MLB Player News

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Wednesday's 10-6 loss to the Pirates.

Ohtani plated Mookie Betts in the second inning on a 415-foot homer off Paul Skenes. While Ohtani isn't quite hitting with the power he did a season ago, he owns a .322 batting average -- which would be a career best if it stands. The 29-year-old is one of nine players with 15 long balls this season and he's also tied for the ninth-most stolen bases in MLB at 14.

Taillon allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox.

Taillon gave up a leadoff home run to Corey Julks and then surrendered four more runs in the fourth inning. The Cubs were able to cover the damage for Taillon, allowing him to escape with a third straight no-decision. The right-hander has given up at least three runs in his last four starts and now has a 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 35:13 K:BB over 49.1 innings through nine outings on the year. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Rays.

Skenes (3-0) picked up the win Wednesday against the Dodgers, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk across five innings with eight strikeouts.

While Skenes picked up his third victory in five career starts, he didn't make it out of Wednesday's start unscathed. Each of the three runs attributed to the rookie came off a home run, with Shohei Ohtani belting a two-run homer in the third inning before Andy Pages went yard for a solo shot in the fifth. At 22 years of age, Skenes has already established himself as an above-average MLB starter, holding a 3.00 ERA with an excellent 38:6 K:BB across 27.0 innings. He's on schedule for a road start against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Candelario went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and two stolen bases in a 12-7 win over Colorado on Wednesday.

Candelario got the Reds on the board in the third inning with a two-run blast off Dakota Hudson, his eighth homer of the year and second in three days, before picking up his first two stolen bases of the season later in the contest. It was an impressive road trip for the 30-year-old Candelario, who's now gone 9-for-24 (.375) with three extra-base hits in his last five games. Overall, he's slashing .236/.304/.443 with 25 RBI and 22 runs scored through 224 plate appearances this season.

Paxton (5-1) took the loss Wednesday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and two walks across 1.2 innings against Pittsburgh. He struck out two.

Paxton retired the side in the first inning but endured a nightmare second frame. He gave up a walk, three singles and a double to the first five batters he faced as part of a seven-run inning by the Pirates that Paxton didn't finish. The veteran lefty has been shaky over his last four starts, surrendering 15 runs over 15.1 innings while allowing multiple homers in two of those outings and Wednesday's start ballooned Paxton's ERA from 3.29 to 4.19. He'll look to get back on track with a scheduled start against the Rangers on Tuesday.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and two additional RBI in a 12-7 loss to the Reds on Wednesday.

After opening the scoring with an RBI groundout in the first inning, Diaz put the Rockies ahead 5-4 with a solo shot off Nick Martinez before adding a third RBI with a base hit in the seventh. It's the third multi-hit effort in four games for Diaz -- he's gone 7-for-16 in that span. The 33-year-old backstop is off to another strong start this year, slashing .306/.351/.452 with five homers, 27 RBI and 20 runs scored through 202 plate appearances.

Hudson didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Cincinnati, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

The Rockies jumped out to an early 4-0 lead behind Hudson, but the Reds would ultimately tie the game with a pair of two-run homers off the right-hander before he departed in the fifth inning. The 29-year-old Hudson had been pitching well coming into Wednesday, allowing just three runs over 13 innings in his previous two outings. Overall, he's 2-7 on the year with a 5.25 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 35:33 K:BB across 61.2 innings. Hudson will look to get back on track in his next start, currently scheduled for early next week in Minnesota.

Neris (6-0) worked around a walk to toss a scoreless ninth inning and earn the win in Wednesday's 7-6 victory over the White Sox. He struck out two.

Neris found himself in a similar spot to Tuesday night, when he managed to shut the White Sox down and earn the save. In each game, speedy pinch runner Duke Ellis swiped second base to apply some pressure, but the veteran reliever escaped without allowing any runs both times. Neris isn't missing many bats, as his K/9 is down from 10.1 last season to 7.8 this year, but he's still been effective. Neris should have plenty of fantasy value as long as he remains the closer in Chicago.

India went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk and five total RBI in a 12-7 win over the Rockies.

India cut the Reds' deficit to 7-6 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning before breaking the game open with a grand slam off Angel Chivilli in the ninth, extending the lead to 12-7. After a slow start, India's started to turn things around at the plate -- he has at least one hit in nine of his last 12 games, going 14-for-36 (.389) with 13 RBI in that span. Overall, the 27-year-old second baseman is slashing .242/.358/.347 with four homers, 24 RBI, 24 runs scored and five stolen bases through 55 games this season.

Tauchman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

Tauchman provided some heroics, taking Michael Kopech deep in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the fans home happy. The veteran outfielder has provided steady play for the Cubs, and while Chicago has a crowded outfield, Tauchman has been able to see regular playing time as the DH when he's not in the field. As long as he's getting at-bats, the 33-year-old should hold onto some fantasy value.