MLB Player News

The Nationals will have to restructure their late inning mix after dealing Hunter Harvey to the Royals on Saturday and it sounds like Willingham will at least get an opportunity to stick this time around. Expect either Dylan Floro or Derek Law to emerge as the primary setup man for closer Kyle Finnegan.

It’s been a really difficult season for the veteran catcher, who is slashing just .209/.291/.369 with nine home runs and 22 RBI. Unless he pulls away from a timeshare with Travis d’Arnaud, he’s hard to roster in one-catcher formats.

Alexis Díaz got the day off after pitching four times in five days. Pagán got the call with a three-run lead in the ninth and loaded the bases on two hits and a walk before ending the game with three strikeouts for his first save.

With the Nationals starting a left-handed pitcher, the Braves finally started Laureano again over Jarred Kelenic, and the veteran responded. He came into today hitting .307 in 38 games since the All-Star break and has been far and away the better player between the two. If the Braves start to play him regularly, he could provide some solid fantasy value.

Friedl broke a scoreless game in the fifth inning with a two-run single to score Elly De La Cruz and Jonathan India. He then stole third and scored on a groundout, making him responsible for all three of Cincinnati’s runs on Tuesday. The 29-year-old outfielder is hitting .215/.299/.378 with 11 homers, 48 RBI, and nine steals across 282 plate appearances.

Tena has been solid since coming over to the Nationals at the trade deadline, going 29-for-92 (.315) with two home runs, nine runs, 10 RBI, and two steals in 24 games. The poor lineup around him has limited some of the counting stat value, but Tena is an everyday player who is producing a good batting average, so he carries fantasy value in deeper formats.

De La Cruz drew a walk in the first inning and stole two bases before he was left stranded. He drew another walk in the third before he was caught stealing. De La Cruz then reached for a third time with a base hit in the fifth and scored on a single by TJ Friedl. The 22-year-old star shortstop is slashing .260/.344/.474 with 23 homers, 96 runs scored, 65 RBI, and 64 steals across 627 plate appearances.

Lowder was impressive on Tuesday, scattering five hits over five scoreless frames while striking out three for his first career win. He’s now allowed just one run over 15 1/3 innings across three starts. This one was most impressive considering he didn’t walk a batter after issuing four walks in each of his first two starts. The 22-year-old right-hander is in line for a start against the Twins in Minnesota on Sunday.

Pallante got off to a good start, holding the Reds scoreless through four innings before Cincinnati brought three runs in score in the fifth on two walks, two hits, and a groundout. The 25-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 4.13 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 77/45 K/BB ratio across 102 1/3 innings. Pallante may move back into the bullpen with Lance Lynn (knee) returning on Wednesday.

Gore had been really solid over his last three starts but reverted to some earlier struggles in this one. He struck out three on the day but also walked three while producing a 20 percent whiff rate and 22 percent CSW. Gore was unable to miss bats with his four-seam fastball and struggled to command his breaking pitches. The 25-year-old will now take a 4.24 ERA into a strong matchup against the Marlins.

Manzardo brought the first run in to score for the Guardians with a base hit in the second inning to score Lane Thomas from second base. He later knocked a base hit in the fourth for his second hit of the game. The 24-year-old is hitting .236/.274/.406 with two homers and ten RBI across 113 plate appearances.