MLB Player News

Abreu hit an RBI double off Chris Bassitt in the third inning to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. It was his 33rd double of the season. Abreu continues to show he can hit. He’s hitting .259 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI and eight stolen bases in 386 at-bats this year.

Bassitt gave up four hits, walked seven and struck out two. He also had a balk. Bassitt wasn’t hit hard, but was clearly off his game as he allowed seven free passes. It’s the second straight start where he’s failed to complete five innings. Bassitt is 10-14 with a 4.16 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 171 innings on the season. The 35-year-old right-hander is lined up to face the Marlins at home on the final day of the season.

Houck gave up one hit, walked one and struck out none. He threw just four innings in his last start as the Red Sox are managing his workload. Houck threw 60 pitches in his last start and 57 pitches on Monday. It’s unclear if the Red Sox will use him again against the Rays later this week, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s shutdown. It might be a foregone conclusion that Houck is done if the Red Sox are eliminated from playoff contention. If his season is over, he finished 9-10 with a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings.

Bellinger is in the middle of a 2-for-19 slump over his last five games. It hasn’t been a great season for him with a .263 average, 18 home runs and 73 RBI. Bellinger has five games to end it on a high note before heading into an offseason where he has a decision to make on the looming player option in his contract.

Schwarber’s home run was his 37th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Caleb Kilian in the third inning. He’s hitting .250 with an .855 OPS and 100 RBI on the year. Schwarber hadn’t had 100 RBI in a season until 2023 and has now reached that milestone in two straight seasons.

Realmuto’s home run was his 14th of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Caleb Kilian in the second inning. Realmuto is 24-for-78 (.307) with six home runs and 17 RBI over his last 21 games. A midseason knee injury put a damper on his season, but he’s showing that he can still be a really good fantasy catcher.

Killian gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out three. He was making his first appearance of the season. Killian had made four starts for the Cubs over the last two years and had a 12.42 ERA in those games. He didn’t do much better against the Phillies here. Killian is off the fantasy radar. It’s unclear if the Cubs plan on using him again in the final week of the regular season.

Nola gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out seven. He held the Cubs without a run for the first six innings, but ran into trouble in the seventh inning without recording an out. It was all fairly typical for Nola. With the Phillies clinching the division on Monday, he might not make another start in the regular season. If he doesn’t, he’ll finish the year 13-8 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 190 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings.

Guillorme was DFA’d last week. He could still be brought back if the D’backs run into any infield troubles the rest of the way.

Martinez’s 80-game steroid suspension concluded today, and the Jays decided against rewarding him with a final-week callup, even though he probably belongs on the roster from a talent standpoint. He wound up hitting .304/.360/.522 in 11 games for Triple-A Buffalo while finishing up the suspension. He’ll probably have a chance to compete for a starting job in the infield next spring, unless the Jays load up with veterans.