Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (elbow) has officially been shut down for the rest of the regular season. The hope was that the left-hander would be able to make one start before the end of the year. He threw 72 pitches during a rehab start on Monday, but ultimately the team doesn't want to risk it. They'd rather have Gore rest and recover so he can be ready for the beginning of next season. Gore was acquired in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. The expectation is that Gore will be a significant piece of the Nationals rotation going forward.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger made a significant impact during the 10-9 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The right-handed slugger blasted two home runs in what ended up being a high scoring game. The 31-year-old has nine home runs in 31 RBI through 52 games this season. It has been a down year for Haniger, but at least he's putting it together at the plate.
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (shoulder) has resumed throwing and will play catch from 60 feet on Friday. The 24-year-old has been shut down for the season after only making one start for the Nationals. However, it sounds like the right-hander is making solid progress. He reportedly doesn't feel any pain in his shoulder, which is great news. It doesn't sound like he'll throw off a mound until later this offseason, but should be ready for the beginning of next season.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Darick Hall has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. The 27-year-old has nine home runs and 16 RBI while batting .264 through 38 games with the Phillies this season. They've decided to add a little pop to their lineup for the final few games of the regular season. Hall isn't in the lineup for the first game of the doubleheader on Friday, but will likely play in the second contest. Yairo Munoz has been optioned to the minors in a corresponding move.
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani flirted with a no-hitter in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Athletics as a two-out single in the eighth ended his bid at history. He would allow a second hit to the next batter, but he finished the inning unscathed and ended his night with 10 strikeouts and one walk allowed. Ohtani also helped his cause by going 2-for-4 at the dish with a pair of singles and one RBI to take his slash line to a crisp .275/.358/.529. The 28-year-old will have one more shot to build upon another MVP-caliber season as he'll take a 2.35 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in a rematch with the Athletics.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Carlos Rodon took his record to 14-8 on Thursday as his club defeated the Rockies 6-4. The left-hander was dominant by striking out 10 over six-shutout frames while walking no one and allowing just two hits in his 95-pitch effort. Rockies leadoff man Yonathan Daza was the only batter to record a hit off Rodon as he would retire 15 batters in a row at one point in the game. Rodon has put up a terrific encore season by pitching to a 2.88 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through 178 IP in his Giants debut as he'll look to end his season on another high note versus the Padres next week.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill had a nice outing on Thursday, tossing six innings of one-run ball in his club's 2-1 win over the Rays. He allowed just three hits on the night while striking out four and walking no one in his 89-pitch effort, but still had to settle for a no-decision. The only run he allowed came in the first frame when David Peralta cashed in with an RBI single, but he was locked in the rest of the way and finished the game by retiring the last 10 batters he faced. The 27-year-old will carry a 3.42 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 188 1/3 IP into his final regular season start versus the Royals next week.
Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning on Thursday to propel his team to a 4-2 win over the Brewers. His two-out shot off Freddy Peralta just cleared the right-center field fence for his only hit of the ball game as he finished the game going 1-for-4. The 31-year-old didn't live up to expectations in 2022 by hitting .230 with eight homers, 30 runs, 35 RBI, and four steals through 94 games as he's dealt with injuries nearly all season. At least he can finish out his season on a high note after his late-game heroics, but his stock is trending down heading into the offseason.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer performed well on Thursday as he fired five-shutout frames in the team's 4-2 loss to the Marlins. The lefty struck out nine batters on the night, including four straight to begin the game, without walking a batter and allowing just one single in his 71-pitch effort. He was in line for the win until the bullpen blew it in the late innings, but it was good to see him dominate after struggling in his first game back off the IL last week. Lauer will take a 3.83 ERA and 1.24 WHIP into his final start of the season in a home showdown with the Diamondbacks.
The New York Mets are calling up top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez ahead of their weekend series versus the Braves, which starts Friday. The report is that he would receive at-bats as the designated hitter against left-handers as a tune-up before the team enters the postseason. The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the top hitting prospects in all of baseball, and he slashed .260/.374/.511 with 27 homers in 112 games split between Double-A and Triple-A this season. It will be intriguing to see if Alvarez will get the nod Friday night with lefty Max Fried on the bump in a pivotal series in Atlanta, but it's too late for him to make any sort of impact in redraft leagues.
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