MLB Player News

Bradford (0-4) took the loss Wednesday as the Rangers were downed 9-2 by the A's, surrendering five runs on seven hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk over four innings. He struck out three.

It was the southpaw's worst performance since coming off the IL for his season debut in early August after completing his recovery from an internal brace procedure on his elbow. Bradford has been taken deep only once in his first five starts, but Henry Bolte got to him for a pair of two-run shots in this one, while Zack Gelof also tagged him for a solo homer. Bradford saw his ERA inflate from 3.42 to 4.45 as a result, and through 30.1 innings he carries a 1.58 WHIP and 16:7 K:BB. He'll try to bounce back in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Seattle.

Whitcomb went 1-for-4 with a double in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Pirates.

Whitcomb hit a leadoff double in the fifth inning, marking his second two-bagger of the season. The 27-year-old has appeared in 10 straight games since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 24, batting .118 with three RBI, two runs scored and a home run in 36 plate appearances during that time. Across 60 plate appearances between Houston and San Francisco this season, he's slashing .123/.138/.316 with eight RBI, four runs scored and three long balls.

Seymour logged a blown save in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Pirates, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one in 1.2 innings.

Seymour entered the game in the seventh inning with two runners on base and one out. The right-hander managed to get through the eighth frame, though he gave up a double and a single as Pittsburgh tied the game at 3-3. Despite Wednesday's stumble, the 27-year-old has fared well over his last 10 outings, posting a 1.38 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB across 13 innings during that time.

Bolte went 3-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, four RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-2 win over the Rangers.

The rookie outfielder wasn't getting fooled by lefty Cody Bradford, touching him up for two-run blasts in the third and fourth innings as the A's put the game away early. Bolte snapped a 16-game power drought with the performance, but he stayed productive during that span with a .299/.373/.358 slash line. Through his first 375 big-league plate appearances, Bolte is batting .274 with a respectable .739 OPS, eight homers, 15 steals, 30 RBI and 41 runs.

Lopez (6-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 9-2 victory over the Rangers, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out seven.

The southpaw served up solo shots to Ezequiel Duran in the first inning and Justin Foscue in the second -- the first time Lopez has been taken deep multiple times since May 14 -- but he settled in after that and produced his fourth quality start of the season on 102 pitches (65 strikes). Lopez has been locked in for nearly two months, giving up two runs or fewer in 10 straight outings dating back to July 10 and delivering a 2.28 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 61:18 K:BB in 51.1 innings over that sparkling stretch. He'll look to tie his career high with his seventh win in his next trip to the mound, which is set to come at home early next week against the Blue Jays.

Lord didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-0 loss to Atlanta, allowing two hits and a walk over 3.1 scoreless innings. He struck out six.

A nearly 90-minute rain delay ended what was shaping up to be an unlikely pitcher's duel, as Lord's dominant performance was matched by three perfect innings from Grant Holmes. Lord may have been nearing his limit anyway, however -- the right-hander tossed 39 of 55 pitches for strikes, and he hasn't thrown 60-plus pitches in any outing this season. He'll likely return to a long-relief role, but Lord's making a case to get stretched out for another crack at the rotation, having posted a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB over 15 innings since the beginning of August.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Nationals.

The veteran catcher has caught fire at the plate now that he's fully healthy for the first time in a few years. Murphy has hit safely in five straight games, batting .500 (9-for-18) during that heater with two doubles, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. His surge has allowed Drake Baldwin to get more rest while serving as Atlanta's primary DH, and Murphy should continue to see regular playing time as the team tries to keep its key players fresh for the playoffs.

Gasper went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Mariners.

Gasper continued an unexpected power surge that began with his return to the majors Aug. 17 -- he's gone 15-for-38 (.395) with four doubles, seven homers and 14 RBI over 14 games around a very short-lived trip to the minors for one day earlier this week. The versatile Gasper made a third consecutive start at first base in place of the injured Willson Contreras, and the Red Sox will find a spot for Gasper somewhere if he continues to hit like this.

Acuna went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-0 rout of the Nationals.

The seventh-inning long ball off Max Kranick was Acuna's 14th of the season, while the steal was his 20th, but it's the homer that put his name in the record books as the 200th of his career. The star outfielder reached that mark in just 904 games, and combined with his 225 stolen bases, he became the fastest player in MLB history to join the 200-200 club, surpassing Alfonso Soriano's record of 929 games. Per Ian Nicholas Quillen of MLB.com, the next four names on the list are just as impressive -- Eric Davis (1,053 games), Bobby Bonds (1,065), Sammy Sosa (1,094) and Barry Bonds (1,094). Acuna has had a tough, injury-plagued season overall, but he's catching fire for the stretch run, batting .455 (10-for-22) over his last six contests with a homer, two steals, four RBI and six runs.

Anderson cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent Wednesday.

The Angels had designated Anderson for assignment after he recovered from a shoulder injury, and the righty is now a free agent. Anderson chose the same route on two occasions earlier this season and both times wound up re-signing with the Halos, so that could happen again.