MLB News

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Could Make Next Start with Astros

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (elbow) appears to be extremely close to rejoining the big league club. Brown made his third rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday. The right-hander reportedly felt good after the 57-pitch outing. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters on Friday that Brown could potentially return to the Astros next week. The right-hander has been out since early April due to an elbow issue. The team should make a final decision in the coming days. Fantasy managers could get Brown back into the mix as early as next week.

6 hours ago

Dylan Cease • SP • Blue Jays

Dylan Cease Likely to Rejoin Rotation Next Week

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (hamstring) is expected to rejoin the starting rotation next week, according to manager John Schneider. Cease threw a 75-pitch rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday. It appears the right-hander is feeling good enough after that outing to get back on the big league mound. Cease has been sidelined since late May due to a hamstring injury. This season, Cease is posting a 3.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 92:26 K:BB ratio across 62 innings. As of right now, Cease is currently lined up to face the Philadelphia Phillies. There's still time for his timetable to change, but it sounds like fantasy managers are getting Cease back very soon.

6 hours ago

J.P. Crawford • SS • Mariners

J.P. Crawford Removed After Being Hit on his Hand by a Pitch

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (hand) was removed early during Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Crawford was pulled from the contest after he was hit by a pitch on the hand during the third inning. The X-rays came back negative for any fractures, so Crawford should be considered day-to-day. Before leaving the game, Crawford was 1-for-1 at the plate with a single and a run scored. His departure moved Colt Emerson to shortstop, and Patrick Wisdom took over third base. The expectation is that we'll see more of that if Crawford is forced to miss any time from this injury. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday for another update on his status.

6 hours ago

Daulton Varsho • CF • Blue Jays

Daulton Varsho Pulled with Wrist Injury

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (wrist) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Varsho appeared to have aggravated his wrist during his first at-bat of the game. The expectation is that he'll likely undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. The 29-year-old was hitless in his lone plate appearance of the game. For now, fantasy managers should consider Varsho as day-to-day until further notice. Yohendrick Pinango and Myles Straw are candidates to see increased playing time if Varsho sits out. Between the two, Pinango is the better streaming option, assuming Varsho misses time.

6 hours ago

Samuel Basallo • C • Orioles

Samuel Basallo Removed with Abdominal Discomfort

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (abdominal) was removed early during Friday's contest versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Basallo was lifted in the sixth inning due to right abdominal discomfort. He was 0-for-2 at the plate before leaving this game. At the moment, it's unclear if Basallo will be forced to miss additional time from this injury. The O's should provide an update on his status shortly. It wouldn't be shocking to see Basallo sit out the rest of the weekend. Adley Rutschman would be in line for more work behind the plate if Basallo does miss time.

6 hours ago

Chandler Simpson • LF • Rays

Chandler Simpson Exits with Thumb Injury

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (thumb) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Simpson was removed mid-game due to left thumb discomfort. The severity of the injury is unknown right now, but the team should provide an update on his status soon. Before leaving, Simpson was hitless in two plate appearances. The expectation is that Victor Mesa Jr. and Ryan Vilade would have expanded roles if Simpson is forced to miss time. Fantasy managers should consider Simpson as day-to-day for now.

7 hours ago

Ramón Laureano • LF • Padres

Ramon Laureano Out 4-5 Months After Hip Surgery

San Diego Padres left fielder Ramon Laureano (hip) will miss four to five months after having labrum surgery on his right hip on Friday, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. As a result, the Padres announced on Friday that they transferred Laureano to the 60-day injured list. It's unlikely that Laureano will return for the Friars this season, which is why Acee suggests that the offensively-challenged Padres could now be looking for a left-handed-hitting outfielder who can play left field at the early August trade deadline. Bryce Johnson is starting in left and batting seventh for SD in Friday's series opener against the New York Mets and right-hander Christian Scott at Petco Park, but Johnson isn't the answer to San Diego's hitting woes this season and profiles best as a fourth or fifth outfielder. The 31-year-old Laureano will end up finishing his first full season with the Pads with a disappointing .203/.286/.374 slash line, .660 OPS, seven home runs, 21 RBI, seven steals, and 23 runs scored across just 53 games. Gavin Sheets will most likely see most of the starts in left going forward, opening up more playing time at first base for Ty France.

8 hours ago

Wei-En Lin • SP • Athletics

Wei-En Lin Moving to Triple-A, Can he Compete for Early MLB Debut?

The Athletics are promoting left-handed pitching prospect Wei-En Lin from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, according to Milb Central. The 20-year-old native of Taiwan earned the promotion to the Aviators after going 3-1 with a sharp 1.93 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51 1/3 innings pitched across his 10 starts. The 6-foot-2, 179-pound southpaw is ranked as the A's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and could be in line to make his major-league debut in the second half of the 2026 season if he continues to impress this summer in Sin City. Lin typically sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has a diverse pitch mix that also features a slider, curveball, changeup, and splitter, all of which have the potential to be plus offerings. His greatest strength is his ability to throw strikes, which could earn him a ticket to Sacramento sooner rather than later. Lin doesn't have high-end fantasy upside, but he should at least become a backend starter for the A's once he reaches the big leagues.

8 hours ago

Max Muncy • 3B • Dodgers

Max Muncy Out of Friday's Lineup With Sore Nose

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (nose) is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener for the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels, according to MLB.com. Muncy was involved in a scary collision at first base on Thursday night with Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas and was removed from the game after being checked on by trainers. The good news is that the 35-year-old passed concussion testing and is day-to-day, so Muncy could be back in the starting nine for Game 2 of the Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Santiago Espinal is starting at third and will bat ninth on Friday versus Angels left-hander Reid Detmers. Muncy enters Friday's action hitting .254/.347/.513 with an .860 OPS, 14 home runs, 22 RBI, and 40 runs scored in his 189 at-bats for the Blue in his 11th year in the majors. Durability has become an issue for Muncy late in his career, but when healthy, he's still valuable in most fantasy leagues for his power and run production in the heart of the Dodgers' stacked lineup.

8 hours ago

Samy Natera Jr. • SP • Angels

Angels Promote Samy Natera Jr., Will he Compete for High-Leverage Role?

The Los Angeles Angels are promoting rookie left-handed pitching prospect Samy Natera Jr. to the majors on Friday, according to Milb Central. Natera gets his first major-league promotion after going 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 44:18 K:BB with one save in 30 innings pitched out of the bullpen at Triple-A Salt Lake. The 26-year-old Mexican native will take the roster spot of pitcher Shaun Anderson, who has been designated for assignment. Natera was originally a 17th-round selection by the Halos in 2022 out of New Mexico State University. In his four minor-league seasons in the Angels system, Natera has posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, nine saves, 271 strikeouts, and 113 walks in 192 2/3 innings pitched across 96 appearances (24 starts). In Anaheim, he will most likely handle lower-leverage situations, and he won't be guaranteed to stick around long, so fantasy managers can ignore Natera for now. Natera is not included as one of the Angels' top-30 prospects at MLB Pipeline.

8 hours ago

Jorge Soler • DH • Angels

Jorge Soler Back as the DH Against Dodgers on Friday

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler (hip) is serving as the team's designated hitter and is batting cleanup for the Angels in Friday's series opener in the Freeway Series against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Roki Sasaki, according to MLB.com. Soler was pulled early from Wednesday's game against the Colorado Rockies as a precaution with a left-hip injury, but he's back in there as the DH after the team had a scheduled day off on Thursday. The 34-year-old Cuban veteran slugger is batting just .220 (47-for-214) on the season with nine home runs, 33 RBI, and 28 runs scored in 58 games across 243 plate appearances. Soler remains an asset for power and run production in deeper leagues, but he will continue to be a drag on your on-base percentage and batting average. In 14 games since May 19, Soler is hitting .236 (13-for-55) with a homer, double, triple, five RBI, and seven runs scored across his 58 plate appearances. He has gone hitless in just three career at-bats against Sasaki.

8 hours ago

Zach Neto • SS • Angels

Zach Neto Active for Start of Freeway Series Against Dodgers

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is back at shortstop and is batting leadoff for the Halos on Friday for the start of the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Roki Sasaki, according to MLB.com. Whiplash caused Neto to miss the team's last three games, but he's back in there for a series this weekend at Dodger Stadium. The 25-year-old hasn't helped fantasy managers with his average this year, hitting .231 (54-for-234), but he remains an asset in points leagues with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 42 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 60 games across 274 plate appearances. Now that he's back on the field, fantasy managers should return him to all starting lineups in traditional formats. Neto will be looking for his first hit against Sasaki, whom he's gone hitless against in just three career at-bats. The starting shortstop has been better at the plate recently, batting .324 (11-for-34) with two homers, four doubles, five RBI, 10 runs, and a steal in his last nine contests.

8 hours ago

Ildemaro Vargas • 1B • Diamondbacks

Ildemaro Vargas Out on Friday After Scary Collision on Thursday

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas (thigh) is not in the team's starting lineup for Friday's game against the visiting Washington Nationals after colliding at first base with Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy in Thursday's walk-off win, according to MLB.com. LuJames Groover, who was called up from Triple-A Reno on Friday, will make his major-league debut on Friday, starting at first base and batting fifth against Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin. Vargas should be considered day-to-day with his thigh injury, and he could be back in Arizona's starting nine as early as Saturday at Chase Field against the Nats. After a strong start at the plate that came out of nowhere for the 34-year-old Venezuelan infielder, Vargas has predictably cooled down offensively. He's hitting .283 (60-for-212) on the season with seven home runs, but he's been ice-cold in his last 15 games, going 5-for-50 (.100) with a double, six RBI, two runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. There's a good chance we may have already seen Vargas' peak in 2026.

8 hours ago

Thomas White • SP • Marlins

Thomas White Likely to Miss Rest of Season With Shoulder Capsular Sprain

The Miami Marlins announced on Friday that top left-handed pitching prospect Thomas White (shoulder) will likely miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering a left-shoulder capsular sprain, according to Isaac Azout of Fish on First. The timeline for White's return is 12 to 16 weeks. It's another massive blow to the Marlins' farm system, as the team's second-ranked prospect, lefty Robby Snelling (elbow), is also out for the year after having an internal-brace surgery for a torn UCL in his left elbow. The 21-year-old White was likely looking at an MLB promotion in the second half of this year if he hadn't injured his left shoulder. The former 35th overall pick in 2023 went 0-3 with a 4.01 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 35:15 K:BB in 24 2/3 innings across seven starts in the minors with Single-A Jupiter and Triple-A Jacksonville before being placed on the seven-day injured list at the end of May. The Marlins' top two pitching prospects now face major setbacks to their development and probably won't be in play in the big leagues until some point in the second half of the 2027 campaign.

9 hours ago

Chris Bassitt • SP • Orioles

Chris Bassitt on Track to Make his Next Start on Monday

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said that right-hander Chris Bassitt (back) is traveling on Friday to rejoin the club, and as long as his back checks out, he should make his next start on Monday versus the Seattle Mariners, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Bassitt was pulled from his last start on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox due to tightness in his lower back, but it apparently isn't that big of a deal and won't cause him to miss a turn in the starting rotation. Even though the 37-year-old veteran has escaped a serious injury, we wouldn't recommend him as a streamer to begin next week against the M's, who currently rank 12th in the majors with a .715 team OPS. Bassitt is nearing the end of his career and is currently 4-4 with a 5.27 ERA (4.77 FIP) and 1.63 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 22 walks in 56 1/3 innings across his 12 outings (10 starts) in his first year in Baltimore. He's sporting a career-low 14.2% strikeout rate, which is why he's rostered in only 11% of Yahoo leagues.

10 hours ago

Royce Lewis • 3B • Twins

Royce Lewis Working at First Base, Worth a Stash Ahead of Potential Return?

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis, who is at Triple-A St. Paul, worked with former Twins first baseman Justin Morneau for over an hour on Friday, according to Declan Goff. Since his demotion to the minors after hitting .163 (17-for-104) with three home runs, with a career-high 31.1% strikeout rate through 31 games in 2026, Lewis has turned things around at the plate. Through 14 games with the Saints, Lewis has gone 20-for-56 (.357) with 10 home runs, 22 RBI, and 14 runs scored across 63 plate appearances. Not only has the former first overall pick in 2017 made changes to his swing, but he could also be shifting across the diamond to play first base whenever he rejoins the Twins at the big-league level. Lewis has never reached the 20-homer mark in his four years in the majors, but he has displayed high-end power from the right side in stretches in Minnesota. For his power upside alone, the 27-year-old is worth stash consideration in deeper fantasy leagues before he gets the call back to the Twins. Right now, Lewis is rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues.

11 hours ago

Craig Yoho • RP • Brewers

Brewers Prospect Craig Yoho Earns the Call, Will he Have a Prominent Role?

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Friday that they recalled right-handed pitching prospect Craig Yoho from Triple-A Nashville. In a corresponding move, the Brewers placed pitcher DL Hall (pectoral) on the 15-day injured list after he was injured in Thursday's contest. Yoho, who is the team's No. 27 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is expected to fill a bullpen role in his return to the big leagues, leaving him little fantasy appeal. The 26-year-old former eighth-round selection in 2023 out of Indiana University Bloomington made his big-league debut last year and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking nine and striking out seven in 8 2/3 relief innings. He gets the call for the first time in 2026 after allowing only four runs (two earned) with five walks and 24 strikeouts in 18 innings out of the bullpen at Nashville. The 6-foot-2, 237-pounder's nasty changeup is his bread-and-butter pitch and induces plenty of swings and misses and soft contact. Without a clear path to saves in his return to the majors, though, Yoho can be ignored in most fantasy leagues.

11 hours ago

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Sitting Out for Sixth Straight Game on Friday

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (hamstring) is sitting out for a sixth straight game on Friday in Minnesota against the division-rival Twins, according to MLB.com. Nick Loftin will make another start at the hot corner for the Royals and will hit eighth against Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews. Garcia entered Thursday's series opener against the Twins as a pinch-hitter, though, so it would not be a surprise to see him return to action for the third game of the series at Target Field on Saturday. After being named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2025, the 26-year-old Venezuelan third baseman has underwhelmed in 2026, hitting .268 (60-for-224) with three home runs, 21 RBI, 28 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 57 games and 247 plate appearances. He was beginning to heat up before his hamstring injury, though, going 11-for-32 (.344) with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored in nine games since May 22.

11 hours ago

Joel Kuhnel • RP

A's Designate Reliever Joel Kuhnel for Assignment

After their gut-wrenching 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday night after they blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning, the Athletics designated right-handed reliever Joel Kuhnel for assignment, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Kuhnel, who had been part of the team's closer-by-committee approach this year, picked up a hold but was hit with the loss on Thursday night by allowing four earned runs on five hits in just two-thirds of an inning. The 31-year-old former 11th-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 out of the University of Texas at Arlington allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out just one in 4 2/3 innings in his last four appearances out of the bullpen to inflate his season ERA to 4.21 (3.96 FIP). With Kuhnel now out of the picture for the A's bullpen, left-hander Hogan Harris could be the current favorite for saves in Sacramento.

11 hours ago

JJ Wetherholt • 2B • Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt Still Out With Lower-Body Soreness

St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt (lower body) is still dealing with some lower-body soreness and remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com. Bryan Torres is starting at the keystone for St. Louis and will hit fifth in the batting order against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Wetherholt was held out of the lineup on Wednesday and will start on the bench again on Friday despite the team having a scheduled day off on Thursday. He's considered day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if he's back in the lineup for Game 2 of the series. Wetherholt, a former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia University, has held his own in his first year in the big leagues as a full-time player, hitting .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine homers, 25 RBI, seven steals, and 40 runs scored in 58 games and 266 plate appearances. In 10 games since May 23, Wetherholt is hitting .293 (12-for-41) with two doubles, an RBI, five runs, and a stolen base.

11 hours ago

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