MLB Player News

Palacios went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a stolen base in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Nationals.

Palacios got the scoring started in the second inning Tuesday, blasting a two-run homer to straight-away center field. The 28-year-old later singled and stole third base -- his fifth steal of the year. After an 0-for-4 performance Aug. 25 caused the outfielder's batting average to hover just above the Mendoza Line, Palacios has gone 12-for-37 (.324) with two home runs and three steals across his last 14 games, improving his season-long slash line to .224/.269/.405 in limited action.

Mauricio went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

With the score tied 1-1 in the fourth inning, Mauricio put the Mets in the lead for good by ripping a Ryne Nelson fastball just fair down the right-field line. It was the first career big-league homer for the 22-year-old infielder, who is batting .306 (11-for-36) through his first 38 MLB plate appearances with two doubles, two runs, five RBI and a perfect 4-for-4 performance on steal attempts. Mauricio is also posting some impressive Statcast numbers with a 91.9 mph average exit velocity that is comparable to Mike Trout's and a 50.0 percent hard-hit rate that would rank in the 90th percentile if he had enough playing time to qualify. Only seven players this season have hit a ball harder than Mauricio's 117.3 mph max exit velocity, a list that includes Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson and Shohei Ohtani.

Ottavino struck out one over 1.2 perfect innings Tuesday to record his 10th save of the season in a 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Entering the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, Ottavino got Corbin Carroll to ground into a double play to escape the jam, then breezed through the heart of the Arizona order in the ninth. The veteran righty has the Mets' last three saves, with Drew Smith being the last pitcher other than Ottavino to collect one back on Sept. 1, and barring a late-season cameo from Edwin Diaz (knee), he'll likely remain the team's closer the rest of the way.

Falter (2-8) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over six innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four.

Falter retired the first 11 Nationals in order before surrendering his lone earned run on an RBI single in the fourth inning. He earned his third quality start and second win of the campaign. The versatile southpaw has allowed just six hits and two earned runs while accumulating a 9:2 K:BB across his last 13.1 innings, spanning two bulk relief appearances and Tuesday's traditional start. It remains to be seen how Falter will be deployed in his next appearance, but he currently lines up to pitch in Pittsburgh's next series against the Yankees this weekend.

Butto (1-2) picked up the win in Tuesday's 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out seven.

It was a night of firsts for the Mets' younger players, as Ronny Mauricio's first career homer helped get Butto his first career win. The 25-year-old right-hander has looked good in his return to the rotation in September, giving up three runs in 11.1 innings over two starts with a 13:4 K:BB, but whether he's still in the mix for a starting spot in 2024 will likely depend on how aggressive the front office is in free agency this winter. Butto's next outing is likely to come early next week in Miami.

Nelson (7-8) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up six runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings as the Diamondbacks were downed 7-4 by the Mets. He struck out three.

Four of the seven hits off the right-hander went for extra bases, including Ronny Mauricio's first career home run and Pete Alonso's 44th blast of the season. Nelson has been tagged for six runs in three of his four big-league starts since the beginning of August, staggering to a 10.69 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through 16 innings over that stretch, and with Arizona fighting to hang onto a wild-card spot, manager Torey Lovullo may have to consider other options for the fifth spot in his rotation.

Adon (2-2) took the loss Tuesday, allowing four runs on eight hits and six walks over four-plus innings against the Pirates. He struck out four.

Adon dealt with multiple baserunners in each of his four-plus innings Tuesday, issuing a career-high six free passes. In seven outings since his Aug. 5. return to the big-league squad, the 25-year-old righty has a 6.00 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 3.8 BB/9 across 33 innings. Adon will carry a 5.92 season-long ERA into his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for early next week versus the White Sox.

Helsley picked up the save in Tuesday's win over Baltimore, tossing a perfect inning.

Helsley needed just seven pitches to set down the top of Baltimore's lineup in order, securing a 5-2 victory. The 29-year-old flamethrower has successfully converted the Cardinals' last two save opportunities, posting five consecutive scoreless appearances since his return from injury Sept. 1. As of now, Helsley seems to have returned to primary closing duties for the Cardinals.

Palacios went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Baltimore.

Entering in the second inning as a replacement for the injured Nolan Gorman, Palacios took advantage of the opportunity, blasting a pair of solo home runs. After going deep just once in his first 150 career at-bats, the 26-year-old outfielder launched homers in back-to-back plate appearances Tuesday. In limited action since getting promoted from the minors Aug. 16, Palacios has posted a slash line of .317/.349/.585 with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and one steal across 16 games.

Wainwright (4-11) earned the win Tuesday, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings against Baltimore. He struck out three.

Wainwright held the first-place Orioles scoreless until the fifth inning, when the first three batters reached and two runs came around to score in the frame. The 42-year-old veteran left with a lead that would not be relinquished, earning his 199th career win and his first win since June 17. In the 11 outings between wins, Wainwright went 0-10 with a 10.72 ERA, 2.27 WHIP and 25:23 K:BB across 45.1 innings. He currently lines up for a home matchup with the Brewers in his next outing.