MLB Player News

Fulmer earned a save against the Rockies on Monday, issuing one walk and striking out two batters over two-thirds of an inning.

Fulmer was activated from the injured list Monday and was immediately thrown into the fire, taking the mound with one out in the ninth inning and Chicago holding a one-run lead. He put the first two batters he faced on base via a walk and a hit-by-pitch but rebounded in impressive fashion by fanning Harold Castro and Brenton Doyle to escape the jam. The veteran reliever's save came on the same day Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay landed on the injured list with a forearm strain, though that doesn't necessarily suggest Fulmer will be the team's top ninth-inning option moving forward. Julian Merryweather has pitched very well this season and picked up a save Sunday, but he was likely unavailable Monday after pitching each of the previous three days.

Wicks allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters over six innings in a no-decision against Colorado on Monday.

Wicks entered the contest having given up two or fewer runs in each of his first three big-league starts, and even a date at Coors Field didn't halt that streak. The southpaw allowed a first-inning run Monday but kept the Rockies off the scoreboard for the remainder of his outing, which ended up as his second straight quality start. Wicks has just six punchouts over 17.2 frames since fanning nine in his major-league debut versus Pittsburgh on Aug. 26, but that's been about the only unimpressive part of his production. He's registered a 1.99 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB overall across his first 22.2 innings.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Monday's 11-5 loss to the Orioles.

Contreras has multiple hits in five of his last nine games, going 13-for-35 (.371) with six home runs and 15 RBI in that span. It's a strong push for the catcher, who has struggled to adjust in his first year with the Cardinals. He's at a .261/.353/.461 slash line with 19 homers, 66 RBI, 53 runs scored, six stolen bases and 26 doubles over 120 contests, and he appears set to close out the season strong.

Nootbaar went 2-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 11-5 loss to the Orioles.

Nootbaar has cooled off in September, going 7-for-35 (.200) across 10 games this month. Four of his hits in that span have gone for extra bases, and he's added two steals. The outfielder continues to see a near-everyday role and some time atop the Cardinals' lineup. He's slashing .275/.381/.445 with 10 thefts, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 67 runs scored and 21 doubles through 100 contests this season.

Muncy went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 11-8 loss to the Padres.

Muncy has homered three times in his last four games while adding six RBI in that span. The infielder continues to display solid power with 35 long balls and a .493 slugging percentage through 120 contests this season. He's added 97 RBI, 84 runs scored and a stolen base despite batting a meager .208, though his on-base percentage is a respectable .331.

Betts went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBI in Monday's 11-8 loss to the Padres.

Betts had hit just .182 (4-for-22) with no extra-base hits over his last seven games. He got back on track quickly Monday, blasting a solo shot in the first inning before adding a three-run double in the third. The 30-year-old continues to be productive in a number of ways as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter. He's slashing .313/.411/.611 with 39 homers, 103 RBI, 119 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 37 doubles through 135 contests.

Stone allowed seven runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Padres.

Stone pitched with a lead for much of his outing, but he let it slip away in the sixth inning. The right-hander was making his first major-league appearance since Aug. 27, but he's now allowed at least four runs in five of his six outings this season. It shakes out as a 10.80 ERA, 2.19 WHIP and 12:9 K:BB through 23.1 innings overall. It's unclear if he'll remain in the majors, though it seems like the Dodgers would fare better with Emmet Sheehan as their fifth starter after Stone's latest disappointing effort.

Kim went 1-for-4 with one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Monday's 11-8 win over the Dodgers.

Kim's hitting has dropped off a bit in September -- he's gone 8-for-41 (.195) this month, but he's still managed to pick up six steals in his last 10 games. The infielder is up to 35 steals this season, good for eighth in the majors. He's also slashing .270/.361/.416 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 80 runs scored and 20 doubles over 140 games.

Bogaerts went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Monday's 11-8 win over the Dodgers.

Bogaerts saw an eight-game hitting streak snapped Sunday, but he was right back at it Monday. His biggest knock was a ninth-inning homer to pad the Padres' lead to 11-7. The shortstop has gone deep three times this month and now has 18 long balls on the year. He's added a .273/.341/.425 slash line with 50 RBI, 70 runs scored, 15 stolen bases and 27 doubles over 139 contests.

Soto went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 11-8 win over the Dodgers.

Soto slugged a three-run blast in the ninth inning to put the Padres ahead. This was his first multi-hit effort in September -- he's hitting .243 (9-for-37) this month. The outfielder has four homers in that span, giving him 29 on the year to go with 89 RBI, 80 runs scored, eight stolen bases and a .260/.400/.488 slash line through 145 contests overall.