MLB Player News

In the biggest hit of the contest, Yastrzemski smacked first-pitch fastball from Bryan Woo for an opposite-field 379-foot (101.9 mph EV) three-run blast that transformed a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 advantage for the Giants. He also drew a walk and struck out twice in the ballgame, finishing the afternoon 1-for-3. On the season, the 34-year-old outfielder is now hitting .333/.484/.458 with one home run and four RBI. He remains an intriguing streaming option in deeper mixed leagues anytime the Giants face a slew of right-handers.

Ohtani (elbow) threw 44 pitches over three innings of live batting practice on Tuesday and there had been rumblings that he could take the mound in live game action next week, but it’s fair to say that him starting against the Padres on Monday comes as a major surprise to everyone. The last time we saw Ohtani on a big league mound he registered a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 167/55 K/BB ratio over 132 innings in 23 starts for the Angels during the 2023 season. All eyes will be on that game in Los Angeles on Monday evening. Expect that he’ll function in an opener role with Ben Casparius likely to work bulk innings behind him.

The Giants had just scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning when Pages answered back with his go-ahead 399-foot (101.6 mph EV) three-run shot off of Ryan Walker in the fifth inning to put the Dodgers ahead to stay. Pages finished the evening 1-for-3 with a strikeout, though that one hit proved to be the difference in the ballgame. He has done a nice job for the Dodgers this season, slashing .281/.320/.480 with 13 long balls and 46 RBI.

Edman tagged Giants’ right-hander Sean Hjelle for a 400-foot (103.3 mph EV) solo shot in the second inning that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0. The versatile 30-year-old finished the evening 1-for-3 and is now slashing .247/.283/.463 with 10 homers, 34 RBI and three stolen bases on the season.

Scott looked every bit the dominant closer that the Dodgers expected him to be in this one, striking out Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos and Jerar Encarnacion in succession — each on swinging third strikes. He needed just 13 pitches (10 strikes) to get the job done in this one. On the season, the 30-year-old southpaw holds a 3.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 38/4 K/BB ratio across 32 2/3 innings while converting 13 of his first 18 save chances.

May also issued four free passes on the evening while striking out three. All of the damage done against him came in the fourth inning as Christian Koss delivered a run-scoring single and Jung Hoo Lee followed with a two-run triple. Fortunately, the Dodgers’ offense did enough scoring to bail him out. May got just five swings and misses on 94 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 26 percent. He’ll carry a 4.46 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 67/30 K/BB ratio (72 2/3 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the Nationals.

Lee did his damage off of Dodgers’ starter Dustin May in the fourth inning, briefly giving the Giants a 3-2 advantage. That would be his only hit in the ballgame though and the only time that the Giants would lead. On the season, the 26-year-old outfielder is slashing .265/.327/.433 with six homers, 34 RBI and six stolen bases.

Hjelle piled up five strikeouts on the night while issuing a pair of walks. The 28-year-old hurler drew the unexpected start after Sunday’s scheduled starter, Kyle Harrison, was dealt to the Red Sox just before first pitch. He allowed a run on a sacrifice fly in the opening inning and then served up a solo homer to Tommy Edman in the second inning. He threw 54 pitches (33 strikes) in the game, so expect him to be unavailable out of the bullpen for at least the next couple of days.

The Red Sox had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to accommodate their megadeal with the Giants on Sunday and unfortunately that left Penrod out in the cold. The 27-year-old southpaw has registered a 2.84 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and an 8/4 K/BB ratio over 6 1/3 innings in the minor leagues this season after missing the first few months with a left elbow strain. There’s a chance that he passes through waivers unclaimed and continues to serve as extra depth for the Red Sox.

The Giants’ biggest deficiency was their lack of a left-handed power option in the middle of their lineup and they went out and got one of the best in all of baseball. It will be fascinating to see how Devers is deployed — will he cover third base while Matt Chapman is sidelined, will he be willing to play first base, will he simply be stationed as the team’s designated hitter — but regardless of where he plays he represents a dramatic upgrade to the Giants’ lineup. The fantasy value of his entire supporting cast improves with this addition.

The one real unknown in this mega deal is Jose Bello. The 20-year-old right-hander was signed out of the Dominican Republic and has spent the past three seasons pitching in the lowest levels of the minor leagues. He has registered a 2.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and a 28/3 K/BB ratio over 18 innings for the Giants’ affiliate in the Arizona Complex League this season. He’s a very intriguing young arm but a long way from potentially helping out at the major league level.