MLB Player News

Cease (6-6) took the loss as he went 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits and three walks Sunday versus the Mets.

From the jump Cease just didn't have his best stuff on Sunday, he allowed the first four hitters to score after serving up homers to Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. The 28-year-old gave up a season-high seven runs in what was his shortest outing of the campaign. After pitching to a 2.19 ERA over his first eight starts, the righty has run into a rough patch giving up at least three runs in six of his last seven starts and seeing his ERA climb to 3.95 in the process.

Finnegan picked up his 20th save of the season Sunday against Miami, allowing one hit and zero walks while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Finnegan preserved a 3-1 Nationals lead to notch his 20th save of the season, third in the league behind only Ryan Helsley and Emmanuel Clase. The 32-year-old has been outstanding, compiling a 1.78 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP across 30.1 innings, converting 20-of-22 save chances.

Bader went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, two runs and a stolen base in Sunday's 11-6 win over the Padres.

Bader impacted this game in numerous ways as he scored both times he reached, he drove in a run and managed to pick up his ninth steal this season. The centerfielder has been hot of late, picking up 10 of his 26 RBI over his last 10 games. Bader snapped a streak of 18 games without a steal and will carry a .272/.319/.385 slash line into a series vs the Rangers beginning on Monday.

Alonso went 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBI in Sunday's 11-6 win over the Padres.

With two men on in the first inning, Alonso took Dylan Cease deep for this 15th homer this season. He later added a two-run single as part of a four-run eighth to give him a season-high five RBI for the game. This one had to feel good for Alonso, as he broke out of a small slump where he only had five hits and one RBI over his last eight games. The 29-year-old's 15 home runs are tied for fifth most in the National League, he'll carry a .232/.310/.461 slash line into their next series vs the Rangers.

Lindor went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in Sunday's 11-6 win over the Padres.

In the third pitch he saw, Lindor took Dylan Cease deep for his first leadoff homer since 2019. It was his 12th home run this season and the third in his last nine games. Lindor has been on a steady climb for about a month now with an average of .303 over his last 25 games. After his slow start, the shortstop is now carrying a .231/.305/.420 slash line with 12 homers, 34 RBI and 11 steals for the season.

Contreras is being evaluated for a concussion following Sunday's 5-4 win over the Reds, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Contreras took a shot to the head when he collided with Stuart Fairchild at home plate, applying the tag for the final out of the contest. The catcher was slow to get up and he'll now undergo some additional testing to determine the severity of the injury. The Brewers will start a three-game series on the road against the Angels on Monday and if he is forced to miss any action, Gary Sanchez would likely take over behind the plate.

Megill (2-3) pitched five innings to get the win Sunday vs the Padres. He gave up two runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out five.

Megill worked around jams in the first and fifth innings to pick up his second win in his last three starts. The 28-year-old righty has struggled getting deep into games, as he's only pitched more than five innings in one of his six starts this season. Despite this, he's been a steadying presence in the Mets rotation with a 3.52 ERA and 1.30 WHIP that he'll carry into his next outing.

Parker (5-3) picked up the win Sunday against Miami, allowing one earned run on six hits and zero walks while striking out four over six innings.

Parker's excellent rookie season continued as he turned in another quality start, his fourth over his past six games. During that span, the southpaw has pitched to a 3.03 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and a 25:8 K:BB across 35.2 innings. While Parker doesn't typically post high-strikeout totals, he has been remarkably consistent all season, allowing three earned runs or fewer in all 12 of his starts. He will look to keep the success going in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend at Coors Field.

Luzardo (3-6) took the loss Sunday against Washington, allowing two earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two in five innings pitched.

The two runs charged to Luzardo were both solo home runs -- a first-inning shot by Lane Thomas followed by a fifth-inning blast courtesy of Jacob Young. While he only yielded two earned runs, Luzardo allowed baserunners in all five innings and mustered just two strikeouts. The hard-throwing southpaw has seen a steep drop-off in his strikeout rate compared to last year, plummeting from 10.48 K/9 to 7.83 K/9 this season. Overall, Luzardo has compiled a disappointing 5.00 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and a 58:22 K:BB across 66.2 innings. He will look to bounce back in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend versus Seattle.

Atlanta optioned Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett following Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Rays, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

After he yielded seven earned runs and walked four batters in just 3.2 innings in his MLB debut last Sunday in Washington, Waldrep was given another chance to prove he belonged in Atlanta's rotation. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old righty, he was sent back to the minors after displaying shaky command and control for a second straight outing. He was once again pulled midway through the fourth inning Sunday, needing 71 pitches (42 strikes) to record 10 outs while allowing six earned runs on five hits -- including two home runs -- and four walks. The long-term outlook remains bright for Waldrep, but he'll need further seasoning in the upper levels of the minors before he gets another look in the Atlanta rotation.