MLB Player News

Baz (4-11) took the loss Friday against the Rangers, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine over eight innings.

Baz was excellent for most of the night, but one mistake was enough to saddle him with another loss. The right-hander held Texas scoreless through five innings before Joc Pederson took him deep for a two-run homer in the sixth, accounting for all of the Rangers' scoring. Baz then retired the final eight batters he faced, but the offense couldn't support him with a turnaround. Despite his ugly 4-11 record, Baz owns a respectable 3.76 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. He's winless in his last nine starts, going 0-5 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over that stretch. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Twins.

Gray (elbow) completed a bullpen session at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure in July 2024, Gray didn't pitch for the Nationals in 2025 but was able to make three rehab starts in September. He was expected to compete for a rotation spot this spring, but he was diagnosed with a right flexor strain late in camp and opened the season on the 60-day injured list. Updates on Gray's status have been few and far between in the ensuing months while he's conducted his rehab in Florida, but the 28-year-old has finally made enough progress in his throwing program to get back on the mound. He'll still need to eventually face hitters and head out on a rehab assignment before the Nationals activate him in 2026, and if he does end up making it back to the big leagues in September, he may have to settle for a bullpen role.

Genao started at second base and went 0-for-4 in Friday's 8-2 win over the White Sox.

The switch-hitting Genao got the start against left-hander Noah Schultz, replacing Travis Bazzana at the keystone. Bazzana, who has struggled against left-handed pitching (.537 OPS) in the majors, may lose opportunities against southpaws going forward, which should benefit Genao.

Rodriguez started in center field and went 1-for-4 with a double in Friday's 5-3 loss to Washington.

This was Rodriguez's third big-league game and first start in center field after he played right field in his debut Tuesday and served as the designated hitter Thursday. The move to center field worked out, as he was tested on a couple of plays. "He did OK," manager Terry Francona told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "That's a big ask [to play center field]. I told him, 'If you mess something up, I'll take it, not you.'" Rodriguez, who belted 27 home runs with an .880 OPS in the minors this season, potentially gives the Reds more offense than Dane Myers in center.

McKinstry went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Giants.

Detroit struggled to generate much offense as a team, but McKinstry did his part as he continued to swing a hot bat. The veteran utility player is now batting .421 across six games this month, and he's batting .378 across his last 15 contests dating back to July. McKinstry's overall .221 batting average reflects his slower start to the season, but he seems to be trending upward heading into the stretch run.

Thielbar allowed two runs on three hits while retiring just one batter in relief during Friday's 6-4 win over the Royals.

After seven strong innings from new Chicago starter Kevin Gausman in which he allowed just two runs, Thielbar quickly ran into some trouble in the eighth. The lefty got the hook before Trent Thornton finished out the frame to earn a hold. Thielbar has been struggling recently with a 17.18 ERA across his last five appearances, which has pushed his overall ERA up to 5.30. With Thornton, Jacob Webb and Ryan Zeferjahn all seemingly ahead of him in the bullpen pecking order, and Daniel Palencia (elbow) expected back soon, Thielbar doesn't have much fantasy appeal at the moment.

De La Cruz went 1-for-2 wth two walks and a solo home run in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Nationals.

De La Cruz hit the second of back-to-back home runs in the third inning to tie the game. It was his second consecutive game with a home run and 20th of the season. In doing so, De La Cruz posted a third consecutive season with at least 20 homers and 20 steals, becoming the third player in Reds history to achieve that distinction.

Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Royals. He also stole a base.

Crow-Armstrong extended his hitting streak to five games and also swiped a base for the second straight contest. The talented outfielder is now up to 30 stolen bases overall, which marks his second consecutive season reaching that milestone. With four more home runs this year, Crow-Armstrong will have back-to-back 30-30 campaigns as well. With a robust .937 OPS to boot, the 24-year-old has been an elite fantasy contributor in 2026.

Lawlar (hamstring) could shift his rehab assignment to Triple-A Reno during the upcoming week, MLB.com reports.

Lawlar has thus far made three rehab appearances at Double-A Amarillo, going a collective 1-for-10 with one stolen base and a 0:5 BB:K. He's yet to play a full nine-inning game, though he played six innings in center field Tuesday and seven innings in center Friday. Lawlar may need to play full games on back-to-back days during his rehab assignment before making his return from the 10-day injured list. He's been on the shelf since June 20 due to a right hamstring strain.

Soroka (glute) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list to start Monday's game against the Rockies at Chase Field, MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks felt comfortable bringing the right-hander back from the IL following a lone rehab start Tuesday, when he allowed one run over four innings and 57 pitches for Triple-A Reno. Arizona cleared a spot for Soroka in the rotation by optioning starter Kohl Drake to Reno on Friday.