Mississippi State Professional Athletes

The Big News: Woodruff Gets a Lifeline

Brandon Woodruff's 2026 season isn't over yet — and that alone qualifies as the best Mississippi State news of the week.

The Brewers right-hander, who hadn't thrown a pitch since July 4 due to a shoulder injury, had been trending toward season-ending surgery. Then new imaging changed everything. Updated scans showed the procedure wouldn't be necessary, keeping alive the possibility of a 2026 return for one of the more decorated arms Mississippi State has ever sent to the big leagues. No timeline has been confirmed, but the surgical path is off the table for now — a meaningful development for both Woodruff and a Brewers rotation that has needed him.

The 2026 campaign had already been a lost cause in terms of counting stats. What's at stake now is the long view: can Woodruff get healthy enough to matter in a stretch run, and does avoiding the knife give him a cleaner path into next spring?

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Frazier and Foscue Keep Producing

Adam Frazier quietly had one of his better weeks in an Angels uniform. The veteran second baseman went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 18-3 blowout win over the Astros — his most productive single outing of the stretch. He also went 2-for-2 in Sunday's contest against the Royals, bumping his average as high as .250 before settling at .243 by week's end. At 35, Frazier isn't a headline name anymore, but he's been a steady presence in an Angels lineup that has had precious little of it.

Justin Foscue, meanwhile, continued to make a case for himself in Texas. The Rangers second baseman homered Wednesday against the Nationals — a two-RBI shot — and added a pair of hits Friday in the same series. He finished the week hitting .259, with a walk drawn in Saturday's win over the Angels. Foscue has looked increasingly comfortable at the big-league level, and this week was another data point in that direction.

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Mangum Stays Consistent, Ginn Holds His Own

Jake Mangum has been one of the more quietly reliable Bulldog alumni in the NL this season. The Pirates outfielder collected hits in multiple games this week, including a hit and run scored on Sunday against the Red Sox. He hovered around the .297–.300 range for much of the stretch before settling at .294 by Saturday. For a player who has had to fight for every roster spot he's earned, Mangum is making the most of his time.

J.T. Ginn bookended the week with two starts for the Athletics. He tossed six innings Sunday against the Rangers — striking out seven while allowing four earned runs — then came back Saturday against the Astros for five innings of three-run ball with four strikeouts. His ERA ticked slightly upward to 3.60, but both outings showed the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that keeps him in Oakland's rotation conversation.

Between Woodruff's medical reprieve and a week of steady production from Frazier, Foscue, Mangum, and Ginn, the Bulldogs had plenty to feel good about heading into the final weeks of August.

Mississippi State alumni are making their presence felt across the majors this week, with second baseman Justin Foscue and outfielder Jake Mangum headlining a strong stretch for the Bulldogs' pro diaspora.

Foscue Sparks Rangers Shutout

Justin Foscue delivered one of the week's sharpest moments for any MSU alum when he ripped a two-RBI triple to help the Texas Rangers blank the San Francisco Giants 6-0. The hit was part of a balanced offensive effort that saw Cody Bradford fan five on the mound, and Foscue's triple was among the game's signature swings. Foscue is hitting .256 on the season, and that big swing against the Giants is the kind of clutch contribution that keeps a second baseman cemented in a lineup.

Mangum on a Tear for Pittsburgh

If Foscue had the highlight-reel moment, Jake Mangum has put together the better week by volume. The Pirates left fielder has been one of the more consistent offensive contributors in Pittsburgh's lineup, posting a .300 batting average and stringing together multi-game stretches of hits and RBIs.

On Saturday against the Mets, Mangum went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, pushing his average to .300. That followed an RBI, a run scored, and a walk on Friday — also against New York. Earlier in the week, Mangum chipped in an RBI against the Brewers on Monday, part of a stretch in which he appeared in every game and contributed at the plate in multiple contests. Against Milwaukee on Thursday, he added a hit and a walk.

Mangum's consistency was also on display in Pittsburgh's 4-3 win over the Brewers, in which he drove in a run as the Pirates edged out a one-run victory. For a Pirates team navigating a competitive stretch, Mangum has been a reliable presence at the top or bottom of the order.

The Rest of the Bulldog Roster

Beyond the two headliners, J.T. Ginn had a quality start for the Athletics on Tuesday, tossing six innings, striking out five, and allowing three earned runs — solid enough to keep Oakland in the game. His ERA now sits at 3.51, a respectable mark for a mid-rotation arm.

Adam Frazier, the well-traveled second baseman now with the Angels, has been quiet at the plate, hitting .200 this week with no notable contributions surfacing from the box scores. He remains a depth piece in Anaheim.

The week is a useful reminder of just how deep the Mississippi State pipeline runs in professional baseball. From Dallas to Pittsburgh to Oakland, Bulldogs are logging innings and at-bats across the league — and this week, two of them are doing it loudly enough to take notice.