MLB Player News

Stephenson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

Stephenson has feasted on Colorado pitching, going 6-for-13 with five extra-base hits over the first three games of this week's series. Prior to Tuesday, he had gone 22 games without a multi-hit effort. The catcher is now at a .245/.318/.425 slash line with eight homers, 29 RBI, 34 runs scored, 16 doubles and one stolen base over 75 contests.

Pallante (4-4) took the loss against Kansas City in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, allowing four runs on six hits and no walks while striking out five batters over 6.1 innings.

Pallante cruised through four scoreless, one-hit frames before the Royals struck for three runs on four hits in the fifth. The right-hander was allowed to return for the sixth but was pulled after giving up a tiebreaking solo homer to Salvador Perez with one out. Pallante was consequently stuck with the loss, as St. Louis was unable to catch up. Despite the defeat, Pallante recorded his second-longest outing of the campaign while recording exactly five punchouts for his fourth straight appearance.

Ortiz (neck) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin on Thursday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Neck inflammation has kept Ortiz on the injured list since July 3, though his neck issues can be traced back to late June. The Brewers haven't officially stated how many games they plan on having the third baseman play in the minors, though the fact he's headed to High-A Wisconsin may indicate the team wants to keep him nearby for activation once he's eligible to return from the IL on Friday.

India went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

India was scratched with a left knee contusion Tuesday, and he returned in a non-defensive role as the designated hitter Wednesday. The homer was his second in July, though he's batting just .194 (6-for-31) with three RBI this month. Overall, the second baseman is at a .269/.369/.411 slash line with seven homers, 37 RBI, 44 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 doubles and one triple through 350 plate appearances this season.

Montas (4-7) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings to take the loss versus the Rockies on Wednesday.

Montas gave up a pair of home runs to Sam Hilliard, accounting for three of the five runs on his line. The five runs allowed matched a season high for Montas, who had not given up that many since May 12, while his seven innings also equaled his season high. The right-hander is now at a 4.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 69:35 K:BB through 84.1 innings across 17 starts.

Hilliard went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Reds.

Hilliard's playing time has been limited since the Rockies selected his contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on June 21. He got the start in center field Wednesday and delivered a big game from the bottom of the order, hitting his first two homers of the season. The outfielder is 4-for-15 (.267) with two stolen bases and six runs scored over 18 plate appearances this season. At best, Hilliard is a fourth or fifth outfielder for the Rockies, especially since the team already has a trio of left-handed-hitting outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart.

Beeks allowed two runs on three hits over one inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Reds.

Victor Vodnik gave up a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning, creating a save situation. Beeks entered the contest and had trouble getting things under control, but he ultimately had enough runway to work with. Over his last seven appearances, Beeks has given up nine runs (eight earned) with a 5:1 K:BB over 7.2 innings, converting three of his five save chances in that span. He's at nine saves, five holds and six blown saves this season while pitching to a 4.40 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 34:17 K:BB through 45 innings overall. With a weak bullpen and a bottom-five record in the majors, save chances are likely to be limited for Colorado, and the team's committee approach makes it tough to roster any of its high-leverage options.

Freeland (1-3) allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out nine over 6.2 innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Reds.

Freeland has looked much stronger since returning from a left elbow strain that sidelined him for over two months. He's logged four straight quality starts, and Wednesday saw him dial up a season-high nine strikeouts. His rough start to the year is still having a significant impact on his season-long numbers -- 6.00 ERA and 1.62 WHIP -- but he's posted a 30:13 K:BB through 42 innings over eight starts. With his first win of the year finally secured, Freeland has some momentum heading into the second half.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Orioles.

Hoerner extended his hitting streak to six games as he tries to build some momentum heading into the All-Star break. The infielder is batting just .248 for the season, though he's hitting .333 during the recent hot streak. Hoerner batted .281 or better each of the last three seasons, which provides some optimism that a big second half is in store.

Imanaga (8-2) tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Orioles. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out six.

Imanaga finished the first half of the season in style, as he allowed zero runs in a start for the seventh time already this year. The lefty got off to a blazing start in his MLB debut, posting a 0.84 ERA across his first nine outings, before enduring a few lumps since then. However, he has a solid 3.00 ERA over his last three starts and 2.97 ERA overall, giving him some momentum heading into his All-Star appearance next week. Imanaga is tentatively set to take the mound again for the Cubs on July 20 against the Diamondbacks.