MLB Player News

Benson is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Miami.

After starting each of the first five games against righties this season, the left-handed-hitting Benson has now been in the lineup just two times across the Reds' last four tilts versus right-handed pitching. TJ Friedl, Dane Myers and Spencer Steer will form the Reds' outfield trio.

Stephenson is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Miami.

Stephenson had started each of the last four games for the Reds, so he'll get a breather in Thursday's series finale. P.J. Higgins is getting the start at catcher and batting ninth for Cincinnati.

Nelson (1-1) allowed one run on five hits while striking out five over 5.2 innings, earning the win in Wednesday's 7-2 victory over the Mets.

Nelson's first two starts of the season were marred by six walks and four home runs, uncharacteristic of the right-hander. There were no such issues the third time out. Nelson scattered two hits over five scoreless innings, before New York batters touched him for three singles and their lone run in the sixth. The bounce-back outing came at a good time for Nelson, as the Diamondbacks consider how best to incorporate Merrill Kelly (back) into the rotation. Kelly is scheduled for one more rehab start before being activated, meaning someone in the existing rotation will need to go. Based on the results thus far, the decision seemingly comes down to Nelson (4.20 ERA) and Brandon Pfaadt (6.75).

Story went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's 5-0 win over Milwaukee.

Story plated runs on a sacrifice fly and a single, giving him three consecutive games with two RBI. All that run production came after the shortstop was dropped from second in the order to fifth. After a bumpy start, Story's now hit in four consecutive games.

Sandoval (elbow) allowed three unearned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.1 innings for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Sandoval made his first appearance in a game that counts since June 2024. He was victimized by shaky defense, including his own, in the first inning, when all three runs scored. Results, however, were less important than the left-hander getting in the work. Sandoval threw 63 pitches (35 strikes) and got four up-and-downs. He's expected to make several outings while on rehab before the Red Sox decide where Sandoval best fits in with the pitching staff.

Keaschall went 1-for-5 with one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Tigers.

Keaschall has plated at least one run in three straight games, going 3-for-12 over the first three contests of this week's series against the Tigers. The second baseman is hitting just .208 with a .556 OPS through 53 plate appearances over 12 games this season. He's added two steals, one home run, seven RBI, six runs scored and two doubles. Keaschall hit .302 with an .827 OPS over 49 games across two big-league stints in 2025, so there's some clear potential for him to turn things around. He may still need to adjust to major-league pitching a bit, which will make it tough for him to replicate his ratios from last year, but he has good bat-to-ball skills.

Lewis went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Tigers.

Lewis posted his first multi-hit effort of the season, and he's now walked seven times over his last five games. The improvements for getting on base should help him keep a starting role at third base. Lewis is batting just .219 on the season, but he's getting on base at a .390 clip thanks to an 8:11 BB:K across 11 games. He's added two home runs, two stolen bases, eight RBI, six runs scored and two doubles through 41 plate appearances.

Buxton went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and three runs scored in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Tigers.

This was the second multi-hit effort of the season for Buxton, who has struggled to get much going at the plate. He's also drawn a walk in three straight games. The outfielder is batting .214 with a .625 OPS through 11 contests, and he's added one RBI, eight runs, three doubles and one triple, through he's yet to hit a home run or attempt a stolen base. Buxton has been atop the lineup for the last three games, including one against a right-handed pitcher, but he'll need to build off this performance to avoid dropping down the order.

Funderburk walked one and hit one batter while not allowing a hit or a run in two-thirds of an inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Tigers.

Funderburk made things interesting, but he managed to get the job done for his first save of the season. The Twins utilized Justin Topa and Cole Sands earlier in the contest, and Taylor Rogers may have been unavailable after pitching three times in the previous four days, leaving the bullpen short staffed. This was a fifth straight scoreless outing for Funderburk, who has pitched three hitless innings while issuing four walks in that span. He has a 3.18 ERA and 6:6 K:BB over 5.2 innings while adding a 1-1 record and three holds so far in 2026. While he may continue to see some high-leverage work, his early performance suggests his pitching will cause some stress. Funderburk is the fourth Twins pitcher to log a save this season, leaving no clarity to who will handle the bulk of the closing duties.

Ober (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Tigers on Wednesday.

Ober came up an out short of a quality start, but this was still his best outing of the season. The 30-year-old had gone just four innings in each of his first two games. Ober threw 64 of 99 pitches for strikes Wednesday and limited the damage to the sixth inning. He has a 5.27 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 7:4 K:BB through 13.2 innings so far. Ober's lack of strikeouts is a concern, especially after he posted a career-worst 7.4 K/9 during the 2025 regular season. He's averaging just 89.1 mph on his four-seam fastball this year, down from 90.3 mph last year, so his strikeout numbers are unlikely to rebound if the velocity remains down. Ober is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Red Sox.