MLB Player News

The 28-year-old batted .306/.430/.396 with five home runs and 42 stolen bases for the Fighters in 2020 and is a career .286/.382/.394 hitter over nine seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. Nishikawa lacks power, but he draws walks and has picked up three stolen base titles and three Gold Gloves in Japan. He might ultimately profile as more of a fourth outfielder, but there should be some interest from major league clubs.

Tests were negative on the hand after he was hit by a pitch, so he’s presumably still just day-to-day. Mickey Gaspar is starting at first base tonight.

Bello could take over in the second after Moran faces Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. It makes him a better bet for a victory, but he remains a difficult play in mixed leagues right now.

Herget rejoins the Rockies bullpen after three days away. He has a 5.40 ERA in 14 appearances this season.

Gordon spent the last four weeks mopping up for the Rockies, throwing 17 innings with a 6.35 ERA over five appearances. The Rockies lost those five games he pitched in by a combined score of 40-9.

Freeman did plenty of sitting against righties for the first month of the season, but he’s now started four of the last five times the Rockies have faced them. He also started at second base for the second time on Sunday. If he emerges as a true full-timer and gains second base eligibility, he might have a little something to offer in mixed leagues. Since the beginning of last year, he’s hit .280 and stole 22 bases in 521 plate appearances.

There wasn’t much doubt that Friedl would be back in center tonight, but the Reds could have maybe dropped him in the lineup with him hitting just .185/.267/.274. Still, as poor as that is, it’s not like the team has much in the way of alternatives, aside from maybe just going with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart first and second, rather than third and fourth. But that’s not Terry Francona’s style. The Reds have been giving Noelvi Marte more time in center in Triple-A of late, so Friedl might need to get things going soon.

He struck out four. Bloss underwent surgery almost exactly a year ago. He’ll likely remain in Triple-A once his rehab is complete, but he could be an option as a starter for the Jays during the second half of the season.

The current CBA expires on Dec. 1, at which point MLB is widely expected to lock out the players. The league is going to argue for a salary cap system, which the players, of course, want no part of. Most likely, the lockout will linger into at least February and quite possibly March but hopefully no longer before an agreement gets done.

Murphy lasted just six days on the active roster before getting hurt on a catcher’s interference during Sunday’s game. Sandy Léon will place him as Drake Baldwin’s backup, but the bigger beneficiary here is Dominic Smith, who will resume seeing more time at DH against righties with Murphy absent.

The Braves released Léon last month so that he could go play in Mexico, but now with Sean Murphy hurt again and Jonah Heim gone to the A’s, he’s returning to serve as Drake Baldwin’s backup. Léon was 4-for-34 in Triple-A before leaving Gwinnett. He went 1-for-12 in five games with the Braves last year, with his lone hit being a homer off Craig Kimbrel.