MLB Player News

Butler went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 4-3 win over the Royals.

Butler has gone just 3-for-22 over his last six games. He's up to 22 steals this season, including five over his last 11 contests. The outfielder has been far less consistent overall in 2025, posting a .235/.306/.406 slash line with 21 home runs, 63 RBI, 83 runs scored, 30 doubles and two triples over 151 games.

Barnett allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Royals on Friday.

This was the longest of Barnett's five starts in the majors so far, and his only real mistake resulted in a three-run home run off the bat of Jonathan India in the fourth inning. Through 22.1 innings in the majors, Barnett has posted a 6.85 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 18:11 K:BB while also allowing three home runs. The right-hander figures to contend for a rotation spot next year.

Naylor was pulled from Friday's game against the Dodgers with minor groin tightness, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Naylor seemingly suffered the injury while stealing second base in the third inning Friday, leading to his eventual removal in the fifth. The fact that his groin issue is being described as minor is a good sign that he'll be healthy for Seattle's postseason run, although the M's may still err on the side of caution and hold him out for the final few games of the regular season. Naylor's steal Friday was his 30th of the season, a stunning career high for a player whose previous best was only 10, and who had a total of 25 career pilfers coming into 2025.

General manager Brandon Gomes said Friday that Stewart will undergo a debridement procedure in his right shoulder and is expected to return in time to pitch the majority of the 2026 campaign, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Stewart made just four appearances for Los Angeles after being acquired at the trade deadline, giving up two earned runs over 3.2 innings, and his upcoming surgery will prevent him from pitching in the postseason. The general manager's comments suggest that the 33-year-old won't be ready for the start of next season, but a first-half return is still seemingly on the table.

Kahnle (1-5) allowed a run on two hits while retiring just one batter to take the loss Friday against the Red Sox.

Tasked with maintaining a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kahnle allowed a Romy Gonzalez single followed by a Ceddanne Rafaela walk-off triple in a game the Tigers really could have used in their playoff chase. The veteran righty has mostly been good lately, as this was just the second time in his last nine appearances that he's been scored on. However, Kahnle's endured a few rough patches this season, and his 4.43 ERA overall is a big step back from last year's 2.11 figure.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 12-1 win over the Cardinals.

Hoerner popped his seventh home run of the season in the first inning, as he was one of four Chicago players to go deep. The speedy infielder isn't known for his power -- his career high in homers is only 10 -- and he appears likely to finish with a single-digit total for the third straight year. Hoerner is a great source of steals, however, as he has 29 of them this season in 35 attempts, and he's swiped 103 bags since the start of 2023.

Keller didn't factor into the decision Friday against Atlanta, allowing one run on three hits and five walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out six.

Keller lacked control in his last start of the campaign, issuing his most walks of the year in his shortest outing since Aug. 19. In fact, the right-hander lent more free passes Friday than he did in his prior five appearances combined. Keller will be entering the third season of his five-year contract with the Pirates in 2026, and he remained a capable -- if unspectacular -- major-league starter in 2025. Over 176.1 innings, he posted a 4.19 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 150:51 K:BB.

Wentz (5-7) took the loss Friday against Pittsburgh, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out three.

Wentz didn't go out on a high note against a soft Pittsburgh lineup in his final appearance of 2025, working his second-shortest outing since becoming a starter in mid-July. The eight hits represented his second-most allowed of the season, though the southpaw at least managed to toss three scoreless frames around a four-run Pirates second inning. Wentz spent time with three different teams this year, and he'll close the campaign with an uninspiring 5.60 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 92:43 K:BB over 98 frames (13 starts).

Busch went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run, an additional run scored and two RBI in Friday's 12-1 win over the Cardinals.

Busch was one of four Chicago players to go deep as the Cubs routed their rivals from St. Louis. The powerful first baseman has homered six times in his last 13 games, upping his season total to 32 long balls. Busch has tacked on an .844 OPS and 86 RBI in what's been an impressive offensive campaign for the 27-year-old.

Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a triple and one RBI in Friday's 4-3 victory over Detroit.

The Boston center fielder played hero with the game tied in the ninth, ripping a one-out RBI triple off reliever Tommy Kahnle to win the game and secure his team's spot in the postseason. Rafaela had struggled in September prior to this performance, posting a .211/.273/.296 slash line in 77 plate appearances this month while sinking to the bottom third of the order. Overall, the 25-year-old is now slashing .247/.292/.412 with 83 runs scored and 63 RBI across 579 plate appearances.