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Stephen Kolek SP | KC
Padres' Stephen Kolek: Nabs victory in relief
Kolek (2-0) earned the win over Boston on Friday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over two scoreless innings.
Kolek was sharp in the relief outing, throwing 16 of 22 pitches for strikes and recording a first-pitch strike to six of the eight batters he faced. The right-hander has been used almost exclusively in lower-leverage situations this season, picking up just two holds across 33 appearances. Kolek has recorded more than three outs in 12 of those outings and has registered a 4.74 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB over 38 innings on the campaign.
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Sean Bouchard RF | COL
Rockies' Sean Bouchard: Optioned to Triple-A
The Rockies optioned Bouchard (back) to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
Bouchard hasn't played in five days due to lingering back tightness, and the return of Charlie Blackmon (hamstring) from the injured list will force Bouchard to continue recovering in the minor leagues. The 28-year-old outfielder has slashed .200/.307/.318 in the majors despite posting an impressive 1.115 OPS in Triple-A, and he'd be a favorite to return should Colorado experience any more problems with its outfield depth.
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Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: Returns from IL
The Rockies reinstated Blackmon (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Saturday.
Blackmon has been held out of action since he strained his right hamstring June 18 against the Dodgers, but he was able to recover quickly and will now return from the IL following a minimum-length stay. The 37-year-old outfielder had been heating up at the plate prior to getting injured, slashing .333/.397/.509 across 63 plate appearances since the beginning of June. Sean Bouchard (back) was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move.
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Will Benson RF | CIN
Reds' Will Benson: Logs steal in loss
Benson started in right field and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 1-0 loss to St. Louis.
Benson, who was given a rare day off against a righty Wednesday, was in the starting lineup for a second consecutive game against a right-hander Friday. He stole his 10th base of the season, putting himself in scoring position, but Cincinnati was unable to get a key hit (1-for-10 with RISP). While Benson has struggled in 2024 -- he snapped a hitless run of 25 at-bats Thursday and is batting .191 -- the Reds have a couple of outfield injuries that should keep him in the lineup over the weekend. They are scheduled to face another righty, Lance Lynn, on Saturday.
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Luke Maile C | KC
Reds' Luke Maile: Enters starting lineup
Maile started at catcher and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Cardinals.
Primary catcher Tyler Stephenson was added to the paternity list Friday, which means Maile could handle the catching duties over the weekend. Maile is batting .188/.288/.281 over 37 games.
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Corbin Carroll RF | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll: Dropped in order against lefty
Carroll batted seventh and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Athletics.
Carroll was dropped from the top of the order to seventh against a left-hander, though it's unclear if this was a specific adjustment for one game or part of a larger plan going forward against lefties. Carroll appeared to put a season-opening slump behind him earlier this month but was 3-for-22 (.136) over seven games entering Friday. It seems odd that manager Torey Lovullo would drop him after a one-week slump. More should be learned Saturday, when the A's scheduled starter is lefty Hogan Harris.
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Elias Diaz C | TEX
Rockies' Elias Diaz: Drawing closer to return
Diaz (calf) ran on the field Friday and Saturday and has made good progress in his recovery, MLB.com reports.
Manager Bud Black seemed to offer a more positive outlook on Diaz's recovery than in recent days, though Black still declined to offer a timetable for Diaz's return. Positively, the manager suggested that Diaz will not need a rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list.
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Ryan Thompson RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryan Thompson: Takes loss Friday
Thompson (3-3) allowed three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 innings, picking up the loss to Oakland on Friday.
Thompson got the final out of the seventh inning of a tie game and was the pitcher of record when the Diamondbacks took the lead. Usually, that means game over -- Thompson holds the lead then Paul Sewald closes it -- but that was not the case Friday. Thompson, who had allowed just four runs over 32 innings and leads Arizona with 11 holds, was roughed up in the eighth. He told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he couldn't find the right adjustment to avoid throwing very hittable strikes.
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Michael Toglia 1B | CIN
Rockies' Michael Toglia: Three homers in four games
Toglia went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the White Sox.
Toglia took Tanner Banks yard in the seventh inning of Friday's game, tallying his third home run in his last four games. He's started 20 consecutive matchups while splitting time between first base and designated hitter. In that span, Toglia has hit .247 with a 31.3 percent strikeout rate, though he's also managed five homers, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored.