Cardinals ink Peter Strzelecki to minors contract

Valencia comes back up to join Detroit’s bench for Monday’s series opener against the Orioles with Kerry Carpenter hitting the shelf with plantar fasciitis. The 26-year-old rookie hit .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and three RBI during six games with the Tigers earlier this month.

Carpenter was going to need some extra time off to put the lingering foot issue to bed and the Tigers can’t really afford to play with a shortened bench while trying to remain in playoff contention. The 28-year-old has had an uncharacteristically poor campaign at the dish, slashing .208/.276/.416 with 13 homers across 259 plate appearances.

Not great. Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that Bellinger will be sidelined until at least late August and his absence could easily stretch into early September. The 31-year-old hit the injured list on Sunday after suffering the injury while legging out a double against the Phillies earlier in the weekend. It’s a significant loss for New York, and fantasy managers as well, since he’s graded out as a top-25 outfielder this season, hitting .259 with 52 runs scored, 11 homers, 53 RBI and 10 steals in 434 plate appearances. He’s worth stashing in most fantasy leagues since he’s likely to return this season, but it’s a much tougher call for managers in shallow mixed leagues.

Benge takes a seat with Tyrone Taylor in left field and fellow rookie A.J. Ewing in the opposite corner. The 23-year-old has hit a bit of a rough patch since the All-Star break, hitting .200 (6-for-30) with one extra-base hit and 10 strikeouts during that eight-game span.

It’s the worst-case scenario outcome after Langeliers hit the injured list over the weekend. The 28-year-old slugging backstop’s absence is a significant hit for fantasy managers heading into the final two months after delivering top-five production at the position. He finishes with a robust .263/.332/.497 slash line with 55 runs scored, 23 homers, 51 RBI and two steals in 416 plate appearances across 93 games. The only positive news here is that Langeliers should be ready for the start of spring training.

Hartlieb loses his spot on the Athletics’ roster with Scott Blewett coming over from the Cardinals in a trade over the weekend. The 32-year-old journeyman has allowed nine runs over 13 1/3 innings of work across eight appearances this season.

Lee will sit out a second straight contest with right elbow soreness after being hit by a pitch over the weekend. The 27-year-old outfielder isn’t dealing with any structural issues and should be ready to return at some point this week. He’s been a strong fantasy contributor in the batting average department, hitting .302 through 96 games. He’s also chipped in six homers and six steals as well. It’ll be Grant McCray in right field on Monday night in his place.

Bassitt kicked off a throwing progression last week and should be ready to rejoin Baltimore’s pitching staff at some point in early-to-mid August. The 37-year-old veteran hit the injured list last month after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his back.

Mountcastle has been out since fracturing his left foot back in mid-April. He’s probably going to need a couple weeks to get back up to speed before he’s an option for Baltimore.

Pederson’s first homer, hit 418 feet to left center, led off the bottom of the first. The second, a three-run shot, made it just out to right despite a 48-degree launch angle. It gave him his 22nd career two-homer game. He’s batting .254/.343/.513, which would place him 20th in the majors with an .856 OPS if he weren’t four plate appearances shy of qualifying.