MLB Player News

Winans came away with a no-decision Friday as Atlanta was downed 10-6 by the Nationals, surrendering six runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out two.

The Nats clubbed five homers in total on the night, but Winans was responsible for the bulk of the barrage, serving up long balls to Carter Kieboom and Jake Alu in the fourth inning and Keibert Ruiz in the sixth. The 28-year-old right-hander had given up zero homers and only four runs in 11.1 innings over his prior two September starts, but Friday's poor effort might have been enough to get Atlanta to reconsider a potential role for Winans in the postseason rotation, even if Max Fried (finger) and Charlie Morton (finger) remain sidelined.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 10-6 win over Atlanta.

Smith's 12th long ball of the season gave the Nationals a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning before the team tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Despite having avoided a trip to the injured list and having been locked into a near-everyday role throughout the season, Smith's overall production has been modest at best. He'll take a .253 average to go with 56 runs, 46 RBI and one stolen base into the Nationals' final two games of the season.

Kieboom went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run, a walk and an additional run in Friday's 10-6 win over Atlanta.

Kieboom's long ball -- his fourth of the campaign -- was one of five home runs on the night for the Nationals, tying a season high for the club. The 26-year-old has heated up with a .762 OPS over his last 10 games, but he's still been stuck in a timeshare at third base with Ildemaro Vargas as the season winds down.

Young went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases in Friday's 10-6 win over Atlanta.

He swiped his ninth and 10th bags of the season, the first coming after he beat out a potential double-play grounder in the third inning. Young raced through three levels of the minors this season before making his big-league debut and went 49-for-56 on the basepaths across all his stops, but his lack of power (just six homers in 143 games) and a .242/.312/.333 slash line through his first 112 plate appearances in the majors makes it unclear whether he'll be in the line for a starting role with the Nats in 2024.

Weems (5-0) was credited with the win Friday, giving up one run on two hits and two walks over one inning of relief in the Nationals' 10-6 victory over Atlanta. He struck out one.

The 30-year-old right-hander got tagged for a run for the third time in his last four appearances as he experiences a late-season fade, but Weems was still able to vulture one more win. He's stumbled to a 5.06 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 10:10 K:BB through 10.2 innings in September, and he's far from guaranteed a key role in the Nationals' 2024 bullpen despite his 96 mph fastball and sharp slider.

The Brewers will recall Lauer from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday to start their penultimate game of the regular season versus the Cubs at American Family Field, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

After opening the season as the Brewers' No. 3 starter, Lauer posted a 5.48 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 41:20 K:BB over 42.2 innings across his first nine appearances (eight starts) with the big club before landing on the 15-day injured list May 22 with an impingement in his non-throwing shoulder and then getting optioned to the minors once activated June 13. Following his reinstatement from the IL, Lauer spent several weeks at the Brewers' complex in Arizona before returning to minor-league action in late July. He eventually moved on to Triple-A Nashville and turned in his best start of the season in his most recent outing Sept. 22, striking out 10 while allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings. Lauer will now get the chance to make his first start with the Brewers since May, and though he doesn't look to be a realistic option for the team's postseason pitching staff, a positive showing Saturday could help him land a big-league deal elsewhere this winter. The 28-year-old southpaw is set for a raise in arbitration from the $5.08 million salary he earned in 2023, and the Brewers are likely to non-tender him and allow him to explore his options in free agency.

Williams came away with a no-decision Friday in the Nationals' 10-6 win over Atlanta, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander needed 75 pitches (43 strikes) to record 10 outs, falling well short of any chance to collect his seventh win of the season. Williams wound up making 30 starts for a Washington squad in dire needs of dependable rotation options, but his 5.55 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 111:53 K:BB through 144.1 innings kept him far from the fantasy radar. The 31-year-old is under contract for one more season at $7 million, but the Nats will hope their younger arms develop to the point that Williams can be shifted back into a swingman or long-relief role in 2024.

Montero went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Friday against the Twins.

Montero made his lone hit of the day count, and he now has three home runs in his last four games. His strong hitting has extended further, as he's gone deep five times across 25 games in September. Importantly, he's also shown improved plate discipline by maintaining a 26.7 percent strikeout rate and 6.9 percent walk rate in that same span.

Rodgers went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Friday against the Twins.

Rodgers led off the fifth inning with his fourth home run of the season, each of which has come in his last nine games. He's been limited to only 44 games after suffering a shoulder injury during spring training, though he's ultimately delivered a slash line remarkably similar to his 2022 campaign. Most importantly, Rodgers appears to be proving healthy before heading into the offseason.

Candelario went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Candelario was reinstated from the injured list Wednesday after missing a few weeks with a back strain, and Friday's home run was his first hit since returning. He's been solid this year with an .807 OPS, 22 home runs and 38 doubles, and the Cubs will need the infielder to produce over their final two games if they want to sneak into the playoff field.