MLB Player News

Herz (elbow) struck out two and allowed one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday with Double-A Harrisburg.

After Herz underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2025 and then suffered a left flexor strain this past June, the Nationals have been having him ramp up slowly since he began his rehab assignment earlier this month. Through three outings between Single-A Fredericksburg and Harrisburg, the southpaw has yet to permit a run, but he's been limited to five total innings in those appearances. The 33 pitches he threw Thursday marked a new season high for Herz, but he would need to push that count up to the 70-to-80 range before becoming a viable option for the Washington rotation.

Leahy's innings are expected to be "significantly curtailed," possibly as soon as Sunday in Philadelphia, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Leahy is at 122.1 innings this season, which is already a 34.3-inning jump from last year. His career high in innings is 144.2, but that came back in 2022 in the minors, the last year he was used as a full-time starter. The Cardinals currently have no plans to shut Leahy down completely, but he could make some piggyback starts or perhaps shift to the bullpen. The right-hander has shown no signs of tiring in his transition back to the rotation, logging a pristine 1.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 52:9 K:BB through 52.1 innings over his last 10 starts, but the Cardinals want to be proactive in managing his workload. Quinn Mathews stands to benefit, as this would allow him to make multiple starts or piggyback appearances down the stretch.

Lord is slated to start Friday's game against the Marlins in Miami.

Lord will make his third consecutive start, though he's covered just 3.1 total innings in his prior two appearances. The Nationals are expected to once again deploy Lord as more of an opener, with lefty Will Dion profiling as the top candidate to pitch in bulk relief.

The Yankees signed Morgan to a minor-league contract Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Morgan had recently elected for free agency after being removed from the Royals' 40-man roster. The right-handed reliever has logged a 5.12 ERA and 16:9 K:BB over 19.1 innings in the majors this season, and he holds a 1.40 ERA and 35:15 K:BB across 25.2 frames at the Triple-A level in 2026.

Webb (shoulder) is listed as the Giants' probable starting pitcher for Friday's game in Boston.

Webb took a comebacker off his right shoulder during his previous start last Saturday against the Rockies, but he looks like he won't miss a turn through the rotation. The right-hander shouldn't be in store for any major workload restrictions Friday and will look to continue his strong run since the All-Star break. Through his last six outings, Webb has gone 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 30:6 K:BB in 38.2 innings.

Fluharty will serve as the Blue Jays' opener in Friday's game against the Yankees, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Spencer Arrighetti (foot) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list and work in bulk relief behind Fluharty, who has been been in a groove in August. Over 11 appearances on the month, Fluharty has tossed eight scoreless innings while yielding no hits and two walks.

Duran went 2-for-2 with two walks, a triple, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Nationals.

Duran's made little impact over the last two weeks, but he broke out Thursday. He entered the contest on a 6-for-47 (.128) run with one RBI over the previous 13 games. The stolen base was his 10th of the season, giving him double-digit steals in two consecutive seasons. The 27-year-old utility player enters uncharted terriotory, as Duran established a new career high in plate appearances (455) this week.

Leiter (ankle) allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out five over three-plus innings for Double-A Frisco on Thursday.

Leiter made his second rehab start for the RoughRiders and threw 59 pitches (38 strikes). The right-hander was sharp the first two innings before unraveling in the third. He walked the leadoff batter in the fourth before being removed. Leiter told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that there have been no discussions about continuing his assignment, but given his pitch count, another outing would not be surprising. The 26-year-old is rehabbing from June 23 arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body in his right ankle.

Adell (knee) entered Thursday's game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-2 in a 5-2 win over San Francisco.

Adell, who was held out of the starting lineup for a second consecutive day, pinch hit for Travis Bazzana in the sixth inning and finished out the game as the designated hitter. His usage off the bench suggests Adell could rejoin the starting nine Friday, when the Guardians face the Rockies in Colorado.

Massey went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Athletics.

Massey logged a trio of hits, including an RBI double to the right-field wall in the fifth inning. The second baseman has been swinging a hot bat, hitting .357/.373/.589 with three homers, seven RBI and nine runs across 16 games in August. Overall, he's slashing .278/.311/.447 with 11 homers, 43 RBI, 45 runs and two stolen bases in 107 contests this season.