MLB Player News

Thornton (3-4) allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and a walk while retiring only one batter to blow the save and take the loss Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Thornton got the bottom of the 10th inning staked to a 2-0 lead thanks to a Pete Crow-Armstrong home run. The righty started the frame by allowing a soft single to Lars Nootbaar, and things quickly unraveled from there, culminating in a walk-off, two-run double by Ivan Herrera. This was just the second time in his last nine appearances that Thornton has been scored on, and the veteran still has a solid 3.03 ERA across 32.2 innings overall.

Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett after Wednesday's game against the Mets.

Smith-Shawver gave up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters in 4.1 innings during the first game of Wednesday's twin bill. It marked his first time pitching in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2025. However, his time with the big club will be short-lived, and he'll now return to Triple-A, where he posted a 1.69 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 10.2 innings during his rehab assignment. The 23-year-old righty figures to be a favorite to return to Atlanta if its rotation depth is tested during the final months of the season.

Vilade went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer during the Rays' 3-0 win over the Rangers on Wednesday

Vilade extended the lead in the first inning with a two-run shot off of MacKenzie Gore. The super-utility man continues to operate as a small-side platoon player but is helping his case by hitting two homers in his last four games. Vilade has an .804 OPS with nine home runs and 35 RBI in 159 at-bats this season, with most of those opportunities coming against left-handed pitching.

Susac went 2-for-4 with two home runs, four total RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 16-3 win over the Brewers.

After going 131 plate appearances without a homer to start his big-league career, Susac put the Giants ahead in the second inning Wednesday with a three-run blast off Thomas Pannone before adding a second long ball in the eighth. It was a much-needed breakout game for the rookie backstop, who'd gone just 2-for-23 over his previous 12 games while losing out on playing time to Drew Cavanaugh. Overall, Susac is slashing .256/.306/.372 with 19 RBI, nine runs scored and two steals across 136 plate appearances this season.

May took a no-decision Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks in five innings. He struck out three.

May, a rumored trade candidate ahead of Monday's deadline, is boosting his market value for the Cardinals at the right time. The 28-year-old right-hander has pitched at least five innings while giving up one or no runs in back-to-back starts, which comes after a rough patch that saw him surrender 18 runs over his prior five outings. If he remains with St. Louis past the deadline, May is set to take a 4.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 106:35 K:BB over 109 innings into a tough road matchup against the Yankees.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Diaz hit an opposite-field home run off MacKenzie Gore on the first pitch of the game to give the Rays a lead they never looked back on. Diaz has struggled in July, with only a .200 average and three homers in 100 at-bats. However, the 34-year-old is having a great year at the plate overall, slashing .301/.377/.464 with 15 long balls, 62 RBI, 59 runs scored and two steals across 399 at-bats.

Dobnak (1-0) earned the win Wednesday against the Twins, allowing no runs on four hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out four.

It was a season-best showing by Dobnak, who worked his longest outing of the year and set a season high in punchouts. The 31-year-old right-hander has been a serviceable stopgap solution for Kansas City's banged-up rotation, turning in three scoreless appearances so far while giving up no more than two runs in any of his five outings. While his 1.19 WHIP and 14:10 K:BB over 26 innings suggest some regression to his 1.09 ERA is coming, Dobnak should maintain streaming appeal in a rematch next week with a Minnesota team that will once again be without All-Star Byron Buxton (hip).

Ryan (6-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Royals, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out four.

Ryan, who was scratched from Sunday's start against the Athletics due to right arm fatigue, didn't quite qualify for a quality start Wednesday but did give the Twins some length. The All-Star right-hander has stumbled lately, coughing up 12 runs over his past two appearances and watching his season ERA jump from 2.85 following his July 11 start versus the Angels to 3.52 after Wednesday's outing. Ryan, who also sports a 1.11 WHIP and 135:25 K:BB across 120.1 innings, will be aiming to right the ship in a rematch with Kansas City next week if he stays put with the Twins past Monday's trade deadline.

Baker earned the save in Wednesday's win over the Rangers, allowing one hit with no walks or strikeouts in a scoreless inning.

The right-hander worked around a one-out double to notch his 29th save of the season, and he still sits second in the majors in saves behind Cade Smith (30). The right-handed Baker has now converted 19 consecutive save attempts to give the Rays their third shutout in four games, and he has a 0.75 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB across 24 innings during that former stretch.

Kurtz was removed from Wednesday's game against the Red Sox after getting hit on the forearm by a pitch, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kurtz initially remained in the game after taking a 95-mph sinker off his left arm in the first inning, but he was replaced in the field at the start of the second frame. The A's have officially diagnosed him with a contusion, per Gallegos, which suggests that Kurtz managed to escape the incident without suffering a fracture. Jeff McNeil entered the game as Kurtz's replacement at first base and would be the favorite to start if the latter needs to miss time.