Manager says Jose Altuve fine after injury scare

Tovar has struggled since missing a pair of games with a calf injury in mid-June, hitting .133/.167/.244 over his past 14 games with just one homer and one stolen base. Willi Castro is handling shortstop today.

After three straight days catching, Goodman will take his first breather since June 21. Brett Sullivan is getting a start for the Rockies while Willi Castro bats cleanup. Goodman is hitting .243/.306/.547 with 27 homers in just 340 plate appearances so far this year — the double/homer distribution has been skewed in favor of homers so far this year, much to the delight of fantasy managers.

Hendriks made his debut for the Cubs after signing a minor league deal with them on May 13th. The 37-year-old sat 94.2 mph on his four-seam fastball and got five whiffs on eight total swings, mostly with his slider. Fastball command and velocity will be crucial for Hendriks if he wants to pitch meaningful innings in the Cubs’ bullpen.

The Pirates are just being cautious with their star in his return from a forearm strain. Griffin returned last Friday and will now have sat in two of the team’s seven games since then. We would expect them to go back to playing him nearly every day after the All-Star break. On Thursday, Jared Triolo will bat ninth and play shortstop, and Jake Mangum will move into Griffin’s spot at the top of the order.

Huff had gone 4-for-23 in nine games for the Orioles this season and did not want to report back to Triple-A. Huff has a .241/.292/.416 career slash line in 107 MLB games and figures to get another shot to provide catching depth in a new organization.

Tellez was just 2-for-10 in seven games for the Braves with one home run. He had hit .259/.367/.483 in 49 games at Triple-A with eight home runs, 33 RBI, and three steals. He’s basically just a left-handed pinch hitter at this point in his career, but there may be a team that takes a chance on him if he clears waivers.

Jarvis was up with the Braves earlier in the year and went 1-for-5 in two games. He will be a bench player in Atlanta, but he gives them some additional help at shortstop and will be an asset as a pinch runner off the bench.

Avila was playing in Japan last season and has not pitched for the Guardians in the big leagues this year. He posted a 7.50 ERA in 60 innings as a starting pitcher in Triple-A this season.

The 28=year-old was hitting .276/.366/.493 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, and two steals in 44 games in the minors for the Pirates this season. He can play all three outfield positions and could provide insurance for a contender. It may be harder for him to find a landing spot if he wants immediate MLB playing time.

The Dodgers need some fresh bullpen arms after yesterday’s bullpen game against the Athletics. Gervase has made just two appearances with the Dodgers this season, posting a 1.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 5/2 K/BB ratio across five innings.