MLB Player News

Leiter (2-3) tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout to earn the win Saturday against the Reds.

Leiter pitched a clean top of the eighth inning in a 5-5 tie, then moved into position for the win when the Cubs scored twice in the bottom half of the frame. The righty surpassed last season's win total in the process, and he's been about equally effective in the ERA department, as he's sitting with a 3.52 mark so far this year compared to 3.50 in 2023. Leiter is missing more bats, however, as his K/9 is up to 12.1 from 10.8 last season. His FIP is also down to 2.05 from 3.76 last season, suggesting his current ERA may trend downward.

Grichuk went 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 10-5 win over the Mets.

Grichuk, in the starting lineup as normal against a left-hander, made an immediate impact by gunning down Francisco Lindor trying to stretch a single to a double in the bottom of the first inning. He later walked ahead of Christian Walker's third-inning grand slam and singled in a run in the seventh inning. Grichuk has performed well against left-handers, batting .317 with a .368 OBP over off southpaws.

Swanson went 1-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 7-5 win against Cincinnati.

Swanson started June off on the right foot after only going deep once in 17 games all of last month. The shortstop has only five total home runs this season, but he also missed some time with knee soreness, which likely contributed to the slow start. If fully healthy, Swanson has the ability to get going in the power department, as he hit 20 or more long balls in each of the last three seasons with the Cubs and Atlanta.

Perdomo started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Diamondbacks' entry in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday.

Perdomo, who played five innings in the field, made his second ACL appearance after getting four at-bats Friday as the designated hitter. The organization's plan calls for Perdomo to finish out the weekend in the ACL then move to a minor-league affiliate. A return later in the week is a possibility.

Alexander started at second base and went 2-for-5 with a stolen base, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 10-5 win over the Mets.

Alexander made his first start in five days and had a hand in both runs scored in the sixth inning. After singling in a run, he stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Alexander's playing time dwindled during May -- a month in which he batted .184 with just 38 at-bats -- and he could be in danger of losing a roster spot once Geraldo Perdomo (knee) returns.

Hayes went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Blue Jays.

The third baseman took Yusei Kikuchi deep in the first inning, helping to kick-start what proved to be a laugher for the Pirates. It was only Hayes' second long ball of the season, and his first in three games since recovering from back issues and coming off the IL. The 27-year-old had has a rough start to the campaign, but he could be rounding into form now that he's healthy.

Ortiz gave up a hit over three scoreless innings of relief Saturday to record his first career save in an 8-1 win over the Blue Jays. He struck out three without walking a batter.

With the Pirates coming off a 14-inning game Friday and holding a five-run lead when he took the mound, Ortiz gave the rest of the bullpen a much-needed breather by wrapping things up by himself. The right-hander has been effective in long relief -- he's pitched two or more innings in five of his last six appearances, posting a 2.57 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 13:6 K:BB over 14 innings during that stretch. While his role doesn't afford him much high-leverage work, he does have two wins and a hold this season in addition to Saturday's unconventional save, and Ortiz has value in deep NL-only formats due to his bulk Ks and respectable ratios.

Keller (7-3) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over six innings in an 8-1 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out eight.

The right-hander has been overshadowed by the debuts of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones this season, but Keller has been the Pirates' most dependable starter. He's won five straight starts, posting a 1.34 ERA. 0.92 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB in 33.2 innings over that stretch, and Saturday's quality start was his seventh of the year. Keller will look to stay hot in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Twins.

Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases Saturday in a 7-5 win against the Reds.

Crow-Armstrong made the most of his two trips on the basepaths by swiping a bag in each instance. This was his third game since being recalled from the minors Thursday. While Crow-Armstrong has posted a modest .250/.310/.359 slash line with just one homer over 26 contests in the majors this year, he's shown off his speed with seven steals in seven attempts.

Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a triple in Saturday's 7-5 win against Cincinnati.

The Cubs fell behind by four runs early but tied the game with one stroke of the bat on Suzuki's second-inning grand slam. It was his first career grand slam and sixth homer of the campaign. Suzuki has hit safely in nine straight games and is batting .324 (12-for-37) with two homers, seven RBI and a stolen base during that span.