MLB Player News

Yamamoto (3-2) earned the win Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings against Houston. He struck out eight.

Yamamoto allowed three runs but brought some of his best stuff in Houston, tallying 17 whiffs and a season-high eight strikeouts. The right-hander has been dependable early on, completing five-plus innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his seven starts in 2026. He'll carry a 3.09 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with a 40:10 K:BB across 43.2 innings into his next start, tentatively scheduled for next Monday against San Francisco.

Merrill went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Giants on Monday.

Merrill got San Diego off to a good start with a solo blast in the first inning, but the Padres weren't able to score again until the ninth frame. The long ball was likely a sigh of relief for fantasy managers who endured the outfielder's 16-game homerless stretch. Merrill has contributed six stolen bases on the season, but he's otherwise been pretty disappointing on offense, posting a .220/.283/.362 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI and 20 runs through 33 games.

Keller earned the save Monday against the Marlins, allowing two hits in a scoreless ninth inning.

Keller got the job done in the ninth despite some traffic, allowing a pair of singles but limiting the damage to secure the save. After giving up a leadoff hit to Kyle Stowers, the right-hander quickly induced a double play that helped him regain control of the inning. The save was his second in a row with Jhoan Duran still sidelined. Entering Monday Keller struggled recently, allowing runs in three of his last four appearances. The 30-year-old now holds a 4.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB across 14.2 innings.

Vasquez (3-1) took the loss against San Francisco on Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 5.2 innings.

Vasquez wasn't awful in the outing, and he finished just one out away from notching a quality start. However, he also didn't fool many hitters with just seven whiffs and two punchouts. The right-hander began the campaign in fine form, allowing just two runs over his first three starts spanning 17.2 innings while uncharacteristically racking up 19 strikeouts. The punchout numbers have come down since then -- Vasquez has a modest 17:9 K:BB over his subsequent 21.2 frames, and he's allowed 12 earned runs during that span. He still has a respectable 3.20 ERA overall and is secure in his spot in the Padres' rotation. His next start is lined up to take place at home against St. Louis.

Kilian picked up a save against the Padres on Monday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two batters over one inning.

With regular closer Ryan Walker having blown two straight save chances, manager Tony Vitello opted to turn to Kilian to protect a two-run, ninth-inning lead. Kilian gave up a long homer to Ramon Laureano to open the frame but was then able to set down Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado in order. Walker didn't end up pitching in the contest, but he spent some time warming up during the seventh inning, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, so he was likely available to pitch. It's not clear if the Giants are turning away from Walker as their closer just yet, though that wouldn't be surprising given his struggles so far (he's blown three of six save chances and has a 4.61 ERA through 14 appearances). Should Walker in fact be moved out of the closer role, Kilian and Keaton Winn could be the top options to step into his place, especially with Erik Miller (back) landing on the injured list Monday.

Junk (2-3) took the loss Monday against the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits while striking out six over 5.1 innings.

Junk delivered another strong outing but was saddled with the loss, as he allowed the only run of the night -- a Bryce Harper solo homer in the third inning. The right-hander filled the zone effectively, throwing 64 of his 92 pitches for strikes. He has been excellent of late, allowing just one run across his last 16.1 innings, and he's now gone at least five innings in six consecutive starts. Junk owns a 2.82 ERA and 1.04 WHIP so far, though his 27 strikeouts in 38.1 innings highlight a less appealing fantasy profile. He will look to continue his recent success in his next scheduled outing against Washington.

McDonald (1-0) earned the win over San Diego on Monday, tossing seven innings during which he allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out eight batters.

McDonald is one of San Francisco's top pitching prospects and was called up from Triple-A ahead of Monday's matchup. He had previously thrown 18 major-league innings across the 2024-25 campaigns. The right-hander was very impressive in his first start of 2026, racking up eight punchouts with no walks while breezing through seven frames on just 81 pitches. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by Jackson Merrill. McDonald certainly pitched well enough to earn another start, but there isn't an obvious spot for him in the Giants' rotation, so it will be interesting to see what San Francisco opts to do with him moving forward.

Herrera went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Monday's 6-3 win over the Brewers.

Herrera delivered a key swing for the Cardinals, drilling a bases-clearing double with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to give his team an early 4-0 advantage. The 25-year-old has logged multiple hits in three of his past six appearances and has been a steady on-base threat in 2026, slashing .256/.416/.424 with four homers, nine doubles, 17 RBI, 21 runs and a stolen base across 35 games.

Riley went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Mariners on Monday.

Riley belted the fourth of Atlanta's four solo homers in the game, but the team was unable to get in the scoring column otherwise. The long ball was Riley's second in his past three contests following a 13-game homerless stretch. The veteran third baseman is batting just .213 on the season, but he may be coming around at the plate, as he's gone 6-for-15 with five RBI over his past four contests.

Turang went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Cardinals.

Turang did his part in sparking a comeback, blasting a two-run homer in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to three. It marked his fifth long ball and fourth three-hit effort of the year, as the second baseman has carried over his breakout 2025 campaign into a hot start to 2026. Through 31 games, the 26-year-old is hitting .304 with a .956 OPS, cementing himself as one of the most consistent and productive hitters in the Brewers lineup.