MLB Player News

Duran drove in a run with a groundout in the second inning. In the sixth inning, he drove in two more with a two-out double off Angel Zerpa. Duran is having a stellar season. He’s hitting .295 with an .867 OPS and 58 RBI on the year.

Birdsong will head back to Triple-A after losing the strike zone and giving up five runs without retiring a batter last night. He had a 2.79 ERA in five starts and 11 relief appearances through June 12, but he’d since given up 20 earned runs and walked 18 in 17 1/3 innings over his last five starts. Carson Seymour was called up and could jump into the rotation in his place next week. Carson Whisenhunt could also be an option, and there’s the chance the Giants could trade for a starter before the deadline.

Because he wasn’t going to be available to pitch tonight, Beck loses his spot despite having pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings since the All-Star break. He has a 5.68 ERA overall in 19 innings this season, though half of the runs he allowed came in one outing in a game the Giants weren’t winning anyway.

It’s Seymour’s second major league stint after he allowed two runs over four innings in two relief appearances last month. A starter with a 3.86 ERA in Triple-A, he’ll be available to pitch several innings tonight if needed. With Hayden Birdsong getting demoted, Seymour could also be a candidate to pitch next time the Giants need a fifth starter.

MLB still hasn’t had anything to say about the abuse allegations made by Hjelle’s wife last month, and he apparently remains in good standing with the Giants organization. He’ll return to his middle relief role after amassing a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings since being shipped out last month.

Basallo suffered an oblique injury last week. It was thought to be minor at the time, and it appears that it actually is. He is likely to return to Triple-A Norfolk this weekend. The 20-year-old is pushing hard for an MLB call-up, but there is no spot for him behind the plate, and the Orioles have played him at DH and first base as much as they have at catcher while he’s been at Triple-A. Perhaps Basallo could get called up to fill the first base and DH roles after the trade deadline if players like Ryan O’Hearn are no longer in Baltimore.

Encarnacion was placed on the IL on June 17 after going just 3-for-22 in eight games following a return from wrist surgery. He now no longer has a designated hitter spot with Rafael Devers in town, but Encarnacion was working out at first base during his first rehab assignment, so that could perhaps be a path to get him into the lineup for the Giants.

Assad injured his oblique in spring training and then sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain in his April 22 outing while rehabbing with Triple-A Iowa. He is now ready to start up his second rehab assignment in the hopes of helping bolster the Cubs’ rotation down the stretch.

The 23-year-old took ground balls, fly balls, played catch, hit off the tee, hit batting practice, and ran the bases over the weekend without issue. All signs seem to point to him beginning a rehab assignment as soon as this week and maybe returning to the Nationals’ lineup in mid-August.

The Phillies have made it clear that Painter is “untouchable” in trade talks, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to join the Phillies’ rotation in the second half. “We’ve always said July-ish that he’d be ready to join the rotation, not that he was going to join the rotation,” Dombrowski said. “He isn’t guaranteed a spot in a rotation at any point. He’s never been told that he is. We’ll just play it by ear, see how he’s throwing, how our club fits together.” Right now, Painter has a 5.01 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 8.2 percent walk rate in 12 starts at Triple-A, so he doesn’t appear to be an immediate threat to get starts for the Phillies without an injury.

The 26-year-old threw a live bullpen on Saturday, and the team is now deciding whether his next step will be a live batting practice session or a rehab start on Friday with a minor league affiliate. Miller’s velocity has been good in his bullpen sessions, but we also know that he’s dealing with an elbow injury that he believes will require surgery in the off-season. Even if he does make it back on the mound for the Mariners, which feels like it will happen in early August, there’s no way to know how effective he’ll be.