MLB Player News

Hader was summoned in the ninth inning to close out the game with a two-run lead. He shut the door on the Cardinals on ten pitches, striking out one batter for his fourth save of the season. The 31-year-old left-hander has been sharp since giving up three runs in his first outing, making six scoreless appearances.

LaViolette gets a bonus of $4 million, which is a significant bump from the $3.382 million slot value that came from being the 27th pick. The 21-year-old didn’t live up to lofty expectations in 2025, but he offers considerable power and is absolutely a player to pay attention to in all keeper/dynasty formats.

Kirk was shaken up after he was hit in the mask by a foul ball. He’ll likely undergo testing and through the concussion protocol as Toronto will take every precaution with a potential head injury. Tyler Heineman is now behind the plate for the Blue Jays.

Young tried to get on via bunt and was hit in the right hand, and after visiting with a trainer, the Nationals pulled him from the game. Alex Call has replaced Young in the lineup. Young will likely need to undergo imaging and testing to determine the severity of the injury.

Megill will throw another session Sunday. The right-hander has been on the injured list since June 15 with an elbow sprain, and it’s possible he could be an option for the Mets’ pitching staff — maybe even as one who makes starts — before the end of 2025.

Clase left a slider over the middle of the plate, and India, who had been 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, hammered it out to left. It was just his fifth homer of the season and the second allowed by Clase. A big disappointment as a fantasy infielder — the 0-for-4 in stolen bases is particularly ridiculous — India still might have something to offer down the stretch. Statcast thinks he’s been really unlucky, giving him an xBA about 30 points higher than his current .242 and an xSLG about 70 points higher than his actual.345 mark. Still, without the occasional steal, his upside is pretty limited.

Wacha has allowed exactly one run in three straight starts, though he’s remained stuck on four wins since mid-June. At least the Royals did go on to win 5-3 today on a three-run homer in extra innings. It’s just the second time all year they’ve scored that many runs in a game started by Wacha. They won 7-5 in Houston on May 12. Wacha figures to face the Blue Jays next Friday.

Williams allowed five hits, walked two and struck out three. Maikel Garcia’s two-run homer in the fourth was responsible for the damage. Williams’ ability to miss bats varies greatly from start to start, but at least the overall results are getting more consistent. He has a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts, and he hasn’t had any truly bad outings since May. Williams will likely next face the Twins on Friday. Unfortunately, last night’s rainout cost him what would have been a home start versus the Rockies on Wednesday.

In a bit of an oddity, all three runs were earned, since Clase picked off the automatic runner on second base. Unfortunately, that was the only out Clase recorded before giving up a homer to Jonathan India. With umpire Malachi Moore refusing to give him anything close, Clase walked Josh Rave before the pickoff and Luke Maile afterwards to set things up. Maybe Rave would have reached anyway, but it really looked like Maile’s ball four should have been strike three. It’s Clase’s fifth blown save and third loss. He had allowed just one homer all year and never more than two runs in an outing.

The homer off Gavin Williams was hit 418 feet to center. Maybe this is the start of a turnaround for the All-Star Garcia; he was hitting just .206/.247/.265 in 18 games this month, and he hadn’t homered since June 18.

Birdsong was sent to Triple-A on Tuesday, but there was some thought that he could make his next start in the majors after Landen Roupp was placed on the injured list. That won’t happen, as Birdsong will get at least one turn in the minors. If he pitches well in Sacramento, he could be an option before the end of 2025.