MLB Player News

Cortes (2-3) took the loss Friday against the Twins, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in three-plus innings. He struck out two.

It's possible Cortes would have worked deeper into the outing, but he was ejected in the middle of the fourth inning, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune. It was still a poor showing by the 30-year-old left-hander, who tied a season low in punchouts and issued multiple free passes for the fifth time in seven starts in 2025. Cortes has an uninspiring 5.06 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 27:17 K:BB over 32 frames, though he should carry some upside in mixed leagues next week against an Orioles team with a .674 OPS versus left-handed pitching since the beginning of August.

Lugo (8-7) took the loss Friday against the Tigers, allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out five.

Lugo's struggles during the second half of the season continued, as he's now given up at least four runs in five of his last nine starts. The veteran right-hander has also been unable to throw at least five innings on five occasions since the All-Star break, and he has a ghastly 7.51 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 37:24 K:BB over his last 44.1 frames during that period. Lugo has also issued multiple walks in all but one of his last nine outings, so he'll have plenty to clean up next week at home against the Angels.

Paddack took a no-decision Friday against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks in 3.2 innings. He failed to record a strikeout.

Paddack was pulled after tossing just 58 pitches, his second-fewest total of the season, and it was his shortest outing since way back on March 31 against the White Sox. Although it was also the second time this year that the 29-year-old right-hander registered zero punchouts, he at least managed to settle down after Kansas City tagged him for three runs in the first frame. Paddack has an underwhelming 5.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 30 innings since joining the Tigers, and his streaming appeal will be limited with a tough matchup against the Mets on tap for next week.

Mountcastle went 3-for-5 with two doubles, four RBI and one run scored in Friday's 15-8 loss to the Giants.

Mountcastle had Robbie Ray's number, delivering all three hits over the first five innings of the game. Since returning from a Grade 2 hamstring injury, Mountcastle has gone 21-for-73 (.288) with five extra-base hits and 12 RBI over 19 contests. The first baseman has reclaimed a starting role in the lineup and is up to a .258/.294/.365 slash line with four homers, 16 doubles, 27 RBI, 26 runs scored and three stolen bases over 71 games this season.

Holliday went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 15-8 loss to the Giants.

Holliday has posted consecutive multi-hit efforts after going eight games without one. The infielder is batting a paltry .173 (17-for-98) over 25 contests in August, adding just four extra-base hits, six RBI and three steals. For the season, he's posted a lackluster .244/.306/.378 slash line with 15 homers, 13 steals, 49 RBI, 60 runs scored, 18 doubles and two triples across 126 contests. Baltimore continues to put him in a position to succeed as the leadoff hitter, but he's still looking for long-term consistency.

Mayo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 15-8 loss to the Giants.

Since his homer Aug. 15 versus the Astros, Mayo had gone just 4-for-39 (.103) with a 3:16 BB:K over 10 contests. The infielder was able to snap his power drought Friday, but he hasn't posted a multi-hit effort since Aug. 6 versus the Phillies. Mayo is up to six homers, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored, one stolen base and a .189/.268/.335 slash line over 60 contests this season. While his playing time has been steady this month, the lack of reliable production makes the 23-year-old tough to roster in redraft formats.

Kremer (9-10) allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one over three innings to take the loss versus the Giants on Friday.

Kremer had a terrible first inning for the second outing in a row, as the Giants were able to get to him for four runs in the opening frame. He wasn't able to settle in, giving up two more runs in the second and another run in the third before his exit. Kremer showed promise with a pair of strong starts in mid-August, but he's allowed 14 runs (13 earned) in eight innings over his last two starts to wash out that progress. For the season, he has a 4.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 128:40 K:BB through 155.1 innings over 27 appearances (26 starts). Kremer is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Dodgers as the Orioles move to a six-man rotation with the return of Tyler Wells (elbow).

Adames went 4-for-6 with one RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored in Friday's 15-8 win over the Orioles.

Adames has gone 10-for-28 (.357) across his last seven games, a span that includes a pair of two-homer performances. He's added seven RBI and two steals in that span to provide well-rounded contributions. The veteran shortstop is up to a .229/.317/.419 slash line with 24 homers, eight steals, 70 RBI, 82 runs scored, 18 doubles and two triples over 133 contests this season.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run, four total RBI and one walk in Friday's 15-8 win over the Orioles.

Smith continues to play well in a strong-side platoon role at first base. He's 22-for-71 (.310) with six extra-base hits and 15 RBI over 21 contests in August, though his homer Friday was his first since Aug. 2. The first baseman is up to a .284/.339/.414 slash line with four homers, 27 RBI, 21 runs scored, 10 doubles and two stolen bases across 54 games. Smith will likely continue to share first base with Rafael Devers, who is usually at the position when the Giants are facing a left-handed pitcher.

Matos went 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 15-8 win over the Orioles.

Matos had a two-run single in the first inning and a solo homer in the fifth. This was his fifth multi-hit effort over his last eight games since returning to the majors after a nearly three-week stint at Triple-A Sacramento. The hot hitting is helping him claim a starting role for the Giants as their primary right fielder, though he was in left field Friday while Heliot Ramos rested. Matos is now slashing .222/.263/.465 with eight homers, 20 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases over 152 plate appearances this season.