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Brent Headrick RP | NYY
Yankees' Brent Headrick: Earns win in relief Thursday
Headrick (4-1) recorded the win over Cleveland on Thursday, walking one batter and striking out one over a scoreless inning.
Carlos Rodon delivered six innings of one-run ball, but he left with the game tied. Headrick worked around a two-out walk to pitch a scoreless top of the seventh, and he moved into position for the victory when the Yankees plated a run in the bottom of the inning. The southpaw has held the opponent scoreless in seven straight appearances while posting an 8:3 K:BB over 6.1 frames during that span. He's been a key part of the bullpen with a 1.82 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, four wins, seven holds and a 34:12 K:BB through 29.2 innings spanning 30 appearances on the campaign.
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Fernando Cruz RP | NYY
Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Nabs 11th hold
Cruz earned a hold against Cleveland on Thursday with a perfect inning of work.
Cruz was summoned in the eighth inning to protect a one-run lead and retired the side in order on 10 pitches. The right-hander is in the midst of a 19-outing stretch during which he's given up just two earned runs while posting a 20:7 K:BB over 18.2 innings. He leads the Yankees with 11 holds on the campaign while registering a 2.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB through 27 frames.
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Manny Machado 3B | SD
Padres' Manny Machado: Up to 11 homers
Machado went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday in a loss to Philadelphia.
Machado struck out twice in the contest, but he also provided half of the Padres' runs with his blast in the seventh inning. The star third baseman began the campaign very slowly, batting .198 with just two home runs over his first 25 games. However, Machado has picked up the pace in the power department since then, going deep nine times across his subsequent 34 contests. He's otherwise still looking for his swing, though, batting just .157 during that span, and his .174 batting average on the season is the second-worst mark among qualified MLB hitters.
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Davidjohn Herz P | WAS
Nationals' DJ Herz: Ready for rehab assignment
Herz (elbow) was sent to the FCL Nationals on Friday to begin a rehab assignment.
Herz is ready to pitch in a game for the first time since undergoing April 2025 Tommy John surgery. The left-hander will need to use most, if not all, of his allotted 30 days on a rehab assignment, and it's not a given he'll rejoin the major-league club immediately after being activated. Herz is an intriguing long-term arm, however, after striking out 106 over 88.2 innings covering 19 starts for the Nationals in 2024.
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Quinn Mathews SP | STL
Cardinals' Quinn Mathews: Authors best start of season
Mathews struck out nine while yielding just one hit and one walk over six shutout innings in a start for Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.
It's the best start of the season for Mathews, who faced just one over the minimum and induced 16 whiffs on 80 pitches. Mathews' major control problems have persisted this season at Memphis with a 17 percent walk rate, but he's also sporting a 30.5 percent strikeout rate and has been able to hold his velocity deep into outings. He could reach St. Louis at some point in the second half if he can get the walks down to an acceptable level.
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Thomas Hatch RP | ARI
Thomas Hatch: Released by Arizona
The Diamondbacks released Hatch on Thursday.
It's not clear whether Hatch exercised an opt-out clause or if this is a traditional release. He posted a 4.01 ERA and 34:10 K:BB over 51.2 innings covering 11 starts with Triple-A Reno.
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Michael Massey 2B | KC
Royals' Michael Massey: Blasts another homer Thursday
Massey went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 8-6 win over the Twins.
Massey got in on the offensive action with a single in the second inning before going yard to open the fourth frame. It marked his third homer over the past five games, during which the second baseman has hit safely and driven in at least one run in each contest. Across 47 contests in 2026, Massey is slashing .266/.287/.477 with six homers, nine doubles, 20 RBI, 16 runs and a stolen base.
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Cooper Hjerpe RP | STL
Cardinals' Cooper Hjerpe: Kicking off rehab assignment
Hjerpe (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at the Cardinals' Florida Complex League affiliate Friday.
It will be Hjerpe's first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The left-hander will knock off some rust in the FCL before eventually moving up either to Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis. Hjerpe is on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and could push to debut at some point in the second half. The 2022 first-round pick collected a 3.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 76:28 K:BB in 52.1 innings at Springfield in 2024.