Player news from trusted outlets
Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Francisco Lindor powered the New York Mets to a 12-2 victory over the Yankees on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs. Lindor launched a leadoff home run off Gerrit Cole on the third pitch of the game and later crushed his eighth career grand slam in the eighth inning. The multi-homer performance brought Lindor to 20 home runs for the year, marking his ninth consecutive full MLB season reaching that milestone.
Rookie left-hander Zac Thornton delivered a dominant performance in Saturday's 12-2 victory over the Yankees, throwing seven innings while allowing just two runs on five hits, one walk, and four strikeouts on 81 pitches. Thornton hit 95 mph with his four-seam fastball, averaging an increased 93.6 mph. He induced a critical 5-4-3 double play in the seventh inning to complete his outing, improving his season record to 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA.
Harry Ford came through in the clutch for the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon, delivering the game-ending play in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Angels. With runners on base, Ford hit a grounder to shortstop that resulted in a fielding error under pressure, allowing CJ Abrams to score from third for a 5-4 walk-off victory.
Cody Bellinger went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a solo home run off Zac Thornton during Saturday's 12-2 loss to the Mets. Bellinger has surged recently, slugging three homers in his last four games and hitting safely in 13 of 14. In September, he is batting .368/.359/.605 with a .964 OPS. Despite a disjointed year marked by a hamstring injury, his season totals stand at 15 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .785 OPS as October nears.
Josh Jung was activated from the injured list on Saturday after missing nearly two months with a left calf strain suffered in mid-July. Prior to the injury, Jung was hitting .294/.361/.441. He completed a four-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock, going 3-for-15 with a home run and two RBIs. Fully healthy, Jung immediately reclaimed his starting role at third base, batting third for Texas in Saturday's contest.
Paul Skenes turned in a strong seven-inning outing Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in a no-decision. Despite surrendering solo home runs in the first and third innings, Skenes retired four straight scoreless frames on just 82 pitches (53 strikes). The Pirates bullpen surrendered the lead late, denying Skenes a win and leaving his ERA at 3.78.
Brett Bateman put together an impressive all-around performance to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 on Saturday. Bateman drew a walk and scored in the first inning, hit a solo home run in the third, and made a spectacular diving catch on a deep fly ball to center field. His contributions helped Toronto pull within one game of the division lead.
Vladimir Guerrero played a central role in Toronto's 7-3 win over Baltimore on Saturday. He opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI double off the wall to bring home Brett Bateman. Guerrero later reached base after being hit by an 80-mph slider in the seventh inning and advanced to third on a hit-and-run, eventually scoring on an Ernie Clement sacrifice fly.
Alejandro Kirk sparked the Toronto Blue Jays offensive attack in Saturday's 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Kirk got Toronto on the board early with an RBI single in the first inning and later smashed a two-run home run in the third frame. Finishing the day with three RBIs, Kirk served as a key contributor to Toronto's 11-hit performance.
Pitcher Luis Castillo was slated to take the mound for the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night at Busch Stadium in a interleague matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Castillo got the starting nod opposite Cardinals opener Kyle Leahy, looking to deliver a strong outing following St. Louis's pregame Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Shane Drohan took the mound Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds holding a 7-5 record and a 4.09 ERA on the season. In his previous start against Cincinnati, Drohan yielded six runs across four innings in a game Milwaukee ultimately won. Drohan pitches as the Brewers look to lower their magic number of four to clinch the NL Central following their 20-0 postseason-clinching victory Friday.
Brady Singer made his 29th start of the season Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The right-hander has struggled in 2026, posting a 5.03 ERA—a full run higher than his previous season. In his prior start against Milwaukee, Singer surrendered six runs over five innings, though Cincinnati managed to win the game. He takes the field relying on his sinker-slider mix as the Reds line up against Milwaukee.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Randy Dobnak allowed three earned runs on four hits across 5.2 innings in a 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Dobnak issued zero walks and struck out four batters. He departed with two runners on in the sixth frame, both of whom subsequently scored via a bullpen double. Dobnak fell just one out short of a quality start as Kansas City fell behind early and failed to recover.
Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen hit a solo home run around the Pesky Pole in a 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The home run tied Bob Hamelin's Royals rookie record of 24 in a season and Bobby Witt Jr.'s rookie extra-base hit mark. Jensen also set an expansion-era record for consecutive hits going for extra bases by a rookie catcher, accounting for Kansas City's only run of the contest.
New York Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard continued his offensive malaise on Saturday, going 0-for-3 in a 12-2 loss to the Mets. Lombard is now 3-for-27 in September and 4-for-34 with 11 strikeouts since Aug. 28, dropping his season batting average to .217 with a .620 OPS. Despite his struggles against major league pitching and missing hittable pitches, Lombard remains focused on making daily swing adjustments and playing solid defense.
Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Saturday's loss to the Detroit Tigers. Goodman opened the scoring with his third-inning blast to left field. He leads all MLB catchers with 38 home runs, which is also tied for fourth overall in the majors. Goodman has produced two home runs over his last 15 games as his power output has recently slowed.
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed five early runs over three innings in a 7-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on his 30th birthday. Bradish surrendered home runs to Brett Bateman and Alejandro Kirk as his pitch movement and command showed visible signs of fatigue. After throwing only 71.1 innings from 2024-25 due to Tommy John surgery, Bradish has reached 155 innings pitched this season.
Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie was removed from Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to right hamstring tightness. Caissie walked and scored in the second inning before being replaced by Esteury Ruiz in the third. In his first season with Miami, Caissie is slashing .220/.288/.412 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, and 45 runs scored across 330 plate appearances.
Garrett Stubbs made an appearance on the mound during the seventh inning of Saturday's 9-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Asked to pitch in relief after Philadelphia's pitching staff sputtered and fell behind early, Stubbs entered as the game got away from the Phillies. The loss capped off another frustrating night for Philadelphia at Truist Park, marked by defensive errors and an early seven-run Braves fourth inning.
Jose Altuve collected his 2,500th career hit Wednesday at Philadelphia, becoming the 103rd player in MLB history to reach the milestone and standing with Freddie Freeman as one of two active leaders. However, Altuve has struggled defensively at second base with -17 DRS and -11 OAA, ranking last among qualified second basemen. Reports suggest Houston is considering moving Altuve to regular DH duty if Carlos Correa is activated and played at second base.
