Perez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 6-0 win over the Cubs.

Perez put a bow on the Royals' six-run fifth inning with the team's lone extra-base hit of the contest. While his hot start to the season was erased when he batted .194 in June, Perez has bounced back to hit a more respectable .261 (18-for-69) over 18 contests in July. The catcher is up to 19 homers, 70 RBI, 42 runs scored, 16 doubles and a .278/.337/.474 slash line through 101 games this year.

O'Hoppe went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Athletics.

O'Hoppe continues to put bat to ball well in July -- he's batting .308 (20-for-65) this month, though he's posted just three extra-base hits and five RBI over 18 contests. The catcher is up to a .282/.336/.465 slash line with 14 home runs, 43 RBI, 46 runs scored, 13 doubles and two stolen bases through 89 contests. While he's struck out at a 25.0 percent rate in 2024, O'Hoppe has done plenty of other things right in his first full major-league campaign.

Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs, a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 9-3 win over Detroit.

Vazquez reached base four times Friday, his first three-hit game since April. The veteran catcher now has three of his five home runs this season in the month of July. Vazquez is still splitting work with Ryan Jeffers, but he's gotten the upper hand recently as he's started 10 of the last 18 Twins games. The 33-year-old is hitting .280/.321/.507 with four homers over his last 75 at-bats and could be a name to watch down the stretch.

The Cubs selected Bethancourt's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Bethancourt will absorb the roster spot vacated by Tomas Nido (knee) and could share catching duties with Miguel Amaya while Nido recuperates. The 32-year-old slashed just .159/.198/.268 across 88 plate appearances with the Marlins earlier this season.

The Cubs placed Nido on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right knee sprain, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Nido will be eligible to return in early August, but it seems unlikely given the nature of the injury that he'll be ready by then. Miguel Amaya and Christian Bethancourt will handle the catching duties for the Cubs.

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Higashioka is absent from the starting lineup for a second straight contest, yielding to Luis Campusano behind the dish. Higashioka has gone 5-for-15 with two doubles and a homer since the All-Star break.

Schanuel went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Athletics.

Schanuel is 8-for-23 (.348) with two homers over eight games since the All-Star break. The Angels have started to hit him lower in the lineup -- he's batted fifth or lower in three of the last four games after routinely having the first baseman in the top third of the order earlier in the season. He's at a middling .246/.333/.367 slash line with 10 homers, 36 RBI, 37 runs scored, 11 doubles and four stolen bases over 96 contests.

Manager Dave Roberts said after Friday's game that he doesn't expect Freeman (personal) to return to the Dodgers before the end of their series against Houston, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Freeman was a late scratch from Friday's lineup, allowing him to travel back home to tend to a family emergency. It remains unclear if the Dodgers will move the first baseman onto the family emergency list, but the chances of him playing this weekend seem to be low either way. Cavan Biggio will serve as Los Angeles' primary first baseman while Freeman is away.

Tellez was removed from Friday's game due to back spasms.

Tellez was hit in the hand by a pitch during the first inning, but his removal in the third frame was apparently due to problems with his back. The Pirates are officially labeling him as day-to-day.

Joe is absent from the starting nine for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Joe has started four of the Pirates' six games following the All-Star break, facing two left-handed pitchers and two right-handers, but he will be idle Friday against righty Zac Gallen. With Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list, Joe could see a minor bump in playing time in the short term. In 317 plate appearances, he's slashing .243/.328/.389 with seven home runs.

Wade is not in the Giants' starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

With the Giants facing a southpaw for the second straight game, Wade will begin Friday's game in the dugout. David Villar will once again start at first base and bat fifth against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland.

Freeman (personal) has been scratched from the Dodgers' lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Freeman was originally slated to start at first base and bat third Friday, but he is flying back home to be with his family with his son in the hospital, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. There is no timeline on when Freeman may return to the club. Cavan Biggio will slide to first base Friday while Gavin Lux enters the lineup at second base, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports.

Gimenez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 3-1 win over the Phillies.

Gimenez had a solid night picking up two much-needed hits, the same amount he had in his previous six games. The 25-year-old has 27 multi-hit games this season but just two over his last 16 appearances. Gimenez has also struggled as a runner of late, with just two stolen bases in his last 26 games. The second baseman is hitting .248 with a .632 OPS through 96 games this season.

The Giants placed Estrada on the 10-day injured list Friday with a sprained left wrist.

Estrada landed on the injured list in late June due to a left wrist sprain, and the same injury will now force him back onto the IL roughly one month later. He was able to return to the active roster after 11 days during his previous stay, though it's unclear if he'll require a longer absence this time around. Casey Schmitt was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replenish San Francisco's infield depth, and he'll likely split reps at second base with Brett Wisely until Estrada returns.

The Rays acquired Horvath, Jackson Baumeister and Matthew Etzel from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for starting pitcher Zach Eflin, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Horvath was selected 53rd overall by the Orioles in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft and got his first taste of professional action last year with a 1.058 OPS in 22 games across rookie ball, Single-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen. The 22-year-old is back at the High-A level this year and has a .232/.328/.417 slash line in 71 games.

Lopez is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners.

Even with right-hander George Kirby on the mound for Seattle, Lopez will take a seat. Brooks Baldwin will play second base while Paul DeJong fills in at shortstop.

Kiner-Falefa (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kiner-Falefa is slated to be at third base Saturday, designated hitter Sunday and shortstop Tuesday, with a return to the Blue Jays coming after that if all goes well. He's been out since early July with a left knee sprain and has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. Players can be traded while on the IL, so the fact that Kiner-Falefa isn't scheduled to return until after the deadline wouldn't necessarily preclude a trade.

Lux is not in the lineup for Friday's contest in Houston, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The left-handed hitting Lux is getting a day off as the Astros send lefty Framber Valdez to the bump. Cavan Biggio -- who also bats left-handed -- will be at second base for the Dodgers.

Westburg went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Padres.

Westburg took Adam Mazur deep in the second inning to open the scoring. It's been a bit of a streaky month for Westburg -- he's batting .205 (16-for-78) with four homers, six RBI and a 3:16 BB:K over 19 contests in July. The infielder is at a .267/.314/.491 slash line with 17 homers, 54 RBI, 51 runs scored and six stolen bases through 96 games overall. His playing time isn't in danger yet, but an extended slump by Westburg could open the door for Connor Norby or Ramon Urias to claim a larger role.

Rengifo went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Athletics.

Rengifo is 3-for-15 with four RBI and one steal on two attempts over four games since he returned from a wrist injury that cost him most of the month. The infielder still needs to work on his timing at the plate, but his bout of right wrist inflammation hasn't flared up again to the point of needing to miss more time, as he's started three straight games in the field. Rengifo has a .308/.352/.432 slash line with six home runs, 29 RBI, 37 runs scored and 23 steals over 73 contests this season.

Urshela is starting at third base and batting eighth in Friday's game against the Twins.

Urshela will return to the starting lineup Friday after sitting Thursday against the Guardians. Since July 1, Urshela has slashed .273/.301/.424 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 70 plate appearances.

Morel isn't in the Cubs' lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.

Morel will get a day to clear his head Friday after going 0-for-6 with four strikeouts during Chicago's previous series against the Brewers. Miles Mastrobuoni will start at the hot corner instead while batting seventh.

Miranda (back) will not be activate prior to Friday's game in Detroit but could return Saturday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Miranda has rejoined the Twins following a brief rehab assignment and will go through a workout pregame Friday. As long as that goes well, it sounds like he'll be back in the lineup Saturday. Miranda has yet to play during the second half due to a lower-back strain.

LeMahieu is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.

LeMahieu has stumbled to a .499 OPS in 154 plate appearances this season and is at risk of losing more playing time if his bat doesn't perk up. Oswaldo Cabrera will bat ninth and play third base Friday.

Fitzgerald went 3-for-5 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Fitzgerald continues to put together a stunning surge in the second half. Dating back to July 9, he has at least one extra-base hit (seven homers, two doubles, one triple) in eight straight games. He's up to a .330/.400/.660 slash line with eight long balls, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 42 contests this year. Fitzgerald's playing time also looks to be more secure moving forward after Thairo Estrada (wrist) landed on the injured list Friday. Look for Fitzgerald to handle a starting role at shortstop while Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt share second base for the time being.

Baez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Twins.

Baez took Pablo Lopez deep in the third inning after providing all the Tigers offense in Thursday's win with a three-run blast. Baez has now homered in back-to-back games for the first time since 2023. Prior to these two homers, Baez had not gone deep since April 14 in what has been a rough year for him. The 31-year-old is hitting .179 with three homers and a .474 OPS through 65 games this season.

Wisely is not in the Giants' starting lineup Friday against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Wisely will begin Friday's contest in the dugout with the Rockies sending southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound. With Thairo Estrada (wrist) on the 10-day injured list, Casey Schmitt will start at second base and bat eighth.

The Giants recalled Schmitt from Triple-A Sacramento. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Schmitt will bat eighth and play second base Friday against Colorado.

With Thairo Estrada (wrist) being placed on the 10-day IL on Friday, Schmitt will join the Giants' active roster and provide depth in the middle infield. In 12 big-league games this season, Schmitt is slashing .220/.238/.390 with a pair of homers.

Neto went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base in a loss to Oakland on Thursday.

All of Neto's production came in the second inning, when he singled home a run, stole a base and scored. The shortstop has recorded an RBI in four of his past seven contests and is slashing .348/.423/.522 with a homer, four RBI, six runs and four thefts during that span. Neto is slashing .257/.311/.439 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI, 43 runs and 18 thefts through 100 contests on the campaign.

Hamilton is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Hamilton will avoid a matchup with southpaw Nestor Cortes on Friday, yielding to Jamie Westbrook at second base. Hamilton owns a .723 OPS with five homers and 25 stolen bases this season.

Isbel went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 6-0 win over the Cubs.

Isbel is 5-for-11 over his last three games, a noticeable uptick in success for the outfielder. He's logged seven steals this season, three of which he's racked up across 15 games in July. The 27-year-old is slashing .235/.286/.387 with seven home runs, 27 RBI and 39 runs scored across 84 contests. Isbel is likely to remain in a strong-side platoon role in center field, with Garrett Hampson often entering the lineup versus southpaws.

Santander went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Padres.

Santander's put on quite an encore from his 13-homer June, adding seven more long balls over 19 contests in July. Six of those homers have come during his current 12-game hitting streak, during which he's batting .320 (16-for-50) with 11 RBI. The outfielder is slashing .244/.306/.528 with 68 RBI, 56 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 doubles and two triples through 98 contests overall. He's on track for a career year in the power department while hitting in the heart of Baltimore's order.

Ramos went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and a triple in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Ramos had gone 10 games without a homer before providing the Giants' last runs with an eighth-inning blast Friday. Despite this being just his 68th game of the season, Ramos now leads the team with 15 long balls, one ahead of third baseman Matt Chapman. Ramos has added an excellent .296/.356/.519 slash line, 52 RBI, 30 runs scored, two stolen bases, 13 doubles and one triple over 298 plate appearances.

Taylor went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Taylor entered Friday just 1-for-15 with four walks over his last nine games. He was able to make a small impact from the bottom of the order, though his playing time will likely drop again once Bryan Reynolds returns from the bereavement list. Taylor is slashing just .200/.264/.278 with two home runs, eight steals, 13 RBI and 24 runs scored through 205 plate appearances this year.

Gurriel went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.

Gurriel is 6-for-15 over his last four games, though he's now gone eight contests without an extra-base hit. The outfielder has at least made decent contact in July, batting .260 (19-for-73) over his last 17 contests. For the season, he's at a .266/.295/.411 slash line with 13 home runs, 56 RBI, 47 runs scored, five stolen bases, 15 doubles and one triple through 95 games.

Ward went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Athletics.

The outfielder finally put a power drought to rest -- he hadn't homered over his last 24 games, hitting just .169 with four doubles and four RBI in that span. Ward's blast was his 15th homer of the season, and he's added 47 RBI, 46 runs scored, three stolen bases and 18 doubles while slashing .226/.309/.396 over 101 contests. His average has taken a bit of a dip, but the rest of his numbers are mostly in line with what he produced over 97 games in 2023.

Harrison (6-4) allowed a run on one hit and two walks while striking out a season-high 11 over 6.2 innings to earn the win Friday over the Rockies.

Harrison's performance has taken a star turn in July -- he's allowed just two runs on seven hits and seven walks over his last 17 innings across three starts. The Rockies have been on the receiving end of two of those outings. The southpaw is now at a 3.69 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 90:33 K:BB through 97.2 innings over 18 starts this season. Harrison's career high in total innings is 113 from the 2022 season, so it's worth monitoring how he'll hold up down the stretch with the Giants still somewhat in the hunt for a playoff spot. He's projected to make his next start on the road at Cincinnati.

Freeland (2-4) allowed six runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out eight over four innings to take the loss Friday versus the Giants.

Freeland gave up at least a run in three of his four innings, including a pair of home runs. Considering he had a quality start at home against the Giants just last Saturday, this was a bit of a disappointing performance. The southpaw has a 6.23 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 42:15 K:BB through 52 innings over 10 starts this season. He'll look for a bounce-back effort on the road versus the Angels next week.

Gallen (8-5) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win Friday over the Pirates.

Gallen's shaky control continues to be a red flag -- he has a 19:14 K:BB over 24 innings across five starts this month. On the bright side, he earned his second quality start in six outings since he returned from a hamstring injury. The right-hander is now at a 3.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 86:30 K:BB through 87.2 innings over 17 starts this year. Gallen's next start is projected to be at home versus the Nationals.

Senga will receive an MRI on his left calf Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Senga strained his left calf during the sixth inning of Friday's win over Atlanta, forcing him to make an early exit from his season debut. Manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game that the team believes the 31-year-old righty only suffered a strain rather than a more serious injury, though the results of Saturday's MRI will confirm exactly what he's dealing with.

Blackburn (4-2) allowed four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings to earn the win Friday over the Angels.

Blackburn's return from a stress reaction in his right foot got off to a rough start -- he allowed two-run home runs to Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel in the first inning. Manager Mark Kotsay let Blackburn work through the issues, and the right-hander did well to settle in, finishing with 72 pitches (41 strikes). He's now at a 4.41 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 38:14 K:BB through 51 innings over nine starts this season. Blackburn may continue to have modest workload restrictions over his next one or two starts. He's projected for a challenging home outing against the Dodgers next week.

Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits over five innings Friday, striking out four and taking a loss against the Royals.

Hendricks worked through four scoreless frames before things unraveled in the fifth inning. Kansas City racked up six runs that inning, capped off by Salvador Perez's three-run shot. Hendricks has gone 1-5 with a 6.07 ERA over his last six outings. That stretch has actually lowered his season ERA to 6.95 across 80.1 innings. He's currently in line to start in Cincinnati next week.

Kimbrel (6-3) took the loss Friday versus the Padres, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out one over one inning.

Kimbrel's going through another bout of poor pitching -- he's allowed eight runs (six earned) over his last 3.2 innings, taking two blown saves in that span. Friday's collapse came in a tied game, as he was taken deep by Jurickson Profar for a two-run home run. Kimbrel is now at a 3.32 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 56:19 K:BB over 38 innings with 23 saves, four holds and six blown saves this year. If his struggles continue, he may be moved to low-leverage assignments briefly as he was in late April and early May. Should that happen, Yennier Cano, Jacob Webb and Seranthony Dominguez would be candidates to pick up the slack in the ninth inning.

Ortiz allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks.

This ended Ortiz's stretch of five straight outings -- including four starts -- without allowing more than one run. The right-hander faded in the sixth inning, allowing a solo home run to Joc Pederson and walking Christian Walker before Carmen Mlodzinski completed the Pirates' collapse. Ortiz is now at a 2.75 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 63:24 K:BB over 78.2 innings through 27 appearances (five starts) this season. His next outing is projected to be at Houston.

Sewald allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.

Sewald allowed two runs in a non-save situation Wednesday versus the Royals, but he bounced back Friday to protect a one-run lead. This was his sixth scoreless outing in July, but his other four appearances this month each saw him yield multiple runs. The closer is up to 16-for-19 in save chances with a 3.55 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB through 25.1 innings this season.

Fulmer allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 5.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Angels on Friday.

This was Fulmer's longest outing of the year as he continues to build up his workload following a transition to the rotation after beginning 2024 in the bullpen. As a starter, he's allowed six runs on seven hits and six walks over 15 innings across his three starts, and he's struck out 13 in those outings. He's at a 3.77 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 55:28 K:BB through 57.1 innings this season. Fulmer last regularly started in 2018 and hasn't exceeded 100 innings since that same year, so it's unclear how much mileage he'll have in a starting role. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Rockies.

Erceg allowed a hit and struck out one over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 5-4 win over the Angels.

Erceg was deployed in the eighth inning Thursday to protect a one-run lead, but he was called on to close things out Friday in a similar situation. With Mason Miller sidelined by a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand, Erceg is expected to be the favorite for saves for the Athletics in the short term, though Tyler Ferguson received the first chance in Miller's absence. Erceg has been a fine setup man this year with a 3.68 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 41:13 K:BB to go with three saves, 12 holds and three blown saves over 36.2 innings. He's kept runs off the board in 12 of his last 13 appearances, the exception being a four-run meltdown last Sunday against the Angels.

Lopez tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Friday's 6-0 loss to the Royals, lowering his season ERA to 2.92.

Lopez has turned the page from a poor 2023 campaign in which he recorded a 5.95 ERA for Orioles, Marlins and Twins. The veteran righty has been much better this year, particularly since joining the Cubs in June. Over 10.2 innings with his new team, Lopez has allowed just one run and struck out seven.

Soler went 3-for-3 with a home run, two walks, three RBI and four runs scored in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Soler's bat is coming around -- he's collected five hits over his last two games. He's also on a four-game streak of drawing multiple walks. The designated hitter is up to a .231/.323/.407 slash line with 12 homers, 39 RBI, 54 runs scored and one stolen base through 90 contests on the year. While leadoff isn't an ideal spot for Soler to knock in runs, if he continues to hit well, he should provide well-rounded numbers over the final two months of the season.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.

Pederson homered for the second game in a row and the fifth time over 15 contests in July. While he's hitting just .234 (11-for-47) this month, he's bolstered his on-base numbers with eight walks while also getting plunked three times. Pederson is up to a .273/.378/.510 slash line with 15 homers, 41 RBI, 36 runs scored, five stolen bases and 13 doubles over 292 plate appearances.

Madris went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Twins.

A day after collecting three hits, Madris had two more and recorded his first RBI of the season. The 28-year-old is likely still a depth option for the Tigers at best, though he could carve out a more regular role in the short term if he continues to produce at the plate.

De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Brewers.

De La Cruz gave Miami an early lead with a two-run blast in the first inning. It was his 18th long ball of the year but just his third in July. De La Cruz has collected multiple hits in three of his last five games, going 8-for-23 (.348) during that span. He's now slashing .243/.287/.417 with 36 extra-base hits and 49 RBI this season.

Larnach went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a strikeout in Friday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

Larnach went back-to-back with Byron Buxton in the first inning, the seventh time the Twins hit consecutive homers this season. Larnach has three home runs in his last 11 games, but he just doesn't get enough playing time to be worth a roster spot. The 27-year-old is strictly a platoon player, as he only has eight at-bats vs lefties this season, but he's been solid on the positive side of that split with 11 homers and a .770 OPS vs right-handers.

Blackmon isn't in Colorado's lineup Friday versus the Giants.

With southpaw Kyle Harrison set to start on the bump for San Francisco, the lefty-hitting Blackmon will take a seat to begin Friday's contest. His absence will move Elias Diaz into the DH role, allowing Jacob Stallings to start behind the dish.