MLB Player News

O'Brien notched a save in the first game of Monday's doubleheader versus the Reds, striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

O'Brien had little trouble protecting a one-run lead, throwing 11 of 14 pitches for strikes en route to punching out all three batters he faced. The All-Star closer leads the NL with 31 saves on the season, and only Tampa Bay's Bryan Baker (35) has more saves in either league. O'Brien's last blown save came July 20 against the Angels -- since then, he's a perfect six-for-six in save chances and has pitched 10 consecutive scoreless outings, yielding just one hit while posting an 11:5 K:BB across 10 innings during that span.

Mathews completed four innings in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against Cincinnati, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out seven batters in a no-decision.

Mathews was called up from Triple-A Memphis early Monday and handed the ball for the matinee. The southpaw held his own, allowing just one run on a fourth-inning solo homer by Dane Myers. Mathews racked up 12 whiffs and seven punchouts, though he was a bit wild and needed 95 pitches (55 strikes) to complete only four frames. It was just the second appearance of the 25-year-old's big-league career; in his MLB debut Aug. 1 in Toronto, Mathews yielded three runs over five innings in a loss. Unless St. Louis opts to shift to a six-man rotation, there doesn't seem to be room for Mathews to remain with the big-league club as a starter for now, but he'd likely be a top candidate to move into the rotation should any of the Cardinals' other starters suffer an injury or get demoted.

Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs and three RBI in Monday's 7-5, 10-inning win over the White Sox. He also stole a base.

Crow-Armstrong put together an MVP performance to beat the rival White Sox on Monday at Wrigley Field. The star outfielder led off the bottom of the first inning with his 29th home run of the season, then walked it off in the 10th with his 30th homer to break a 5-5 tie. Crow-Armstrong also chipped in his 31st stolen base for good measure, and he now has consecutive 30-30 campaigns on his resume, making him the first Cubs' player to ever accomplish that feat. The 24-year-old has been one of the top performers in fantasy baseball all year long, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

Mlodzinski (6-6) took the loss against the Tigers on Monday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk in three innings. He struck out three.

The Tigers pounced on Mlodzinski right away, tagging the right-hander for each of his four runs allowed in the first two innings. He's fared poorly since returning to Pittsburgh's rotation, giving up at least four runs while working three innings or fewer in three consecutive starts. Provided he keeps his rotation spot, Mlodzinski won't be a recommended fantasy streamer against the Dodgers his next time out. He has a career-worst 4.03 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 81:36 K:BB over 102.2 innings.

Bratt (1-2) was tagged with the loss against the Red Sox on Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. He did not record a strikeout.

Bratt was far from the worst pitcher for the Diamondbacks on Monday, with Zack Littell yielding eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits across 3.2 innings. Still, Bratt ran up his pitch count to 65 (37 strikes) through three frames while generating only one whiff. It was the second time this season that the 23-year-old southpaw failed to record a strikeout, and he now sports a 4.17 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 36.2 innings. Bratt is lined up to start against the Reds at home this weekend.

Gibson will serve as the Marlins' opening pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Gibson will take the ball for the first inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. Tuesday had been Tyler Phillips' turn in the rotation, so he'll most likely be called upon to pitch in bulk relief behind Gibson.

Buehler (7-6) took the loss against the Mets on Monday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four across six innings.

Buehler got off to a slow start, allowing the first three hitters he faced on base and allowing two runs in the opening frame. He kept the Mets off the board the rest of the way and earned the quality start, but he could not get the run support he needed to avoid the loss. Buehler has put together stronger starts in his six starts since the All-Star break, posting a 3.16 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 31.1 innings, though he also has a 23:14 K:BB in that span. He's lined up to face the Twins at home this weekend.

Duarte was credited with the save in Monday's 2-1 win over the Padres, striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning.

Kodai Senga got the save chance Sunday against the Nationals, so the Mets turned to Duarte to protect the team's one-run lead Monday. Twelve of Duarte's 14 pitches went for strikes, and he started and ended the inning with a punchout. Senga appears to be the Mets' preferred closer while Devin Williams (shoulder) is on the IL, but Duarte could be in the mix for occasional save chances in the interim.

Marte, who was placed on the restricted list Monday, didn't report to Fenway Park ahead of the Diamondbacks' game against the Red Sox due to a personal matter and is being considered day-to-day, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Marte's situation remains murky, and the Diamondbacks have yet to comment when the three-time All-Star might return to the team or whether he'll face any kind of discipline after he had been expected to play Monday. Ildemaro Vargas started at second base in the series opener in Boston and would be in store for more playing time if Marte misses additional games.

McLean (6-6) was credited with the win against the Padres on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and four walks while striking out three across six innings.

It's a bit of a miracle that McLean managed to escape Monday's outing having allowed just one run, but he can thank the Padres for that. At one point, McLean allowed seven consecutive batters to reach base, but three of San Diego's baserunners ended up being thrown out at home, two of them back-to-back in the first frame. McLean settled in after that, allowing only three batters on base over the next four frames to secure his sixth win of the year and 15th quality start, the latter of which is tied for seventh-most in the majors. He'll take a 3.34 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 142.2 innings into his next start, which is lined up for this weekend on the road against the White Sox.