MLB Player News

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-2 win over the Marlins.

He's hit safely in nine straight games, going 19-for-40 (.475) with four homers and 13 RBI in that span. Merrill's blast was extra padding for the Padres' lead in this contest. The outfielder is now hitting .256 with a .752 OPS, 26 homers, 86 RBI, 81 runs scored, 25 doubles, five triples and 26 stolen bases over 151 games this season.

France went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run Friday's 8-2 win over the Marlins.

France had gone 10 games without a homer, but he collected six doubles in that span. The infielder muscled up for a long ball to cap the Padres' six-run rally in the fifth inning Friday. On the year, France is batting .301 with an .887 OPS, 21 homers, 69 RBI, 55 runs scored, 23 doubles, two triples and one stolen base over 125 contests.

Pivetta (3-2) allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Friday.

Pivetta has given up just three runs over 14 innings since he returned from a right flexor strain. The lone run on his line Friday came on an Agustin Ramirez homer in the third inning. Pivetta is at a 3.30 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 35:7 K:BB across 30 innings over seven starts in the majors this season. He is lined up to make his last regular-season start on the road versus the Dodgers next week.

Nunez earned the save in Friday's 6-3 win over Philadelphia, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames. He did not record a walk or a strikeout.

Nunez was brought out of the bullpen with two outs in the eighth inning and needed only 11 pitches (seven strikes) to secure the win for the Mets. It was his first save of the season and the second of his major-league career, with his first coming during the 2024 season. Kodai Senga wasn't brought out for the save chance despite not having pitched since Tuesday, when he blew a save chance against the Orioles, so perhaps Nunez could get a couple more save chances before the 2026 campaign ends. Nunez has a 3.94 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 16 innings this season.

Soto went 3-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run during the Mets' 6-3 win over the Phillies on Friday.

With the game tied 3-3 in the sixth, Soto won the game with a 428-foot, three-run home run to center field off Orion Kerkering. It was the fourth home run in September for Soto and his 26th of the year. The superstar outfielder would need a major power surge over the final week of the regular season to reach the 30-homer mark for a fourth consecutive year.

Thornton (5-5) earned the win against the Phillies on Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings.

Thornton was handed an early three-run lead by his Mets teammates, and he proceeded to toss a quality start on only 87 pitches (59 strikes). The 24-year-old southpaw has given up two runs or fewer in four of his last five outings and now sits at a 3.40 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 79.1 innings this season. Thornton made his major-league debut May 20 and has 13 big-league appearances under his belt. His next start, tentatively lined up for next week on the road against the Rangers, figures to be his final outing of the 2026 campaign.

Mayza (3-4) was tagged with the loss against the Mets on Friday, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk in one-third of an inning.

Mayza was given the nod to serve as Friday's opener after enjoying success in his last start against Atlanta this past Saturday, when he struck out four batters across three scoreless innings. He couldn't carry that momentum over against the Mets, however. This outing inflated his stats to a 3.46 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 65 innings this season. Despite the poor outing, the Phillies may call on Mayza to serve as an opener one more time before the end of the regular season in order to protect the rotation for the playoffs.

Sosa went 3-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Phillies' 6-3 loss to the Mets on Friday.

Sosa scored the Phillies' first run of the game on a Bryson Stott double in the second inning, and the latter cut the deficit to 3-2 with a solo homer in the sixth. It was Sosa's first home run since Aug. 30 and eighth homer of the year, which is three shy from his career-high total of 11 long balls that he recorded in 2025.

Eldridge was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers due to a head laceration, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Eldridge has posted a .948 OPS with 14 RBI and seven runs scored over 15 games since the beginning of September, but the Giants will be without his services during Friday's series opener. Brett Harris will fill in at first base and bat seventh.

Bender will undergo surgery to address the stress reaction in his right shin, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Bender was never able to properly rehab his injury after landing on the injured list in late June, so he'll now opt for the surgical route. The Marlins will likely have more information regarding his recovery timeline following his procedure.