MLB Player News

The Angels must be a little concerned about Orlando Cabrera’s finger. Aybar will act as insurance at shortstop for at least the next couple of days.

Torkelson is hitting just .182/.333/.227 in 81 plate appearances this season. It’s nice that he’s walking more, and that’s clearly part of his plan since his overall swing rate has dropped eight percent; however, Torkelson is also taking far more called strikes, and his strikeout rate is actually up from last season. His hard-hit rate is still in line with what he produced last year, and his swinging strike rate is better, so the first baseman may need to simply tweak his approach to stop being as passive as he has been. Colt Keith will play first base and hit third on Monday with Hao-Yu Lee at third base and batting eighth.

Rafaela has started 11 of the last 12 games for the Red Sox, so this is a routine day off. Boston didn’t do anything in the off-season to solve their outfield logjam, and now they also have Masataka Yoshida hitting .300/.462/.400 in his first 39 plate appearances, which makes it hard for Alex Cora to get everybody into the lineup. Yoshida will DH on Monday with Jarren Duran in centerfield. Rafaela is having a solid start to the season, hitting .279/.362/.377 with one home run and a 39 percent hard-hit rate, but he’s hitting the ball in the air less and hasn’t yet stolen a base, so the fantasy goodness has not followed so far.

Harris has been hitting the ball hard since day one this season, but he wasn’t getting results before his trip to the paternity list on Apr. 11. Since returning Monday, he’s 8-for-18 with two homers and three walks, pushing up to .290/.338/.478 for the season. Statcast thinks he should be slugging up over .600, given his career-best exit velocity numbers. His hard-hit rate is 54 percent.

One out away from being in line to win the game, Holmes was lifted before he could face Kyle Schwarber for a third time in the fifth. It was probably the right call, especially since Schwarber had homered off him already. Aaron Bummer took over and gave up a double, but it didn’t score Trea Turner from first, and Bummer retired Bryce Harper afterwards to keep the game 4-2. Holmes is 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA after five starts. He’s slated for another showdown with the Phillies on Friday.

Iglesias’s velocity was down a little, but it improved over the course of his inning; his two fastballs to Bryson Stott leading off the frame were 91.6 and 91.5 mph, while his two to Kyle Schwarber, who flew out with two out and two on, were 93.5 and 94.0 mph. It seems like he’ll be fine, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’s used on Monday. Robert Suarez, who saved Saturday’s game in Iglesias’s place before throwing a scoreless eighth tonight, would be pitching for a third straight day if he goes then.

It was one run through four before the fifth starter with back-to-back singles from Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. He was pulled then, and both runners came around to score in a three-run inning. Painter struck out four and walked one in the first four innings. He’s not ready to emerge as a big-time fantasy starter at age 23, but he’s held his own with a 4.42 ERA and a nice 20/4 K/BB in 18 1/3 innings over four appearances. He’s due to face the Braves again next weekend, making him a weak play in shallow leagues.

Alas, he couldn’t do it again in the ninth. With the Braves down two and having two men on base, he lined out to right to end the game. Schwarber’s homer off Grant Holmes was his fifth of the year. He’s batting .227/.376/.560 through 21 games.

Connor Prielipp is also coming up to join the taxi squad, according to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Rojas just made his season debut after missing time with a hamstring injury, so it’ll probably be a brief stay for him. Funderburk, who has allowed seven runs — two earned — in nine innings this year, will likely miss two or three days.

Dingler was already on the short list of 2026’s best hitters in terms of xwOBA a week ago, and now his actual numbers are catching up. With three homers in six games, he’s hitting .302/.380/.603 for the year. He has as many barrels as strikeouts this year, amassing 12 of each through 73 plate appearances.

Valdez’s strikeout rate has been way down — he’d fanned 12.5 percent of the batters he faced coming into the day — so it was nice to see him miss some bats today. He had 11 whiffs on the 29 curves and changeups he threw and then 22 called strikes on his sinker to finish up with a 39 percent CSW on the day. Valdez is 2-1 with a 3.30 ERA, and he’s set to get the Reds next.