MLB Player News

Akiyama said that he didn’t receive any offers after being released by the Padres from his minor league contract last week. The 34-year-old outfielder is expected to sign with a team in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, most likely the Seibu Lions, where he spent the first nine years of his career.

Murphy hit the injured list prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Cubs with a fractured left middle finger. The 31-year-old, who missed nearly six weeks to open the year recovering from offseason hip surgery, will likely be sidelined until after the All-Star break in mid-July. It’ll be journeyman Sandy León taking his roster spot as Drake Baldwin’s primary caddy during his absence.

Mendoza added that Robert will be evaluated by specialists and remains without a definitive return timetable. The 28-year-old center fielder hit the shelf with a herniated disc in his back on April 30. It’ll be rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing playing regularly alongside generational talent Juan Soto in New York’s outfield for the foreseeable future. It’s a considerable lift to Ewing’s immediate fantasy outlook since it appears he’s been brought to the majors to play everyday. He offers enough batting average and stolen base appeal to be an impactful contributor in deeper mixed leagues.

No surprise here with lefty Patrick Corbin taking the ball for Toronto in this one. Simpson told reporters he’s feeling better and could potentially be available off the bench after departing the late stages of Monday’s one-sided affair with left leg cramping. He’ll be reevaluated prior to Wednesday’s series finale. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day.

Waldschmidt came up just shy of launching his first major-league homer when he tattooed a 412-foot fly ball to center field during Monday’s series opener at cavernous Globe Life Field. The 23-year-old top prospect remains at the bottom of Arizona’s lineup for the fourth time in five games since being called up from Triple-A Reno last week. It’s only a matter of time before he moves up towards the heart of the order based on his talent and opportunity to play everyday.

Benintendi is back at DH and hitting sixth after sitting out Sunday’s contest against Seattle with neck stiffness. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward. The 31-year-old corner outfielder is hitting an underwhelming .235/.272/.365 with two homers and 17 RBI across 36 games this season. He can be safely ignored in most fantasy leagues.

Kim will make his long-awaited Braves debut after missing the first six weeks of the season recovering from an offseason finger injury. The 30-year-old middle infielder takes over as Atlanta’s starting shortstop and should offer enough power/speed combo production to be worthy of a roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.

It’s awful timing for Caballero, who officially became the Yankees’ starting shortstop when Anthony Volpe was demoted to Triple-A, rather than activated off the injured list, last week. Volpe will now have an opportunity to make his case for the job. Greatly outproducing his exit velocity numbers, Caballero is batting .259/.320/.400 with four homers and 13 steals this season, though he also leads the league with five caught stealings.

Volpe was hitting just .205 in nine Triple-A game, but 18 of his 30 balls in play were hit hard. He was also 4-for-4 overall stealing bases in 18 minor league games since returning from shoulder surgery. Although he’s not starting tonight because he’s in transit to the ballpark, he should be the regular shortstop while José Caballero is out, making him worth picking up in mixed leagues. If he excels, the Yankees could turn Caballero into a utilityman once he returns.

Steer finds himself in the prominent lineup spot for the second consecutive contest after spending Sunday’s series finale against the Astros there. The versatile 28-year-old is hitting .269 (14-for-52) with three homers, seven RBI and one steal over his last 15 games. The move towards the top of Cincinnati’s lineup boosts his fantasy appeal in deeper formats, if the move becomes permanent.

Basallo is back at DH and hitting fifth after being scratched from Monday’s lineup with left knee discomfort. The 21-year-old prodigy appears to be fine from a physical standpoint after being involved in a home-plate collision during Sunday’s contest against the Athletics. He’s been on fire at the plate recently, hitting .382 (21-for-55) with two homers and nine RBI over his last 15 games.