MLB Player News

Castellanos went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals.

Castellanos entered off the bench and flew out in his first at-bat in the seventh inning, but the 34-year-old came through in the clutch by blasting a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Riley O'Brien. The outfielder owns just a .192 batting average and .560 OPS across 78 plate appearances this season, but he has delivered in key situations, posting a .911 OPS with two homers and 10 RBI when batting with two outs.

Rodriguez (shoulder) tossed 4.2 innings in a rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters.

Though Rodriguez was pulled before the end of the fifth frame, he took on a hefty workload of 94 pitches. The righty's pitch count was inflated in part because opposing batters had a hard time putting the ball in play. Rodriguez did hit a batter and uncork a wild pitch in addition to his two walks, but he was mostly sharp, throwing 63 strikes. Given his strong outing and his ability to approach 100 pitches, Rodriguez may not need many more rehab appearances before he's ready to join the Angels' rotation.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 3-2 loss to San Diego.

Walker was the lone source of offense for St. Louis, crushing a towering 425-foot two-run homer off the top deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building against Walker Buehler in the fourth inning. After struggling mightily over the past two seasons, the 23-year-old outfielder has been firing on all cylinders to begin 2026. Through 39 games, he's slashing .299/.377/.578 with 11 homers, eight doubles, 29 RBI, 31 runs and seven stolen bases.

Pop (calf) began a rehab assignment Saturday, throwing a clean inning for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Pop has been sidelined by a strained right calf since mid-April, but he's gearing up for his return to the Phillies. The right-hander will presumably need a handful of rehab outings before Philadelphia considers reinstating him from the injured list. Over 7.1 innings on the year, Pop has a 3.68 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 6:3 K:BB while working mostly in middle relief.

O'Brien blew the save in Sunday's 3-2 loss to San Diego. He allowed two runs on two hits and no walks while striking out three over one inning.

O'Brien had his club one strike away from securing a series win in San Diego before Nick Castellanos launched a game-tying two-run homer on the ninth pitch of the at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sunday marked the hard-throwing right-hander's third blown save of the campaign, snapping a streak of four consecutive saves. Despite the stumble, O'Brien has been effective in the closer role in 2026, posting a 2.84 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 11 saves and a stellar 23:1 K:BB across 19 innings.

Latz secured the save Sunday against the Cubs, throwing two clean innings. He struck out one.

Latz continues to cement himself as the favorite for saves with the Rangers. The 30-year-old left-hander has successfully converted all four of his save opportunities in 2026, also turning in nine consecutive scoreless outings. Overall, Latz owns a tidy 0.87 ERA, 0.44 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB over 20.2 innings so far.

Taillon (2-2) took the loss Sunday against the Rangers, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

Taillon hardly deserved the loss in a positive showing Sunday, keeping the ball in the yard for the first time since his first start of the season. The 34-year-old right-hander continued to provide the Cubs with length as well, pitching at least five innings in his seventh consecutive outing. Taillon has a quality 3.94 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 40:16 K:BB over 45.2 frames, and he should remain worth streaming in most fantasy formats with a matchup against the White Sox on tap for next weekend.

Leahy did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two hits and four walks over five scoreless innings against the Padres. He struck out five.

Leahy's control wasn't stellar, as he issued a season-high four walks, but the Padres struggled to string together hits while the right-hander turned in his first scoreless outing of the season. After factoring into the decision in each of his first seven starts (4-3), Sunday marked the 28-year-old's first no-decision of the campaign. He'll carry a 4.31 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB across 39.2 innings into his next start, tentatively scheduled for Saturday against the Royals.

DeGrom (3-2) notched the win Sunday against the Cubs, allowing no runs on three hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out 10.

On the heels of giving up a season-worst six runs in his last appearance versus the Yankees, deGrom bounced back in a big way with his longest outing of the season against the red-hot Cubs on Sunday. The 37-year-old right-hander delivered a vintage showing, generating a staggering 23 whiffs en route to matching a season high in punchouts. DeGrom will bring an outstanding 2.62 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 57:8 K:BB over 44.2 innings into his next scheduled start versus the division-rival Astros next weekend.

Buehler did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks over six innings against the Cardinals. He struck out two.

Buehler was locked in from the start, retiring the first 11 Cardinals hitters he faced before allowing an Alec Burleson single and a Jordan Walker two-run homer in the fourth inning, the lone blemishes on the hurler's line. The right-hander tied a season low with just two strikeouts, but the lack of whiffs didn't prevent Buehler from turning in one of his better starts of the season. The 31-year-old will carry a 5.20 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with a 31:12 K:BB across 36.1 innings (eight starts) into his next outing, tentatively scheduled for Saturday against the Mariners.