MLB Player News

Sborz missed significant time during the 2024 season due to shoulder issues but was one of the key cogs in the Rangers’ championship bullpen in 2023. It’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the 2025 season, but it’s nice to see the Rangers show continued faith in him. Sborz registered a 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 17/4 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings during the 2024 campaign.

Of course, it wasn’t announced ahead of time. Woodruff, making his seventh start since returning from shoulder surgery, was lifted after throwing 65 pitches in four scoreless innings against the Pirates. It was his first start on four days’ rest.

Contreras also had another walk that didn’t come with the bases loaded. The first of his singles left his bat at 110.5 mph. While Contreras has been a big fantasy disappointment this season, probably because of his thumb injury, things are getting better. His hard-hit rate has gone from 38.8% in April and 40.6% in May to 45.5% in June, 55.4% in July and 63.9% so far in August.

Frelick also stole his 18th base of the season. It’s the first time in his career that he’s scored four runs. He’s scored seven times the last two days, and a total of 31 times in his 40 games as a leadoff man.

Ortiz also doubled twice last night. He’s in the midst of a second nice two-week run this season. He had one in mid-June that raised his OPS from .504 to .572, where it held pretty steady through the end of July. Now he’s hit .391/.440/.543 during the Brewers’ 12-game winning streak, moving his OPS from .566 to .617. Prior to last night’s game, the only game this season he’d concluded with a .600 OPS was Opening Day’s, when he went 2-for-4.

Reynolds also singled, but it was his homers against Shelby Miller in the fifth and Nick Mears in the six that plated the runs. It’s his first two-homer game of the year and eighth of his career. It’s also the first time this season that he’s knocked in five runs. He’s batting .367/.426/.673 in 13 games this month, raising his OPS from .662 to .709.

The Nationals were up 5-0 and then 6-3 in this game, but the Royals battled back and tied the game at eight apiece with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lile then drilled a two-out single to right field to score Luis Garcia Jr. and give the Nationals a one-run lead they would carry til the end of the game. Lile is now hitting a solid .262/.304/.393 in his debut season, but his defense in the outfield has left a little to be desired, and Dylan Crews (oblique) is set to come off the IL on Thursday, so it’s unclear what Lile’s role will be going forward.

Pasquantino had an RBI groundout in the first inning and then launched a 410-foot shot in the fourth inning to get the Royals back to within one run. It was Pasquantino’s 22nd home run of the season, and he now sits at 80 RBI and a .260/.321/.450 slash line. It’s been a quietly solid season for the Royals’ first baseman, even if he hasn’t truly broken out as people wanted.

Lowe gave the Nationals a huge cushion in the first inning with a grand slam off Seth Lugo that went 403 feet at 103.5 mph off the bat. He also hit a 104.5 mph groundball that led to an error and drew a walk, so he was seeing the ball well on Wednesday. Lowe now has 16 home runs and 68 RBI on the season to go along with an underwhelming .216/.292/.373 slash line. While the power is nice, the batting average has made it hard to roster him outside of the deepest formats.

Lugo struck out two but walked four and posted a 13 percent whiff rate and 22 percent CSW. Lugo has now allowed 19 runs in his last 18 1/3 innings over four starts. That happens to coincide with when Lugo signed his contract extension, but that’s most likely more coincidence than anything. He gets a tougher start next week against the Rangers, and we would understand benching Lugo in shallower formats, but we would not drop him yet.

Irvin was staked to a five-run lead before he even stepped onto the mound, but he wasn’t able to capitalize. He allowed three runs in his first three innings, and then a Vinnie Pasquantino three-run home run in the fourth inning sealed his fate. Irvin struck out three and walked four on the day while posting a 10 percent whiff rate and 23 percent CSW. He should be avoided next week in a start against the Mets.