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Corbin Burnes SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Ramping up toward return
Burnes (elbow) threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice session Friday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
This was Burnes' first session facing live hitters. He'll follow up with two innings and 35 pitches in a bridge game Tuesday. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo indicated that Burnes is anxious to pitch in a real game, but the manager will hold off on that until sometime shortly after Sept. 1.
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Michael Busch 1B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Records two hits in loss
Busch went 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Mariners.
Busch recorded his first multi-hit effort since Aug. 9 as he showed a bit of a spark amid what's been a slow stretch at the plate lately. Across his previous eight games before Friday, the first baseman was batting just .161 with a home run and eight strikeouts. Overall, Busch is now slashing .244/.350/.390 with 15 homers, 54 runs scored, 64 RBI and two steals in 127 contests, and he should remain a lineup regular moving forward, at least against righties.
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Ryan Zeferjahn RP | CHC
Cubs' Ryan Zeferjahn: Takes first loss with new team
Zeferjahn (4-4) allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk while retiring two batters to take the loss in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning defeat to the Mariners.
Zeferjahn was tasked with working the bottom of the 10th inning in a 5-5 game, and he ended up serving up a walk-off single to Leo Rivas. It was the righty's first loss since he joined the Cubs at the trade deadline, with his last defeat coming back in May when he was with the Angels. Zeferjahn has struggled a bit with his new team, as he now has a 5.87 ERA and 1.96 WHIP across 7.2 innings in eight appearances. He does at least have a strong 12.9 K/9 in a Chicago uniform.
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Zac Gallen SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Closing in on return
Gallen (elbow) threw two innings and 35 pitches to live hitters Thursday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
Gallen is next scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, after which the club will decide his next steps. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said there is a target date for Gallen and fellow injured starter Corbin Burnes (elbow), but the manager wasn't ready to reveal it and prefers to take the progression step-by-step before making any announcements.
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Ryne Nelson SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Begins bullpen progression
Nelson (elbow) threw 25 pitches in the bullpen Friday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
Nelson began his bullpen progression Friday. If the right-hander comes out of Friday's session without issue, he'll throw another one Tuesday. The Diamondbacks are leaning toward bringing Nelson back as a reliever, which will require a shorter ramp-up, as injured starters Corbin Burnes (elbow) and Zac Gallen (elbow) are ahead of him.
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Spencer Jones RF | NYY
Yankees' Spencer Jones: Supplies game-winning homer Friday
Jones went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's 3-1 win over the Blue Jays.
The rookie outfielder took Spencer Arrighetti deep in the second inning, one of only four hits by the Yankees on the night, to give his team an early lead it wouldn't relinquish. Jones has gone yard in back-to-back games, and over his last 12 contests he's produced a .293/.356/.561 slash line with six total extra-base hits, four steals, eight runs and eight RBI. Despite that success when he does make contact, his 35.6 percent strikeout rate during that hot streak suggests he may not stay locked in for long.
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David Bednar RP | NYY
Yankees' David Bednar: Secures save No. 30
Bednar gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 30th save of the season in a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays.
The veteran closer continues to dominate in his first full season with the Yankees. Since the beginning of June, Bednar has converted 18 of 19 save chances while delivering a 0.81 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 36:7 K:BB over 33.1 innings. He's the third AL pitcher to reach the 30-save plateau this season, behind the Rays' Bryan Baker (36) and the Guardians' Cade Smith (32).
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Jordan Beck RF | COL
Rockies' Jordan Beck: First multi-hit game since April
Beck went 2-for-4 against the Guardians on Friday.
Beck has had a tough season, spending the majority of his time either in the minors or on the injured list. However, he's settled into a short-side platoon role, and he's started three of Colorado's last four games with the team facing a heavy dose of lefties. Beck's multi-hit performance Friday was his first since April 20.
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Cam Schlittler SP | NYY
Yankees' Cam Schlittler: Sharp in 11th win
Schlittler (11-6) picked up the win Friday in a 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays, allowing one run on six hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out four.
The AL Cy Young Award favorite wasn't at his most dominant, as the four Ks were his lowest total since June 2, but Schlittler still put together his 16th quality start of the season on 96 pitches (59 strikes). Over nine outings since the beginning of July, the 25-year-old right-hander has compiled a 2.33 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 70:16 K:BB in just 54 innings. Schlittler will look to keep rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Astros.
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Brett Bateman CF | TOR
Blue Jays' Brett Bateman: Three hits in return to lineup
Bateman went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and a run scored in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Yankees.
Returning to the lineup in the leadoff spot after sitting out Thursday's contest in Tampa Bay due to a minor hamstring issue, Bateman's legs looked to be 100 percent as he doubled to lead off the fifth inning, before delivering his first big-league triple in the seventh. The 24-year-old has adapted to the majors quickly, collecting multiple hits in six of his last 10 games while putting together a .333/.348/.422 slash line over that stretch with one steal, three runs and four RBI. If Bateman continues to feature near the top of the order -- he's hit first or second in all but one of his starts for Toronto so far -- his combination of speed and on-base skills should result in more production.