MLB Player News

Julks entered the game as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning. He then made his presence felt when he strolled to the dish in the seventh, tattooing a 1-2 fastball from Austin Cox for a 388-foot (106.0 mph EV) go-ahead two-run blast. That lead would be short-lived, as the Royals would score three in he eighth. Julks also grounded out in the ninth inning, finishing the day 1-for-2. The 28-year-old outfielder will need a strong showing in Arizona to land a reserve role on the team’s Opening Day roster.

Tidwell followed Landen Roupp (elbow), who threw only three innings in his rehab start. Tidwell then delivered a strong performance that saw him post a superb 43 percent whiff rate and 36 percent CSW. His sinker was just 91.8 mph in this one, which is down three mph from what we’ve seen this season, but you have to wonder if that could be some statcast misreadings given how well he pitched. His slider and sweeper combined for 17 whiffs on 16 swings, and the Giants really have to think about having his next performance come at the big league level.

The home run was an impressive at-bat in which Eldridge was initially called out on strikes after an 0-2 changeup. However, he challenged the pitch, which was revealed to be a ball, then walked the count full before hitting a 374-foot shot for his 12th home run at Triple-A. He has some swing-and-miss concerns, but he’s knocking on the door of MLB at-bats as the Giants’ offense continues to falter.

He also walked four and struck out five while throwing 47 of his 83 pitches for strikes. Abel seemed to break out a sweeper in this start that was three mph slower than his regular slider and with 10 inches more horizontal movement. He threw only seven of them, and one for a strike, so the Twins are clearly still tweaking some things with his pitch mix, but he posted a solid 23 percent whiff rate and 27 percent CSW on the day.

Wicks didn’t walk a batter and struck out four while throwing 41 of his 59 pitches for strikes. Since being sent back to Triple-A, the left-hander has allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 13 innings while striking out 14 and walking four. He might still be a better bet in the Cubs’ rotation than Ben Brown.

Despite being suspended for breaking MLB rules, Alvarado gets to play in professional games while still serving his suspension. He sat 97.7 mph on his sinker, which was down almost two mph from where he was before being suspended. He has until August 19th to get that velocity back since that’s the date he is eligible to return to the Phillies’ bullpen.

He also struck out twice, so it was a bit of a complete Spencer Jones game. The 24-year-old has cooled off after his hot stretch to begin his Triple-A career and is just 5-for-38 (.132) in August with one home run, seven steals, and a 13/6 K/BB ratio. The power and speed will never go away, but he’s going to need to make more consistent contact before an MLB call-up.

Massey has had a rough road back from an ankle sprain that originally landed him on the IL on June 10th. He started a rehab assignment in late June, but then had his assignment paused on July 3rd with a setback, and then paused again on August 2nd after suffering another setback. He’s back in the lineup and playing left field, but the Royals may want to keep him in the minors for a while to ensure there are no additional setbacks.

Wells was up to 52 pitches this time out, throwing 41 of them for strikes. He averaged 92.9 mph on his four-seam fastball, which is up from 92.5 mph his last time out. He continues to work in all five of his pitches, and his command was much better this time out. There’s a chance that the 30-year-old could return to Baltimore’s rotation after just two more rehab starts. He’d be an option in deeper formats and is likely auditioning for a rotation spot in 2026.

McLean walked three and struck out seven while throwing 47 of his 74 pitches for strikes. The three walks are not ideal, but McLean could have gone deeper into this game since he threw 96 pitches his last time out. This suggests that the Mets are being cautious with his innings and could hint at potential MLB usage in the future. McLean has a 2.78 ERA in 87 1/3 innings at Triple-A, so there isn’t much left for him to prove at the level.

Moreta has been good for Pittsburgh, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings while allowing just one hit and one walk and striking out six. Chase Shugart is coming off the injured list today, and the Pirates needed a spot in the bullpen for him, but Moreta should get another chance late this summer.