MLB Player News

The Pirates decided not to throw Paul Skenes up against Tarik Skubal because we can’t have nice things. That means Andrew Heaney will take the mound in Game 1, and both Carpenter and Colt Keith will be on the bench. They should return for Game 2, but Jahmai Jones will DH in Game 1.

Soler has struggled all season, hitting just .207/.280/.350 with eight home runs, 26 RBI, and a 30 percent strikeout rate. This back injury might be an opportunity to place him on the injured list and give him a brief reset. Jo Adell will move to right field with Soler out of the lineup, and Scott Kingery will start in center field and bat seventh.

Estrada has now missed two straight games since being removed from the game on Tuesday. While the Rockies are referring to him as “day-to-day,” they also admit that he was unable to grip a bat on Tuesday, so there will remain some mild concern until we see Estrada back on the field. Orlando Arcia will start at second base and bat eighth on Thursday.

Rice started his first game as a catcher on Wednesday night, so the Yankees likely want to give him a day off to rest his legs with a day game on tap. However, after a hot start to the season, Rice has hit just .198/.263/.355 in 37 games since May 1st. He’s not striking out a lot and has an 11.3 percent barrel rate over that span, but with Giancarlo Stanton back, Rice is going to need the results to start appearing if he wants to hold onto his playing time.

Misiorowski was supposed to start the series finale on Thursday against the Cubs, but with Wednesday’s game rained out, Freddy Peralta will take the ball on Thursday instead. This is great news for fantasy managers who have Misiorowski on their teams. He should be used with relative confidence against the Twins.

Gray also mixed in breaking pitches for the first time since landing on the IL with a fractured wrist. Assuming he bounces back well from the bullpen, Gray should face live hitters during a simulated game or live batting practice and then progress to what will be a lengthy rehab assignment.

This is the first right-handed pitcher that the Twins have faced since Royce Lewis (hamstring) landed back on the IL. With Clemens at second base, Willi Castro will shift to left field, and Harrison Bader will be on the bench. Bader has set against right-handed pitching recently, so this might be the new lineup against righties with Lewis on the IL and Brooks Lee shifting over to third base. That would make Clemens more attractive in deeper formats, but it still seems like he’s going to sit against all left-handed pitchers.

Jeffers missed Wednesday’s game while nursing a hand injury, but it seems like just a one-game absence for the 28-year-old. He can be put back into lineups.

Encarnacion-Strand has progressively moved lower in the batting order since his return from the IL. He got off to a tremendous start in his first weekend back, but has gone just 3-for-25 since then. With Jeimer Candelario also nearing his return from the IL, Encarnacion-Strand is going to need to turn it around soon before he risks losing more playing time.

This move is just procedural so that the Yankees can make room on the 40-man roster for LHP Jayvien Sandridge. Cabrera fractured his ankle in May and will remain out for a while.