MLB Player News

Presley tripled off J.J. Putz with one out, nearly spoiling a masterful effort from Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy, who notched his 20th win this evening. The three-bagger was his sixth in just 183 at-bats this season. Batting .295/.340/.459 to go along with 18 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases through just 45 games, Presley has very much made himself a part of the Bucs’ 2012 plans.

It’s a really encouraging sign that Adames is back at shortstop after suffering a right thumb contusion while committing a fielding error during Monday’s series opener against Arizona. The 30-year-old shortstop has been on a roll lately, hitting .313 (21-for-67) with one homer, eight RBI and one steal since the start of May.

No surprise here after Lee made an early exit from Monday’s series opener against Arizona with back spasms. It’s a positive sign that he hasn’t been placed on the injured list yet. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Will Brennan taking over in right field in his place.

Thomas gets a chance to face Angels lefty Reid Detmers in his first start since May 13. The 25-year-old rookie has performed well in limited opportunities this season, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with one homer and three RBI in 10 games since being called up back on April 22. The harsh reality is that simply isn’t a regular role for Thomas with Carlos Cortes, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler all needing at-bats.

Snell underwent the innovative surgical procedure, which is less invasive and uses a smaller incision than a typical arthroscopic surgery, that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal also underwent earlier this month. The hope is that it’ll expedite his return to Los Angeles’ rotation. The 33-year-old southpaw remains without a definitive return timetable yet, but early estimates give him a decent shot at making it back in roughly two months. Fantasy managers shouldn’t anticipate him returning until after the All-Star break in July.

How Woodruff fares during the roughly 50-pitch live session will determine whether he jumps back into Milwaukee’s rotation next week or winds up needing a minor league rehab start. The 33-year-old hit the injured list with shoulder inflammation last week, but was able to throw a bullpen session on Monday without any issues.

Burnes is making steady progress towards rejoining Arizona’s rotation sometime in the second half of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. The 31-year-old former fantasy ace will face hitters a couple times before he’s cleared to head out on a minor league rehab assignment at some point in June.

Meyers is back in center field and hitting seventh on Tuesday against the Twins after missing more than five weeks with a right oblique strain. The 29-year-old outfielder was hitting .243/.326/.378 with one homer and one steal in 12 games prior to hitting the injured list on April 9.

Pearson figures to operate in a versatile swingman-type role, typically handling long relief situations, after missing the first seven weeks of the season recovering from elbow surgery. The 29-year-old was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball earlier in his career with the Blue Jays, but never quite panned out as a traditional starter or reliever. He can be safely ignored for fantasy purposes at the moment.

Whitcomb returns to the minors to make room for center fielder Jake Meyers to come off the injured list. The 27-year-old has gone 2-for-17 with one homer and four RBI in 14 games for the Astros this season.

McCullers hits the injured list shortly after being scratched from Tuesday’s start against the Twins with shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old has already returned to Houston to undergo imaging to determine whether he’s dealing with any structural damage. There should be a clearer idea of his status at some point later this week. It’s a bit unclear how the Astros will fill his rotation spot at the moment.