MLB Player News

Liberatore allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out one batter over 3.1 innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Monday.

Liberatore hurled two scoreless frames before the Angels tagged him for four runs in the third, with the final two tallies coming on a Kevin Pillar two-run homer. The southpaw departed in line for the loss, but St. Louis' offense eventually heated up to take him off the hook. This was Liberatore's second start of the season, and it came primarily as a result of Steven Matz landing on the injured list due to a back injury. Matz isn't expected back soon, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Cardinals put Liberatore back in the bullpen given his poor results Monday.

Profar went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies.

Profar has hit safely in eight of 11 games in May, going 13-for-40 (.325) with three homers and 10 RBI this month. The 31-year-old is slashing .320/.402/.517 with seven long balls, 29 RBI, 23 runs scored, eight doubles and two stolen bases over 44 contests. Profar's best season in the majors was the abbreviated 2020 campaign, and he hit just nine homers with 46 RBI over 125 games last year -- he'll likely post stronger marks in 2024, but his current pace will be tough to sustain.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies.

Bogaerts has doubled his homer total for the year from two to four by going deep in each of the last two games. Prior to the power uptick, he endured an 0-for-15 slump over four contests. The veteran infielder is still battling inconsistency with a .212/.264/.318 slash line, 13 RBI, 23 runs scored, two stolen bases and six doubles through 182 plate appearances this season. He's never posted an OPS lower than .659 in a full campaign, and there's plenty of time for Bogaerts to turn things around in 2024.

Vasquez (0-2) allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk while failing to strike out a batter over 3.2 innings, taking the loss Monday versus the Rockies.

Vasquez gave up four of those runs in the fourth inning and was ultimately relieved by Adrian Morejon. Aside from his start versus the Cubs last Tuesday, Vasquez has posted mostly mediocre outings at the major-league level this year. He's at a 6.32 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB through 15.2 innings across four starts. If Joe Musgrove (elbow) returns from the injured list when first eligible Friday, Vasquez could lose his place on the 26-man roster.

Blackmon went 1-for-5 with a stolen base, one RBI and one run scored in Monday's 5-4 win over the Padres.

Blackmon was part of the Rockies' fourth-inning rally. He drove in a run with a single, stole second and scored an Ezequiel Tovar single. Blackmon is 9-for-22 (.409) with nine RBI and four extra-base hits during his six-game hitting streak. The 37-year-old is slashing .248/.311/.380 with two steals, one home runs, 18 RBI and 17 runs scored over 132 plate appearances this season. Despite a significant drop in his hitting from last year, Blackmon's recent surge has helped him reclaim at least a share of the leadoff spot.

Beeks walked three batters in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Monday's 5-4 win over the Padres.

Beeks has earned a save in four of his last five appearances, including three saves in the last four days. The southpaw has permitted multiple baserunners in back-to-back games, but he continues to dance around trouble. Beeks has four saves, one hold, a 2.21 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over 20.1 innings this season. He's also sporting a 14:11 K:BB, which casts serious doubt on how long he'll be able to find success in high-leverage situations. Justin Lawrence, who doesn't have a save in May, worked a two-inning assignment and picked up a hold Monday.

Hudson (1-6) allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three over 5.2 innings to earn the win Monday over the Padres.

Hudson lost six of his first seven starts with the Rockies, but he was able to get in the win column Monday. While this was a road start, he gave up multiple home runs for the first time this year -- Xander Bogaerts tagged him for a solo shot in the second inning and Jurickson Profar added a two-run blast in the sixth. Hudson is now at a 6.13 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 23:25 K:BB through 39.2 innings this season. He's projected to make his next start on the road in San Francisco.

Bauers went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Monday's loss to the Pirates.

Bauers cut Pittsburgh's lead to 7-6 with his eighth-inning grand slam but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. He now has four home runs this season and two in his last four appearances. He's gone 8-for-22 (.364) with nine RBI so far in May. Bauers owns a .244/.326/.476 slash line with 10 extra-base hits and 21 RBI this season.

Rea (3-1) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk over six innings Monday, striking out five and taking a loss against the Pirates.

Rea was greeted with a two-run homer by Jack Suwinski in the first inning but held the Pirates to just one run over his next five frames. It was Rea's third quality start of the year but he was handed his first loss. He also generated a season-high 12 whiffs, including five via the splitter. Rea has produced a 3.45 ERA with a 30:13 K:BB through eight starts. His next outing is lined up to be in Houston this weekend.

Alvarado picked up the save Monday against the Mets. He pitched a clean inning with no strikeouts.

Alvarado collected his first save since May 5 on Monday night, requiring just nine pitches to retire the Mets in the tenth inning. Outside of yielding five runs on Opening Day, the 28-year-old lefty has been a stalwart, firing a 1.06 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB over 17 innings since then. Alvarado will continue to split saves with the rest of the talented Phillies bullpen but should collect the bulk of opportunities.