MLB Player News

Perkins earned a save against the Mariners on Tuesday, retiring all six batters he faced -- including two by strikeout -- over two innings.

Perkins entered in the eighth inning with the Athletics up 4-2. He retired all three batters he faced in that frame, and then returned for the ninth and struck out two of the three hitters who came to the plate against him to finish off the save. Joel Kuhnel has been the primary A's closer this season with four saves, and he may have been unavailable Tuesday after pitching two of the previous three days. With that being said, the team's closer situation is far from set in stone, and Perkins -- who has a closer-like 12:3 K:BB over 8.1 innings on the campaign -- could work his way into more save chances, especially if Kuhnel struggles at any point.

Lopez (2-1) earned the win over Seattle on Tuesday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out one batter over 5.1 innings.

Lopez averaged over four walks across his first four starts of the campaign, so it was a significant improvement for him to issue just two free passes while throwing 52 of 86 pitches for strikes Tuesday. The left-hander recorded only one strikeout, but he mostly kept the Mariners in check, with the only extra-base hit against him being a solo homer by Cal Raleigh in the fifth inning. Lopez still has a poor 5.70 ERA and 1.90 WHIP on the campaign, and he's recorded more walks (19) than punchouts (17). Still, he's managed a 2-1 record and will look to improve upon that in his next outing, which is slated to be a home matchup against Kansas City.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Cubs.

Harper provided a late spark, launching a two-run homer off Riley Martin in the eighth inning for his fifth long ball of the season. He continues to swing a hot bat in April, going 21-for-64 (.328) with five homers during the month. After an ice-cold start to the year, Harper has raised his season line to .274/.365/.536 with five doubles, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored across 96 plate appearances.

Luzardo did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Cubs, allowing one run on five hits and four walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings.

Coming off a rough stretch in which he allowed a combined 13 earned runs over his last two starts, Luzardo showed some improvement Tuesday despite pitching through consistent traffic. He allowed a runner to reach third base in multiple innings, but the only damage came in the fifth after a leadoff walk and single forced him out, with an inherited runner eventually scoring. While the left-hander was able to limit runs, his command remained inconsistent, as he issued a season-high four walks and allowed five hits for the fifth straight start. Luzardo owns a 6.91 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 33:9 K:BB across 27.1 innings but he should receive a chance to improve his numbers with his next scheduled outing set against a weak San Francisco lineup.

Imanaga (2-1) earned the win Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out one over seven innings.

Imanaga turned in his third consecutive quality start Tuesday, limiting Philadelphia to just two hits over his first five innings before Kyle Schwarber's solo homer in the sixth accounted for the only damage. The left-hander continues to excel at run prevention, allowing just three runs across his last four starts (24 innings). Through five outings, he owns a 2.17 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 32:6 K:BB. Imanaga will face a much tougher challenge in his next scheduled outing against a loaded Dodgers lineup that leads MLB in most offensive categories, including a .293 team batting average.

Lindor went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Twins.

Lindor provided all of the Mets' offense in one swing, crushing a 410-foot three-run homer off Simeon Woods Richardson in the third inning for his second long ball of the season. The shortstop entered Tuesday with just one RBI on the year, making the swing a notable boost to his production so far. Lindor has begun to show more pop at the plate recently, slugging .609 over his last six games after posting just a .250 slugging percentage through his first 17 contests. Despite the recent power uptick, his overall numbers remain modest, as he's now batting .209 with two doubles, four RBI and two stolen bases on the season.

Kochanowicz did not factor into the decision Tuesday against Toronto. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out one across 5.2 innings.

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Kochanowicz as he gave up at least one baserunner in five of the six innings in which he pitched, and he fell one out shy of logging a third straight quality start after yielding his lone run in the sixth. Still, he has given up three earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts, and over that span he has a 2-0 record with a 1.80 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 16:12 K:BB across 25 innings. Kochanowicz's next start is slated for next week on the road against the White Sox.

Guerrero went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored during the Blue Jays' 4-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday.

Guerrero extended his hitting streak to 12 games with his infield single in the sixth inning, and he was brought home both times he reached base during Tuesday's contest. During this 12-game hitting streak, Guerrero has gone 21-for-47 (.447) with one steal, one home run, eight RBI and 10 runs scored.

Sosa went 1-for-1 with a two-run double during the Blue Jays' 4-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday.

Sosa pinch hit for Jesus Sanchez in the eighth inning and made the most of his opportunity by smacking a two-run double off Drew Pomeranz to put the Blue Jays up 3-1. Since being acquired from the White Sox on April 13, Sosa has gone 4-for-14 (.286) with two doubles and four RBI, and he has given his new team a solid boost at the plate in the absences of both George Springer (toe) and Addison Barger (ankles).

Buxton went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Mets.

Buxton provided the breakthrough swing in the sixth inning, taking Nolan McLean deep for a two-run homer after the right-hander held Minnesota hitless through five frames. The blast continues a strong stretch of power, as Buxton has now homered four times over his last seven games while going 10-for-31 (.323) during that span. However, he also struck out three times Tuesday and remains on pace for a fifth straight season with a strikeout rate above 25 percent. Buxton is now slashing .233/.295/.430 with three doubles and 18 runs scored across 95 plate appearances.