MLB Player News

Hernandez has been recalled for the Red Sox’ final regular-season series against the Rays at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old southpaw has struggled mightily at the big-league level this season, compiling a stratospheric 21.60 ERA, 3.30 WHIP and 9/8 K/BB ratio across 6 2/3 innings (seven appearances).

Roberts hinted the Dodgers will get “creative” early in the season with their pitching staff — code for something that looks and behaves like a six-man rotation without actually calling it one — as they look to preserve Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow for the long haul. Nearly every contender has adopted some version of this strategy by now, and it’s the logical path for Los Angeles. We expect Emmet Sheehan to grab a spot and Roki Sasaki to return to the rotation mix once spring training rolls around after an impressive closer cameo during the postseason.

Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz and manager Albert Pujols confirmed that both infielders will be part of the club’s roster for the impending international showcase. Caminero clobbered 45 round-trippers in his full-season debut last year while Perdomo blossomed into one of the most impactful all-around shortstops in baseball, delivering a sublime 7.0-WAR age-25 campaign.

The deal is now official. Anderson returns stateside after spending the past two seasons overseas in Korea where he pitched to a sparkling 2.91 ERA across 287 1/3 innings over 54 starts. The journeyman righty, who turns 32 years old in late March, figures to open next year in Detroit’s rotation mix as a back-end stabilizer. He’s a name to watch in spring training but will likely go undrafted in most fantasy leagues outside of AL-only formats.

Roberts added that he believes last season was an outlier since Scott never felt right from a physical standpoint all year. The 31-year-old southpaw’s sudden decline after establishing himself as one of the premier late-inning relievers in baseball over the past couple seasons certainly feels like it was injury-related. We’re anticipating a bounce-back campaign, assuming he enters spring training with a clean bill of health, but his role remains a bit unclear, especially since the Dodgers have been linked to several prominent free agent closers. Stay tuned.

New York’s infield mix got a bit more crowded when they acquired veteran second baseman Marcus Semien in a trade with the Rangers last month. Baty split time across several spots last year, making 87 appearances at the hot corner and 57 at the keystone. It sounds like he’ll get the nod over other in-house alternatives like Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña at third base heading into camp after hitting .291 with nine homers and 30 RBI in 55 games after the All-Star break to close last season.

No surprise here. This certainly changes if Cody Bellinger re-signs with the Yankees this offseason. Rice walloped 26 round-trippers in just 138 games this past season, splitting time between the cold corner, DH and catcher. The 26-year-old figures to draw the occasional start behind the dish, but those opportunities will likely evaporate if he establishes himself as New York’s long-term answer at first base. He’ll retain catcher eligibility for at least one additional season, which makes him an early-round pick in all fantasy drafts next spring as a top-five range option at the position.

Espada’s comments came shortly after Astros general manager Dana Brown reaffirmed that Alvarez will be ready for Opening Day as he continues to recover from a significant high ankle sprain that he suffered in late September. Houston’s skipper added that the decision to limit Alvarez from playing the field is strictly for health purposes. The Astros would like to keep the 28-year-old middle-of-the-order force in their lineup as often as possible after a hand fracture limited him to just 48 games this past season. It’s a positive development for fantasy purposes as eliminating the wear and tear of playing left field should help prevent knee issues that have bothered him in recent years.

Herrera, who is recovering from surgery last month to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, will have an opportunity to resume catching next season after knee issues limited him to DH for the final five months of last year. The 25-year-old slugging backstop is expected to be a full-go at the outset of spring training. He’s one of the better options at the catcher position heading into next year with the caveat that he won’t pick up eligibility for a couple weeks in most leagues.

Edridge’s name surfaced over the weekend in a report from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser as a possible trade candidate, but it sounds like there are no immediate plans to send him packing. The 21-year-old slugging prospect struggled in his first taste of the big leagues this past season, but he’s one of the more promising power-hitting prospects in the game considering his combination of hard contact and solid contact skills for a player of his immense physical stature. He figures to split time at the cold corner with Devers heading into next season unless the Giants decide to make a splash by signing free agent Kyle Schwarber.

Brown told reporters last month that Paredes wouldn’t be 100 percent at the outset of spring training as he continues to recover from a high-grade hamstring strain that he suffered back in mid-July. It certainly sounds like there’s optimism the 26-year-old corner infielder will be ready for Houston’s season opener in late March, which should help boost his appeal in fantasy drafts in the coming months.