Josh Jung hit a two-run homer and walked versus the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Jung was awarded AL Rookie of the Month honors in both April and May, but he's going to need a big finish here to make it three in a row; he's batting .222/.323/.389 with two homers and five RBI in June. One would think Gunnar Henderson (.364/.391/.727 with five homers) is the heavy favorite at this point.
Jordan Walker slugged his fifth home run of the season on Saturday, helping to power the Cardinals to victory over the Mets in New York.
Walker tagged Mets' starter Kodai Senga for his 375-foot opposite-field solo shot in the third inning -- extending the Cardinals' edge to 4-1. He also drew a walk in the ballgame, finishing the afternoon 1-for-3. On the season, the 21-year-old phenom is now hitting .295/.353/.467 with five homers, 18 RBI and two stolen bases in 133 plate appearances.
Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 and clobbered a two-run homer on Saturday, propelling the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Mets in New York.
Goldschmidt capped off a three-run uprising in the second inning with his 356-foot two-run blast off of Kodai Senga. He also singled and walked in the game, reaching base safely in three of his five plate appearances. On the season, the superstar first baseman is slashing .287/.381/.493 with 12 long balls, 33 RBI and seven stolen bases.
Guardians designated RHP Touki Toussaint for assignment.
The right-hander was promoted to make an emergency spot start against the Diamondbacks on Friday night where he allowed two runs over his 3 2/3 innings of work. There's a decent chance he could pass through waivers unclaimed and continue to function as extra pitching depth for the Guardians.
Guardians recalled C Bo Naylor from Triple-A Columbus.
As expected, the 23-year-old backstop has joined the Guardians and will take over as their starter behind the dish after Mike Zunino was mercifully designated for assignment on Friday. Naylor has hit .254/.393/.498 with 13 homers, 48 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 270 plate appearances at Triple-A Columbus this season. He's unfortunately not in the Guardians' lineup on Saturday night against the Diamondbacks, but will be in there on Sunday afternoon.
Guardians selected the contract of LHP Daniel Norris from Triple-A Columbus.
The 30-year-old southpaw has really struggled at Triple-A Columbus this season -- registering a 6.93 ERA, 1.91 WHIP and a 32/24 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings. He'll add depth and length to the Guardians' bullpen.
Joey Wiemer homered for the second consecutive game on Saturday, powering the Brewers to a 5-0 victory over the Pirates in Milwaukee.
The 24-year-old outfielder opened the scoring in the ballgame with his 366-foot two-run shot off of Mitch Keller in the third inning. That was his only hit in three at-bats on the afternoon, but played a critical role in the Brewers' victory. He's now just one of just 11 big league hitters to have 10 or more home runs and stolen bases on the season -- and one of only two rookies to do so, joining Diamondbacks' outfielder Corbin Carroll. While the production has been nice, he's still slashing just .215/.286/.416 with his 10 homers, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases on the season.
Mitch Keller racked up seven strikeouts over five innings of four-run baseball in a losing effort against the Brewers on Saturday afternoon.
The right-hander scattered five hits and three walks on the day. He served up a two-run homer to Joey Wiemer in the third inning and a two-run double to Rowdy Tellez in the fifth. That was the extent of the damage done against him. Keller generated 14 swings and misses on 99 pitches in the ballgame -- seven on his cutter -- registering a CSW of 33 percent. Now 8-3 on the season, he'll carry a 3.62 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 108/26 K/BB ratio (92 innings) into Thursday's matchup against the Marlins in Miami.
Rowdy Tellez went 1-for-3 with a two-run double as the Brewers triumphed over the Pirates on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee.
Tellez smacked his two-run double off of Mitch Keller in the fifth inning -- extending the Brewers' lead to 4-0. The 28-year-old slugger has struggled at the plate this season -- slashing just .232/.305/.436 with 12 homers and 31 RBI through his first 64 games.
Blake Perkins crushed a pinch-hit solo home run on Saturday afternoon, helping to propel the Brewers to victory over the Pirates.
Perkins launched a 423-foot solo shot off of Jose Hernandez in the eighth inning on Saturday, increasing the Brewers' advantage to 5-0. He has now homered in two consecutive games and is slashing .265/.324/.471 with two long balls and 10 RBI on the season.
Carlos Santana stayed hot at the plate in Saturday's loss to the Pirates, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk.
As a team, the Pirates totaled just six hits and three walks in the contest, and Santana was the only member of the Pirates to have more than one knock. He has now raised his season slash up to .235/.323/.381 to go with six homers and 34 RBI.
Tim Anderson was removed from Saturday's game against the Mariners due to right shoulder soreness.
Anderson may have sustained the injury while diving headfirst into second base in the third inning. The injury isn't believed to be serious and the White Sox' shortstop is considered day-to-day.
J.D. Davis (ankle) remains out of the Giants' starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the Dodgers.
The good news, is that Davis is getting closer to a return and is expected to be available off the Giants' bench on Saturday evening in Los Angeles. He hasn't played since suffering a low-grade right ankle sprain during Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.
Harrison Bader (hamstring) will return from the injured list on Tuesday.
Bader told Yankees' manager Aaron Boone that he wanted to remain on his rehab assignment through the weekend to get a few more games in before rejoining the Yankees in advance of Tuesday's series opener against the Mariners. Bader has been shelved with a mild right hamstring strain since late May.
The Red Sox announced that Tanner Houck (face) has been discharged from the hospital and is resting at home in stable condition.
Houck suffered a facial fracture when he was drilled by a line drive during Friday's game against the Yankees. The Red Sox said that he'll have a follow-up visit next week to determine the next steps and a treatment plan, but a trip to the injured list seems likely for the right-hander while recovering. Expect another update on his status before Sunday's doubleheader.
David Peralta (hamstring) was held out of the Dodgers' starting lineup on Saturday against the Giants.
There has been no word yet on Peralta requiring a trip to the injured list, though he was working out on the field prior to Saturday's game with the training staff watching closely, so it is still a possibility. J.D. Martinez will draw a rare start in left field in his place on Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
Sean Murphy was removed from Saturday's contest against the Rockies in the fourth inning due to an apparent leg injury.
Murphy smoked a ball off the wall in the fourth inning that should have been a double, but he pulled up after hobbling into first base, prompting a visit from the training staff. He'll presumably head for further evaluation to determine exactly what's going on there. The Braves should have an update on his status shortly.
J.D. Martinez is starting in left field for the Dodgers on Saturday against the Giants.
It's the first time that Martinez has started a game in the outfield in the regular season since the 2021 campaign. It allows the Dodgers to keep Will Smith's bat in the lineup as the designated hitter while giving him a break behind the plate. It's unclear if this will become a regular-enough thing for Martinez to gain outfield eligibility once again for fantasy purposes.
The MRI on the injured right knee of Chris Taylor revealed only a bone bruise on Saturday.
The versatile 32-year-old was relieved to learn that it wasn't something more serious. He's only expected to miss a couple of days and shouldn't require a trip to the injured list. Expect him to return to action early next week.
Nico Hoerner doubled twice and knocked in two runs versus the Orioles in Saturday's win.
Hoerner has collected 10 hits during his current six-game hitting streak. He has 33 RBI in 62 games this season, which is pretty impressive for someone who hits first and second and doesn't offer a lot of power. He's batting .267 with the bases empty, .326 with runners on and .339 with RISP.