MLB Player News

Dirks will report to High-A Rancho Cucamonga while Paroubeck will head to the team’s spring training facility in Arizona to continue rehabbing a minor quadriceps injury. Dirks, a 22-year-old right-hander, owns a 0.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 29/14 K/BB ratio over 26 2/3 innings between Class-A Rome and High-A Carolina this season.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Brewers will get either player — or that either player will be traded at all — but it’s a notable shift from Milwaukee’s usual deadline strategy. “I’ve been on the phone a lot,” Brewers president of baseball told McCalvy. “We’re definitely active.” The Brewers are clearly looking to snag a bye in the National League playoffs. Skubal’s availability seems to come and go as the Tigers win and lose games — it sounds like if a Skubal deal does come it’ll be one that happens on August 3, the actual day of the deadline.

It appears to just be a routine day off. Burleson has hit .279/.342/.462 in a nearly full-time role with the Cardinals this year — this is just his second day off all season. Blaze Jordan will play first base while José Fermín mans the hot corner for St. Louis.

Arenado will get a breather after starting each of the first six games for the Diamondback out of the break. He’s hitting .245/.323/.430 this year and .259/.348/.586 in 16 games in July. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at third base.

“People who have seen Musgrove and Pivetta throw or gotten reports about those throwing sessions have expressed greater optimism about their progress over the past week or so,” Acee continues. Pivetta was scheduled to throw a live batting practice this week. Both would need to be setback-free to continue to a rehab assignment, obviously, but it sounds like the Padres could get rotation reinforcements in late August or September.

Caissie should be cleared to start a rehab assignment sometime in the next week assuming no setbacks. He was expected to miss 2-4 weeks when he was placed on injured reserve on July 9, so he should be back in late July or early August.

Doyle was originally sent on rehab assignment for his oblique injury around this time last month, but had to be shut down after a new groin injury popped up. It looks like he may have a chance of being activated towards the end of next week if things go well with the Isotopes this time.

Originally the Phillies had just been searching for a No. 5 starter, however they appear to have expanded that search. In games not started by Zach Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola or Jesús Luzardo this year, the Phillies are 5-20. A higher-caliber pitcher would probably replace Nola in the playoff rotation should the Phillies get there.

Surprisingly, this is Díaz’s first start in the field all season. Jonathan Aranda will bat second and be the DH. While this doesn’t change much of anything, it is something to monitor for 2027 fantasy drafts because Díaz will need plenty more starts in the field if he’s going to be anything but UT-only when it comes to eligibility.

As expected, manager Kevin Cash said last night that he would probably need a few days off. Ben Williamson is filling in at shortstop against Jays RHP Shane Bieber.

The Rays are using Casey Legumina as an opener and then turning to left-hander Ian Seymour, so this may simply be about the Blue Jays getting a left-handed hitter up against a right-handed opener. However, Piñango has now started both games since being recalled from Triple-A. Jesús Sánchez is nearing a return, but the Blue Jays appear to be sellers at the trade deadline, so Piñango may get a chance at everyday at-bats for the rest of the season. Before being recalled on Wednesday, he had hit .267/.313/.413 in 160 MLB plate appearances with five home runs and 20 RBI. He also posted a 7.1 percent barrel rate, 45.1 percent hard-hit rate, and a 75.7 mph bat speed, suggesting that there could be more in the tank.