Nolan McLean Posts Another Double-Digit Strikeout Outing
Nolan McLean had a pristine outing against Triple-A Lehigh Valley Wednesday night, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out 10 across six scoreless innings. He was unfortunately stuck with a no-decision, but it was a fantastic performance nonetheless. The right-hander carved up hitters all night, generating 17 whiffs on 40 swings for a monster 43 percent whiff rate. He distributed his mix fairly evenly and had multiple swings and misses on five different offerings. McLean now has back-to-back 10-strikeout outings and continues to make the case for a promotion to the big league rotation. With the strength of the Mets' lineup and a favorable home ballpark, McLean would be a priority add in the majority of formats upon his promotion.Source: MiLB.com
New York Mets pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo Stifles Giants for Eighth Win
Jesus Luzardo (8-5) secured his eighth win of the year in a 13-0 blowout of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Across seven innings and 106 pitches, Luzardo gave up a paltry three singles and logged seven strikeouts against one walk. The outing continued a roller-coaster ride over the past month-plus for Luzardo, who has mixed a few good starts with a few blowups since May 31. He now has 10 quality starts on the year to go with a 4.14 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 122:36 K:BB in 104 1/3 innings. Luzardo has been wildly unpredictable, but his 2.68 FIP, 3.23 xFIP, and .370 BABIP indicate that he's in line for positive regression in the second half of the season.Source: ESPN
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Bryce Harper Racks Up Four Extra-Base Hits in Win
Bryce Harper had a mammoth Wednesday afternoon at the plate in a 13-0 trouncing of the San Francisco Giants. Harper collected a career-high four extra-base hits, including a solo homer off Giants starter Justin Verlander, in a 4-for-6 performance. He finished with three doubles and crossed home plate three times. The HR was the 10th of the year and the first since June 3 for Harper, who missed most of last month with an injury to his right wrist. He went 4-for-24 with all singles and no RBI in his first seven games back from the injured list, making Wednesday's showing a much-needed return to form. The 32-year-old is now hitting .259/.370/.449 with 35 RBI, 36 runs, and eight stolen bases in 289 plate appearances.Source: ESPN
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jordan Leasure Earns Second Save
Jordan Leasure notched his second save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Leasure pitched a scoreless ninth inning with one hit allowed (a single) and two strikeouts to slam the door on the Jays for his first save since May 20. The 26-year-old right-hander has logged a 4.18 ERA with 39:19 K:BB and nine holds over 32 1/3 innings. Grant Taylor has been the favorite for saves in Chicago lately, but the White Sox used him in the eighth instead. Taylor banked his fifth hold in a scoreless frame.Source: ESPN
Chicago White Sox reliever Jazz Chisholm Jr. Leads Yankees to Victory
Jazz Chisholm Jr. led the team to a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday with his latest standout performance. Chisholm connected on two homers - a solo shot and a two-run blast - to finish 2-for-4 in a four-RBI night. Now up to 17 HRs on the season, Chisholm has been on a tear for over a month. After missing all of May with an oblique strain, Chisholm returned June 3 and has since gone 36-for-114 (.316) with 10 dingers, 26 RBI, 20 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 31 games. Overall, the 27-year-old is slashing a career-best .251/.346/.530 with 43 RBI, 37 runs, and 10 steals across 255 trips to the plate. Chisholm ranks in the top 7% of the league in xSLG and has a chance at his first 30-HR season.Source: ESPN
New York Yankees infielder Jhoan Duran Perfect in Save Opportunity
Jhoan Duran secured his 14th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Duran pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and needed a mere eight pitches to put the Cubs away. That makes five straight scoreless appearances for Duran, whose ERA is down to a microscopic 1.52 in 41 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old has also blown just two saves while posting 45:16 K:BB and a 1.09 WHIP.Source: ESPN
Minnesota Twins closer Carlos Estevez Tallies 25th Save
Carlos Estevez finished off a 4-3 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday to pick up his 25th save. The right-hander worked around a one-out single by Adam Frazier to throw a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout on 16 pitches (11 strikes). The 32-year-old remains well on his way to his second 30-save season, and he's easily on pace to eclipse the career-high 31 he totaled in 2023. Estevez also has a sparkling 2.03 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over 40 innings, though he hasn't been a great source of strikeouts (33).Source: ESPN
Kansas City Royals closer Salvador Perez Crushes Two Homers in Win
Salvador Perez drilled a pair of key home runs to help the club escape with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Perez smashed a 444-foot solo blast off left-hander Bailey Falter to give the Royals a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Later, with the game tied 3-3 in the eighth, Perez completed the scoring for the night with a 426-foot shot against righty Isaac Mattson. He also singled to finish 3-for-4 and continue a tremendous start to July. Perez has gone 13-for-35 with four homers and 11 RBI in nine games this month. The 35-year-old has also increased his OPS by over 100 points since the beginning of June. After a terrible start to the season, he's slashing .245/.285/.427 with 13 HRs, 54 RBI, and 24 runs in 370 plate appearances. Among catchers, only Seattle Mariners MVP candidate Cal Raleigh has driven in more runs than Perez.Source: ESPN
Kansas City Royals catcher Devin Williams Records 13th Save
Devin Williams collected his 13th save of 2025 in a 9-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Williams entered in the top of the ninth inning and made quick work of the Mariners, going 1-2-3 on 12 pitches (eight strikes). He struck out both Dominic Canzone and Cole Young swinging. The 30-year-old's ERA has fallen to 4.86 (2.51 FIP) with 43:14 K:BB and a 1.17 WHIP in 33 1/3 innings. Williams has endured his share of struggles this year, but his only blown save came way back on April 19.Source: ESPN
New York Yankees closer Trevor Megill Mows Down Dodgers in Win
Trevor Megill (2-2) earned his second victory of the season in a 3-2 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The flamethrowing right-hander entered a 2-2 game in the top of the 10th inning and dominated, striking out Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages, and Tommy Edman in order on 13 pitches (11 strikes). The Brewers won in the bottom of the 10th on a Jackson Chourio walk-off single. Megill, meanwhile, dropped his ERA to 2.41 with 21 saves, a 1.16 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts against 15 walks in 33 2/3 innings. He earned his first All-Star selection on Wednesday.Source: ESPN
Milwaukee Brewers closer Tyler Glasnow Pitches Well in Return from Injury
Tyler Glasnow held his own Wednesday in his first major league start since April 27. After missing over two months with shoulder inflammation, Glasnow limited the Milwaukee Brewers to one unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts and three walks over five innings. The 31-year-old threw 85 pitches (53 strikes) and recorded a max velocity of 99.5 mph on the radar gun. The Dodgers fell 3-2 despite Glasnow's efforts, but he did not factor into the decision. Glasnow will head into the second half of the season with a 3.52 ERA and 28:14 K:BB in 23 innings. He could be a major asset for the Dodgers and fantasy managers down the stretch, though staying healthy has typically been a challenge for him.Source: ESPN
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander DJ LeMahieu Designated for Assignment
DJ LeMahieu for assignment and recalled rookie infielder Jorbit Vivas from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The writing was on the wall for LeMahieu when the Yankees demoted him to a bench role on Tuesday to shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base to second. Although LeMahieu has past third base experience, the 36-year-old is no longer physically capable of handling the position. With both his defensive and offensive skills eroding, the Yankees no longer deemed LeMahieu worthy of a roster spot. The two-time batting champion and former AL MVP candidate hit .266/.338/.336 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 142 plate appearances this year before the Yankees cut him from their roster. New York will pay approximately $22 million to get rid of LeMahieu, who will head to the open market in the coming days. LeMahieu may find another team in free agency, but his days of fantasy relevance are over.Source: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have designated infielder Trevor Williams to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Trevor Williams (elbow) has a partial tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament and will require surgery, according to Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post. Williams expects to have internal brace surgery, not a full Tommy John procedure, but he'll still miss the rest of the season and perhaps some of the 2026 campaign. This news ends a brutal season for Williams, who re-signed with the Nationals on a two-year, $14 million contract last winter. The 33-year-old struggled to a 3-10 record with a 6.21 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, 65 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 82 2/3 innings.Source: Spencer Nusbaum - The Washington Post
Washington Nationals starter Michael Kopech Undergoes Knee Surgery, Moved to 60-Day Injured List
Michael Kopech (knee) has undergone surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. The Dodgers moved Kopech from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL as a result. Kopech's IL stint dates back to June 28, meaning he won't be eligible to return until the end of August. The Dodgers do expect Kopech back before the year is out, but this will largely go down as an injury-ruined regular season for him. The 29-year-old didn't debut until June 8 after dealing with an impingement in his right shoulder. He pitched well in eight appearances between IL stints, throwing seven scoreless, three-hit innings with eight strikeouts, four walks, and five holds.Source: Bill Plunkett - Orange County Register
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jake Meyers Helped Off Field Before Wednesday's Game
Jake Meyers (calf) was in the team's lineup on Wednesday, but he exited before their game against the Cleveland Guardians began. Meyers left the field during pregame warmups with help from an athletic trainer. The 29-year-old had been set to return from the right-calf injury that he suffered in a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Instead, the Astros shifted Mauricio Dubon to center field and subbed in the aptly named Zack Short to handle shortstop. The club should have more on Meyers' status after the game. UPDATE: Meyers has right-calf tightness, the Astros announced.Source: Mark Berman
Houston Astros outfielder