to be agreeing with Amaya -- he's gone 5-for-12 with a double, a home run and three RBI in his last four games.

Assad came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks over 2.1 innings. He failed to strike out a batter.

Out since June 23 with a forearm strain, Assad was activated from the IL without having gone on a rehab assignment, so the poor results aren't a big surprise. The right-hander was lifted after 44 pitches (29 strikes) having served up first-inning solo shots to Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras, and keeping the ball in the park was an issue for Assad prior to the injury as well -- he's been tagged for 10 homers in his last eight starts and 37 innings, posting a 5.59 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 37:20 K:BB over that stretch. Despite those numbers, the 26-year-old will likely remain in the Cubs rotation following the All-Star break.