MLB Player News

Brown allowed one hit and two walks while striking out six over four scoreless innings in a no-decision versus Atlanta on Thursday.

Brown did a fine job, throwing 42 of 66 pitches for strikes while working on three days' rest. He's started five of his 12 appearances this season and now has a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB over 39.1 innings. Kyle Hendricks' struggles opened up this chance for Brown to start, but he could find himself back in the bullpen once Jordan Wicks (forearm) is cleared to return. In any case, Brown appears to be near the top of the list for the Cubs whenever they have an opening in the rotation to fill.

Albies went 1-for-3 with a walk, one RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.

Albies is hitting well, going 11-for-40 (.275) over his last 10 games, though he has just one extra-base hit, a double, in that span. The second baseman is slashing .269/.330/.388 with three home runs, three steals, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored and 10 doubles over 39 contests on the year. He's locked into a starting role, but the lack of counting stats is a small concern for a player that has hit 20-plus homers four times in the last six years.

Kelenic went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.

Kelenic opened the scoring in the fifth inning, taking Hayden Wesneski deep. This was Kelenic's third straight game with a hit, and all three of his homers this year have come over his last 11 contests, a span in which he's hitting .222 (8-for-36). The outfielder is at a .248/.293/.376 slash line with eight RBI, 11 runs scored, five doubles and no stolen bases over 116 plate appearances. He is likely to remain limited to a strong-side platoon role in left field, sharing the position with Adam Duvall, unless either outfielder goes on an extended hot streak.

Iglesias struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.

Iglesias has converted his last four save chances since a blown save May 3 versus the Dodgers. He's allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over his last six innings, so it hasn't been the smoothest of stretches for the veteran closer. On the year, he's 12-for-14 in save chances with a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 19.1 innings.

Smith-Shawver allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four over 4.1 shutout innings Thursday versus the Cubs, taking a no-decision.

Smith-Shawver pitched fairly well, aside from needing 87 pitches (55 strikes) to get 13 outs. It's a much better showing than his 6.10 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 35:17 K:BB over 31 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett to begin 2024. The right-hander's call-up could have been merely for a spot start after Atlanta's doubleheader earlier in the week, so it's unclear if the team will make room for him beyond Thursday. Darius Vines, who is expected to take the mound Friday in Pittsburgh, is the other candidate for the vacant No. 5 starter job.

Martini went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning loss to the Padres.

Martini has started the last two games in right field, replacing Jake Fraley (hand). Prior to Thursday, Martini was stuck in an 0-for-15 drought at the major-league level, though the slump spanned a demotion to Triple-A Louisville. He snapped it with a second-inning single before tying this contest with a two-run blast in the sixth. For the season, Martini is slashing .184/.204/.356 with four homers, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored and no stolen bases across 93 plate appearances. When the Reds are closer to full health, Martini will likely compete for playing time at designated hitter with Mike Ford, who is batting .161 on the year.

Montas allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out three over six innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Thursday.

Montas has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) across 15.2 innings over his last three starts, though he's avoided taking a loss in any of those games. The Padres got to him early Thursday before he bounced back and finished strong. The right-hander is at a 4.61 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 28:16 K:BB over 41 innings across nine starts this season. Montas is projected to make his next start at home versus the Cardinals.

Peralta went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Reds.

This was Peralta's second game with the Padres, and he's been in the organization for less than a week after signing a minor-league deal Saturday. He's started one game apiece in right and left field, allowing Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis to each take a turn at designated hitter. There's room for all three outfielders in the lineup versus right-handed pitchers, while Peralta is likely to sit against southpaws. He filled a similar strong-side platoon role with the Dodgers in 2023, slashing .259/.294/.381 with seven home runs, 55 RBI and four stolen bases. There's not a lot of power left in his bat, but he could provide some overall upside if he makes contact consistently.

Arraez went 4-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Reds.

Arraez has multiple hits in each his last eight games, going 20-for-38 (.526) with three extra-base hits in that span. The infielder played at first base Thursday, swapping places with Jake Cronenworth on the right side of the infield. Arraez is up to a .341/.382/.422 slash line with one home run, 12 RBI, 31 runs scored and three stolen bases over 226 plate appearances. He sees a majority of the playing time at the keystone due to Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) being out indefinitely and should continue to thrive atop the order for a team that has little trouble putting the ball in play.

Kim went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two stolen bases in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Reds.

Kim seemingly has a green light to run right now -- he's logged five steals over his last five games, going 5-for-15 with five walks in that span. The shortstop is up to 13 thefts on 14 attempts this season, putting him roughly on pace to match his total of 38 steals in 2023. Kim has a .216/.335/.369 slash line with six home runs, 22 RBI, 25 runs scored, four doubles and two triples over 52 games, but his recent hitting suggests he may be turning things around. Kim still figures to hit in the bottom half of the order most of the time.