MLB Player News

It’s been a brutal injury night for Pittsburgh. Francisco Cervelli (foot) and Andrew McCutchen (thumb) went down earlier in the game and now Mercer will join them in the trainer’s room. Mercer left after getting drilled by a pitch from Kyle Barraclough in the ninth inning. Cole Figueroa replaced him at shortstop. Mercer went 0-for-2 with a walk before exiting.

Rodriguez lands on the shelf for the second time this season after exiting Sunday’s start against the Rays with lower back tightness. He missed time at the outset of the year due to a shoulder issue. The biggest concern here is that back issues are complex matters and typically lead to extended absences for pitchers. The 26-year-old has struggled to a bloated 8.06 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 24/15 K/BB ratio across 25 2/3 innings over six starts in his Angels debut after missing all of last season due to injury. There’s zero reason for fantasy managers in re-draft formats to hang onto Rodriguez at this juncture.

Drew Anderson will take the ball in his place. Melton will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. It’s unclear whether he’ll take the ball at some point later this week. The 25-year-old has posted a strong 2.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 14/6 K/B ratio across 25 2/3 innings through four starts since making his season debut last month. It’s a tough break for fantasy managers since he was in line for a potential two-start week against the Astros and White Sox. There should be some additional clarity on his status in the coming days.

It’s notable that Lewis is back at the hot corner for the first time since returning to the big leagues earlier this month, especially with top prospect Kaelen Culpepper seemingly on the verge of arriving as the club’s shortstop of the future. The 27-year-old infielder has torn the cover off the ball, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with three homers, five RBI and one steal across eight games during that span. There’s some appeal here for fantasy managers, especially those trying to replace superstar José Ramírez.

De La Cruz will need to run the bases at full speed early this week before he’s officially cleared to return to minor league game action. The 24-year-old fantasy start underwent a followup MRI last Friday that showed significant progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain that put him on the shelf back in late May. He should make it back to Cincinnati before the end of June.

Latz was originally credited with a win against the Royals when he tossed two scoreless innings last Thursday. That has since been changed to a two-inning save with rookie Robby Ahlstrom picking up his first career win in the process. The 30-year-old has converted 12 of his 14 save opportunities this season as the Rangers’ primary closer.

This is different. It’s mostly been Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll atop Arizona’s lineup the last few weeks with Perdomo hitting towards the bottom of the order. The 26-year-old has seemingly pulled out of his early-season tailspin at the dish, hitting .333 (14-for-42) with one homer and three steals in 13 games since the start of June. Marte remains in the leadoff spot with Carroll hitting third during Monday’s series opener at Chase Field.

Senga will return to New York’s rotation for the first time since late April. The 33-year-old was hit extremely hard in five early-season starts and is hardly a recommended streaming option for fantasy managers, especially with this outing coming in hitter-friendly Cincinnati. He’s shown flashes of fantasy relevance in the past, which is why he’s worth monitoring in deeper mixed leagues.

Smith returns to Texas’ infield mix after missing nearly six weeks. The 28-year-old hit the shelf with a glute strain back in early May but wound up being hospitalized for over one week viral meningitis during his rehabilitation process. The versatile 28-year-old has mostly played second base this season and was off to a slow start, hitting .217/.324/.239 with zero homers and two steals through 31 games.

Seager was set to miss his fourth consecutive game during Monday’s series opener against the Twins due to mild concussion symptoms, according to the club. The 32-year-old was involved in a home-plate collision last Thursday against the Red Sox and began experiencing symptoms afterwards. There is no timetable for his return at this juncture.