MLB Player News

Bennett (5-3) picked up the win in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Rays, scattering one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out three.

Tampa Bay never got a runner into scoring position against the rookie southpaw, as Bennett tossed an extremely efficient 65 pitches (42 strikes) before being lifted with Boston comfortably ahead 9-0 to begin the seventh inning. Bennett has delivered five straight quality starts dating back to June 22, a stretch in which he sports an astounding 0.82 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB over 33 innings. He'll look to stay dialed in for his next trip to the mound, which is set to come at home next week against the Orioles.

Jax (5-7) took the loss in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, coughing up seven runs on eight hits and one walk over five-plus innings. He struck out six.

The right-hander didn't get any help from his offense in a 10-0 rout, but Jax's efforts to keep the game close unraveled in the sixth inning when he led off the frame by hitting Caleb Durbin with a pitch, and then watched the next three Boston batters reach base before he got the hook. Jax tossed 55 of 85 pitches for strikes in his worst outing of the season, and it's the first time since June 1 he's been tagged for more than three runs. He'll take a 4.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 77:26 K:BB through 75 innings into his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Toronto.

The Diamondbacks recalled Locklear from Triple-A Reno on Friday.

Locklear will join the big club as the roster replacement for Tommy Troy (shoulder), who landed on the IL during the All-Star break. Locklear, 25, has put up just a .532 OPS across 47 games in his MLB career, but he's recently caught fire in the minors, slashing .404/.493/.807 with five homers, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored and a 10:9 BB:K across his last 15 games. He'll begin Friday's contest against St. Louis on the bench, though he could pick up a handful of starts at first base or DH while in the majors.

Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith's neck continued to bother him as he attempted to ramp up his activity, so the Dodgers will fully shut him down for a week, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

The Dodgers still expect Smith to return at some point this season, and although there's still no clear idea of when exactly that might be, Roberts noted that the earliest possible date for the catcher's return likely will be in mid-August. Dalton Rushing will continue to serve as Los Angeles' primary backstop in the meantime.

Rodriguez (concussion) is not in the Mariners' starting lineup against the Giants on Friday.

Rodriguez has been on the 7-day injured list since July 3 after entering the league's concussion protocol. He's not quite ready to return following the All-Star break, but Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told reporters Friday that the hope is that Rodriguez is back in the lineup for Saturday's contest, per Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. With Rodriguez sidelined, Seattle will have Victor Robles in center field Friday while Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley man the corners.

Narvaez went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in a 10-0 victory over the Rays in the first game of Friday's doubleheader.

Narvaez had a couple of run-scoring singles before putting the final touch on the win with a seventh-inning homer to make it 10-0. The homer was his third of the season and first since April 28. It was rare offense from the catcher, who entered the contest with a .188 average and just six RBI over 54 games this season.

Heim is not in the Athletics' starting lineup against the Nationals on Friday.

The Athletics will roll with Shea Langeliers at catcher, Carlos Cortes as the designated hitter and Tommy White at first base while Heim opens Friday's game on the bench. Heim went 8-for-37 (.216) with two home runs and nine RBI in his 10 games prior to the All-Star break.

Meckler is not in the Angels' starting lineup against the Tigers on Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers are sending right-hander Troy Melton to the mound Friday, but the lefty-hitting Meckler will begin the contest on the bench while Josh Lowe, Mike Trout and Jo Adell start in the outfield from left to right. Meckler and Lowe are competing for outfield reps in the second half of the season now that Trout is back from the 10-day injured list.

Ohtani (knee) is expected to make his first start of the second half Wednesday against the Phillies, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Knee irritation kept Ohtani from making his final start on the mound before the All-Star break. He addressed the issue by receiving an injection of lubricant during the break, rather than having his knee drained, and he now seems to be back on track toward resuming his duties as a pitcher. He will continue to serve as the Dodgers' regular designated hitter in the meantime and make his eighth consecutive start at DH against the Yankees on Friday.

Sosa (wrist) resumed hitting in the batting cages earlier this week after experiencing a setback in his rehab program, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Sosa was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment in late June, but he was pulled from playing after his right wrist injury flared up. He's been cleared to resume baseball activities, but he'll likely need to go on another assignment before being cleared to return to the majors. Prior to his injury, Sosa posted a .490 OPS with one home run and nine RBI across 117 major-league plate appearances.