MLB Player News
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David Bednar RP | PIT
Pirates' David Bednar: Extends streak with 13th save
Bednar earned the save Sunday against the Twins, allowing one hit and striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the 2-1 victory.
Called on to protect a one-run lead, Bednar calmly closed the door with a pair of strikeouts to make it 18 consecutive appearances without an earned run, a dominant stretch during which the 30-year-old has collected 23 strikeouts and allowed just 12 baserunners. After a rough 2024 and start to 2025, the right-hander has been extremely reliable for Pittsburg when called upon, converting all 13 save attempts and closing in on two months without an earned run. Rightfully so, Bednar has remained locked in as Pittsburgh's main ninth-inning option and will look to continue shutting things down post All-Star break.
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Cristopher Sanchez SP | PHI
Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez: Strong in eighth win
Sanchez (8-2) allowed one run on six hits and three walks while striking out six over 7.1 innings to earn the win over the Padres on Sunday.
Sanchez has rattled off eight straight quality starts since the beginning of June, and impressively, he hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of them. Over that span, he has a 1.63 ERA across 55.1 innings. The 28-year-old southpaw concludes the first half with a 2.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 122:32 K:BB through 115 innings across 19 starts. His next start is projected to be during the Phillies' second series after the All-Star break, which is at home versus the Red Sox.
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Luis Matos RF | SF
Giants' Luis Matos: Forces extras with homer
Matos went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-2 extra-innings loss to the Dodgers.
The Giants struggled to get any offense going until Matos delivered a game-tying homer in the ninth inning off Tanner Scott. The outfielder has gone 4-for-21 (.190) over seven games since returning to the big-league roster July 1 after a month-long stay with Triple-A Sacramento. Matos has struggled to a .172/.214/.387 slash line with five homers, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored and two stolen bases over 98 plate appearances. He will likely continue to serve in a short-side platoon role while in the majors, most often spelling Mike Yastrzemski in right field when the Giants face a southpaw.
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Robbie Ray SP | SF
Giants' Robbie Ray: Quality start in pitching duel
Ray allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Sunday.
Ray was close to taking a hard-luck loss, but Luis Matos' game-tying homer in the ninth inning spared him. Ray was strong, allowing an RBI double to Freddie Freeman and a solo home run to Miguel Rojas, but the southpaw wasn't quite as sharp as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched seven scoreless frames. Since the start of June, Ray has allowed just 19 runs (16 earned) over 48.2 innings, good for a 2.96 ERA. That's a little worse than his overall mark this year -- he's at a 2.65 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 128:44 K:BB through 119 innings over 20 starts. Ray was named an All-Star this year but won't pitch in Tuesday's game since he started Sunday.
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Simeon Woods Richardson SP | MIN
Twins' Simeon Woods Richardson: Holds Pirates in check
Woods Richardson did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 2-1 loss against the Pirates, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over 4.2 innings while striking out three.
The lone blemish on Woods Richardson's line came on a solo homer to Tommy Pham in the second inning, but he rebounded with back-to-back perfect frames in the third and fourth before being lifted shy of 80 pitches for the third straight start. The 24-year-old has been excellent lately, allowing one earned run or fewer in five of his last six starts while posting a 1.47 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 30.2 innings over that stretch. The right-hander will look to continue this impressive run after the all-star break.
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Miguel Rojas 2B | LAD
Dodgers' Miguel Rojas: Swats fifth homer
Rojas went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 extra-innings win over the Giants.
Rojas popped his fifth homer of the year, taking Robbie Ray deep in the fifth inning. Rojas' playing time has picked up in July as he helps cover for the absence of starting third baseman Max Muncy (knee), with Rojas having a regular spot in the lineup versus southpaws. With Tommy Edman healthy again after a brief absence due to a toe injury, Rojas is likely to remain in a short-side platoon role, essentially sharing one spot in the lineup with the left-handed-hitting Hyeseong Kim. Rojas is slashing a decent .254/.297/.415 across 139 plate appearances this season.
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Tanner Scott RP | LAD
Dodgers' Tanner Scott: Falters again Sunday
Scott allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over one inning, taking a blown save in Sunday's 5-2 extra-innings win over the Giants.
Offense was at a premium in the first nine innings, but Scott allowed a game-tying, two-run home run to pinch hitter Luis Matos in the ninth. This was Scott's second blown save in three outings, and he's been tagged for five runs over five innings to begin July. He's now 19-for-26 in save chances while adding seven holds over 45 appearances this season. Scott's ERA is up to 4.09 with a 1.14 WHIP, but his impressive control (49:8 K:BB) should keep him firmly in the high-leverage mix as long as can bounce back following the All-Star break.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP | LAD
Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Rebounds with seven shutout frames
Yamamoto allowed three hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Sunday.
Yamamoto was chased in the first inning of his last start versus the Brewers on Monday, so this was a fantastic bounce-back effort. After a dominant first two-plus months of the season, Yamamoto has been less of a sure thing, posting a 3.57 ERA over his last eight starts (40.1 innings), a span that includes three starts of four or more runs allowed. Altogether, he's at a 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 116:36 K:BB through 104.1 innings over 19 starts. He won't participate in the All-Star Game in Atlanta on Tuesday since he pitched Sunday, but he'll be ready to go whenever his turn comes up as the Dodgers host three-game series versus the Brewers and Twins coming out of the break.
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Records steal in loss
Neto went 1-for-2 with two walks, one stolen base and one run scored in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Neto enters the All-Star break hot -- he's 17-for-47 (.362) with six extra-base hits and four steals over his last 11 games. The shortstop has had a bit of a breakout this season, posting a .279/.326/.492 slash line over 77 contests after dealing with a couple of right shoulder injuries during the first half. He's added 15 homers, 33 RBI, 61 runs scored, 18 doubles, one triple and 17 steals, offering an enticing blend of power and speed for a middle infielder.
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Jose Soriano SP | LAA
Angels' Jose Soriano: Comes undone in fourth inning
Soriano (6-7) allowed five runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Diamondbacks.
Soriano got through three innings with little trouble, but Arizona put together a four-run rally in the fourth, aided by an error. Over his last nine starts, Soriano has been operating on extremes -- he's given up five-plus runs four times, but his other five starts in that span have seen him surrender one run or fewer. That inconsistency is frustrating for fantasy managers, but the right-hander has been one of the Angels' more effective starters in the first half, posting a 3.90 ERA despite a 1.45 WHIP and 98:55 K:BB through 113 innings over 20 starts.