MLB Player News

Suarez struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Rangers.

Suarez went a week without an appearance, so he was fresh Wednesday. He needed just 14 pitches (10 strikes) to get the last four outs of this victory, which resulted in his 21st save in 22 chances this year. The Padres' closer has been dominant with a 1.05 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 32:6 K:BB over 34.1 innings.

Mazur allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out four without walking a batter over four innings, taking a no-decision versus the Rangers on Wednesday.

While it's a positive that he issued zero walks, Mazur still had too much traffic on the basepaths to deal with. He threw just 46 of 74 pitches for strikes. This was the fourth time in six outings that he's failed to complete five innings. Mazur has a 7.52 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 15:17 K:BB through 26.1 innings as he continues to struggle during his first stint in the majors. With two off days next week, the Padres could get by with a four-man rotation up to the All-Star break, so it's no guarantee Mazur will stay on the 26-man roster this month.

Busch went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Phillies.

Busch continues his strong first season with the Cubs, and he's now recorded a hit in eight of his last 10 games. Overall, the first baseman is slashing .262/.359/.448. Busch is also batting a solid .303 against lefties, though the Cubs have been generally limiting his exposure to southpaws. Even if Busch sees some days off here and there due to matchups, he's still looking like a decent fantasy option the rest of the year.

Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Phillies.

This was his first multi-hit game since June 22. Crow-Armstrong has displayed good baserunning this year, swiping 16 bags without getting caught, but his chances have been limited. He's batting just .199 with a .247 on-base percentage, and he's added one home run, 15 RBI and eight runs scored over 150 plate appearances. He continues to patrol center field against opposing right-handed pitchers, and his playing time should remain steady through the All-Star break.

Imanaga allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings in a no-decision versus the Phillies.

Imanaga held his own versus a tough opponent, though he allowed home runs to Rafael Marchan and Alec Bohm. This was Imanaga's fourth quality start in his last five outings, the exception being a 10-run anomaly facing the Mets on June 21. The southpaw is now at a 3.16 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 92:15 K:BB through 91 innings over 16 starts this season. He's projected for another challenging opponent next week when he's lined up to for a road start in Baltimore.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.

Merrifield has two steals over his last six contests, but he's gone just 4-for-23 at the plate over his last 11 games. The infielder has recorded 20-plus steals five times in his first eight major-league campaigns, but his smaller role and lackluster ability to get on base in 2024 has put a damper on his speed contributions. He's slashing .190/.277/.282 with eight steals, three home runs, 10 RBI and 19 runs scored over 160 plate appearances this year.

Marchan went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.

Marchan's homer was his second in his last four games, and this was his second multi-hit effort of the season. The catcher is batting .250 with three homers, five RBI, six runs scored, two doubles and no stolen bases over 39 plate appearances. Marchan and Garrett Stubbs continue to split the catching duties while J.T. Realmuto recovers from a right knee surgery.

Bohm went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.

Bohm was named the National League's All-Star starter at third base earlier in the day, and his performance Wednesday was a good example of what he can do. He's up to 11 homers on the year, with five of them coming over his last 15 games. The 27-year-old has added a .299/.351/.494 slash line, 70 RBI, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 28 doubles and a triple over 84 contests.

Alvarado allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.

This was Alvarado's first save since June 11, as Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Dominguez had poached the last three saves. Alvarado remains the Phillies' top closer with 13 saves on the year, with Hoffman (seven), Gregory Soto (two) and Dominguez (one) rounding out the high-leverage group. Over 35 innings this season, Alvarado has maintained a strong 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 38:12 K:BB.

Wheeler allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven over six innings in a no-decision versus the Cubs on Wednesday.

Wheeler has posted quality starts in eight of his last nine outings, the lone exception being an eight-run disaster at Baltimore on June 16. The right-hander left Wednesday's game with a lead, but Matt Strahm couldn't maintain it, though the Phillies went on to win, 5-3, anyway. Wheeler is now at a 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 119:33 K:BB through 111.2 innings over 18 starts this season. He's projected for a tough home start versus the Dodgers in his next outing.