MLB Player News

Kepler went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, five RBI and a hit-by-pitch in Wednesday's 11-3 win over the Mets.

The veteran outfielder put together an incredible performance, driving in five runs to match his entire RBI total from the month of July and marking his most in a single game since 2016. Kepler's big night was highlighted by his 16th homer of the season, giving him four long balls across his last 15 contests. Consistency has eluded him for much of 2025, and the 32-year-old is now slashing .221/.306/.392 with 50 RBI, 56 runs, eight doubles and three steals over 439 plate appearances.

Sanchez (13-5) earned the win over the Mets on Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.

Sanchez was sharp once again, delivering his third straight outing of just one earned run allowed and continuing a dominant stretch in which he's yielded one run or fewer in 11 of his last 15 starts. With Wednesday's effort, the southpaw also set a career high in innings pitched at 182.1, underscoring the stability he's added to his profile in 2025. Sanchez has now completed six or more innings in 22 of his 29 starts this season. The 28-year-old will carry a 2.57 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 192:43 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the Dodgers.

Holmes (11-8) took the loss against the Phillies on Wednesday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five and hitting two batters over four innings.

The right-hander labored through a tough opening frame, loading the bases with no outs before surrendering an RBI knock to J.T. Realmuto and plunking Max Kepler to put New York in an early hole. Holmes settled in after that, working through the next three innings without giving up a run despite allowing four additional baserunners. The 32-year-old ran into trouble in the fifth however, surrendering two hits to start the inning and allowing another run before being lifted from the game. He allowed his most runs over his past five starts. Holmes will carry a 3.75 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 122:62 K:BB into his next scheduled start at home against the Padres.

Edwards went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Nationals.

The 26-year-old infielder snapped out of a recent slump in a big way, launching his third homer of the season, a 342-foot shot in the eighth inning that just cleared the glove of right fielder Dylan Crews. It marked Edwards' first three-hit game since Aug. 8, when he was hitting .303 and in the thick of the batting title race -- though his average has since dipped to .282. Edwards had been given a rest in the previous series against Philadelphia, and Wednesday's effort was an encouraging sign that he may be regaining his form at the plate.

Irvin (8-12) took the loss against the Marlins on Wednesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out four over five innings.

The right-hander was incredible early, retiring 15 of the first 17 batters he faced while cruising through five scoreless frames. However, Irvin's outing fell apart in the sixth after a fielding error put Maximo Acosta on base, sparking a rally that included three hits before being lifted with two runners aboard -- both of which came around to score. The tough-luck inning extended Irvin's skid to seven losses over his last eight outings, including five straight defeats, as he continues to search for a turnaround.

Perez didn't factor into the decision against the Nationals on Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out seven over 5.2 innings.

Perez looked dominant early, striking out five of the first six batters he faced and allowing just three hits through his first five frames, before unraveling in the sixth and surrendering four straight hits to end his day. After a stellar July, the young right-hander has struggled of late, posting a 7.84 ERA across his last seven outings (32 innings). Perez now owns a 4.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 79:28 K:BB across 81 innings this season and will look to replicate his early-inning success from Wednesday in his next scheduled start against the Rockies, a matchup that should be favorable given Colorado's .307 OBP since the All-Star break. He'll have to contend with the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field, however.

Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Hoerner collected multiple steals for the fifth time this season in his 10th three-hit attack of the campaign. The speedy middle infielder is up to 26 stolen bases on the year as he aims for his third consecutive 30-steal season. Over his last 15 outings, Hoerner is batting .333 with two home runs, seven doubles, seven RBI and three thefts to boost his OPS to .733 in 2025.

Kittredge picked up the save Wednesday against Atlanta, striking out one in a clean ninth inning.

It's notable that Kittredge saw Chicago's first save opportunity since closer Daniel Palencia (shoulder) landed on the injured list. That usage would appear to put him first in line for future save chances, though it's certainly still possible that manager Craig Counsell has a committee approach in mind for his closer position for the time being. Kittredge is worth a speculative add in most fantasy formats as this situation unfolds -- the veteran right-hander owns a 3.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 52:10 K:BB through 47 innings on the season.

The Nationals optioned Ribalta to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

Since being promoted into Washington's bullpen Aug. 1, Ribalta has turned in a 5.27 ERA and 1.90 WHIP alongside a 15:11 K:BB across 13.2 innings. The 27-year-old's subpar performance will now cause him to return to the minors in anticipation of MacKenzie Gore's (shoulder) return from the injured list Thursday.

Smith was scratched from the lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against Colorado due to right hand soreness.

Smith recently missed five games after getting hit on the hand by a pitch last Wednesday, and manager Dave Roberts has said that it will be something the 30-year-old backstop will have deal with for the rest of the season. While Smith takes a day off to nurse his hand, it will be Ben Rortvedt behind the plate catching for Blake Snell.