MLB Player News

De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Rockies.

De La Cruz snapped a 21-game homer drought with his third-inning blast, which was his 10th long ball of the year. During the power outage, he hit just .169 with four doubles, though he still managed to pick up seven stolen bases. The speedy infielder's slump has dropped his season slash line to .233/.329/.426 with 26 RBI and 39 runs scored over 61 contests, but he also leads the majors by a wide margin with 32 steals.

Montas (3-4) allowed one hit and two walks while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Montas navigated Coors Field with ease in his best start of the year. This was his third scoreless outing, though one of those was shortened by a forearm injury versus the Angels on April 21. The right-hander had been struggling to rack up strikeouts prior to Tuesday -- his previous season high was seven. Montas is at a decent 4.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 42:20 K:BB over 54 innings across 11 starts this season. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Cubs.

Blach (2-3) allowed four runs on 10 hits and struck out two without walking a batter over five innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Reds.

The Rockies had just six baserunners in the contest, giving Blach virtually no support. This game was a bit of a step back for the southpaw, who had posted quality starts in each of his previous two outings. Blach is now at a 4.54 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 19:7 K:BB through 39.2 innings over nine appearances (six starts) this season. He's projected to make his next start on the road at St. Louis.

Neris worked around a walk to toss a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

Neris ceded a one-out walk, then watched pinch runner Duke Ellis swipe second. However, the veteran reliever picked off Ellis to shut down any chance of a rally by the White Sox. Neris now has eight saves in 10 chances this season to go with a solid 2.86 ERA. He's earned a little job security as the Cubs' closer given his strong play, particularly with Opening Day closer Adbert Alzolay (forearm) on the 60-day IL.

Morel went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

Morel launched his 11th home run of the season and second in the last five games in the sixth inning to spark the Cubs' comeback victory. The 24-year-old has been a bit all or nothing this year, as he's batting just .201; however, his power potential alone should keep him in Chicago's lineup most days and gives him fantasy upside, which he flashed last season with 26 long balls in only 388 at-bats.

Happ went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

Happ had his first three-hit effort since April 16 and his last hit was his biggest, a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning that turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead for the Cubs. While the outfielder is batting just .232 on the season, he's up to .303 over his last 10 games, and his track record suggests he should continue to trend upward.

The Brewers will recall Ashby from Triple-A Nashville to start Wednesday's game versus the Phillies, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

With Robert Gasser (elbow) potentially facing a stint on the injured list, the Brewers will promote Ashby from Triple-A to fill the open slot in their rotation. Ashby was brought up for a spot start in early April, during which he allowed four earned runs in just 3.2 innings while striking out two batters and walking two. He hasn't been much better in the minors so far, posting a 6.80 ERA and 1.99 WHIP through 43.2 innings, though he threw seven shutout frames during his most recent outing with Nashville.

Albies went 2-for-3 with a double, a three-run home run and an additional run during Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Red Sox.

Albies went yard for the first time in 23 games, plating Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna in the sixth inning on a three-run shot off Kutter Crawford. He's been swinging a hot bat as of late, batting .324 with five doubles, six RBI and five runs scored in his last 10 games. After slugging a career-high 33 homers last season, Albies has just four round trippers in 50 games in 2024, and his slugging percentage has dropped from .513 to .410.

Initial X-rays on Murphy's right elbow came back negative after he was hit by a pitch during Tuesday's win over the Red Sox, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Murphy's elbow swelled up significantly immediately following the HBP, though he appears to have escaped the incident without suffering any structural damage. The catcher also said after Tuesday's game that he is confident he'll be able to avoid the injured list and get back to playing within a few days. Travis d'Arnaud would start behind the plate for any games that Murphy may have to miss.

Fried (6-2) picked up the win Tuesday against Boston, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk across seven innings. He struck out 13.

Fried recorded a career-high number of strikeouts Tuesday, surpassing 10 Ks for the first time since 2019. The southpaw yielded his first long ball in five starts, as lefty-hitting Dominic Smith launched a solo homer in the third inning. Fried has logged a quality start in six of his last eight outings, a stretch in which he owns a 1.57 ERA and a 55:13 K:BB over 57.1 innings. He's scheduled to face the Nationals in Washington on Sunday.