MLB Player News

Valdez (13-11) earned the win against the Athletics on Thursday, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters across seven innings.

Valdez dominated the A's right out of the gate, striking out five of the first six batters he faced, He generated 17 whiffs on 92 pitches (65 strikes) and reached double-digit strikeouts for the fifth time this season. It was a welcome return to form for Valdez, who yielded five earned runs while failing to complete five innings in both of his prior two starts. He'll end the regular season with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 187:68 K:BB across 192 innings.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Horton (back) is a go and on track, but there are "areas of concern" in Horton's rib area from the MRI he had Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

The Cubs and Horton will continue to get information and have more doctors look at the MRI, but no more tests will be run. The right-hander was pulled from Tuesday's start versus the Mets due to back tightness, but now it appears that the main concern is with his ribs. It is expected that he will throw Friday after taking the prior two days off. If the rookie remains on track, he should be able to start in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Sept. 30.

Robles isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Rockies.

Robles will get a breather Thursday after going 0-for-8 with an RBI and three runs scored over his last three contests. His absence will give Dominic Canzone a start in right field, moving Jorge Polanco into the DH spot and putting Leo Rivas at second base.

Freeman (back) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Mariners.

Freeman will miss a third straight game Thursday since being scratched from the lineup Tuesday with lower-back tightness. While he continues to recover, the Rockies will move Hunter Goodman into the DH spot and start Braxton Fulford at catcher.

Bernabel isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Seattle.

Bernabel will receive a day off after going 0-for-3 during his return from the injured list Wednesday. Blaine Crim will start at first base and bat third.

Alvarez isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs due to cramps, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez felt cramping in his lower half toward the end of Wednesday's contest, so manager Carlos Mendoza decided to give him a day to recover Thursday. The skipper noted that Alvarez will be available off the bench, but it will be Luis Torrens behind the plate catching for starter Nolan McLean.

Ward isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Kansas City, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ward has gone 10-for-27 (.370) with five homers during his seven-game hitting streak, and he'll now get a chance to rest his legs while Chris Taylor starts in left field Thursday.

Mahle (6-4) took the loss Thursday against the Twins, allowing one run on five hits and a walk across five innings. He struck out four.

While Byron Buxton's leadoff homer in the first inning proved to be the lone blemish against Mahle, the Rangers failed to provide any support offensively in an eventual 4-0 defeat. Regardless, it was an encouraging showing from Mahle in what will likely be his final outing of the season. In two starts following a three-month absence due to a shoulder strain, the right-hander allowed just one run on nine hits while striking out 11 over 9.2 innings. Across 16 starts (86.2 innings) this year, Mahle posted an impressive 2.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66:29 K:BB.

Buxton went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four total RBI in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Rangers.

Buxton was responsible for all of the offense in Thursday's contest. He led off the game with a solo shot off Tyler Mahle before extending Minnesota's lead with a three-run, 437-foot blast off Chris Martin in the eighth. Buxton has now gone deep three times in his last two games -- he'd gone just 7-for-45 (.156) with no homers and one RBI in his previous 11 contests. Buxton has been one of the Twins' few bright spots overall this season -- he's slashing .265/.328/.551 with a career-best 34 homers, 82 RBI, 96 runs scored and 24 stolen bases across 533 plate appearances.

Ober (6-9) earned the win Thursday over the Rangers, allowing just two hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out five.

It was an encouraging outing for Ober, who held Texas to a pair of singles after giving up 10 runs across 11 innings in his prior two starts. Still, it was a disappointing campaign overall for Ober. He'll likely finish with a 5.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 120:31 K:BB across 27 starts (146.1 innings) after posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his previous three seasons.