MLB Player News

Sale didn’t get the win, but it was a really nice outing for the lefty. His velocity was back at his season average tonight after dropping last time out, and he struck out seven while giving up just three hits, all of them singles. There’s really no telling what Sale will show up when he takes the mound these days, but he has a 30% strikeout rate and he’s throwing about as hard this year as he typically did during his best seasons. His final start of the year will come next week against the Orioles.

Valdez did get consistent playing time with the Pirates during his recall in May, hitting two homers in five games. That’s about all he did — they were his only two hits. He’ll probably be hard to trust even with consistent playing time, but the power is worth dreaming on in deeper leagues. Shallow league managers should likely just wait and see.

Brandon Lowe turned out well enough to keep playing after his leg injury, so Wendzel had just four plate appearances in two games with the Pirates this time around. He returns to Triple-A Indianapolis as a depth piece for the Pirates.

He’ll replace Jalen Beeks in the bullpen for the time being. Curvelo has a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings over seven appearances with the Rangers this season. He’ll likely be riding the Round Rock-Arlington shuttle often this year.

Beeks won’t necessarily have to rehab if he keeps this stint short, the 32-year-old left-hander has a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings out of the Rangers bullpen this year, striking out 21 and walking eight while allowing six home runs.

Not good. Isbel was already placed on the 10-day injured list, but it sounds likely he will miss more than just the minimum amount of time. Kameron Misner and Lane Thomas could form a platoon in center field in Isbel’s absence.

Fantasy managers should anticipate the possibility that Lugo misses a start or is pushed back a few days after he left yesterday’s game, where he was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Brandon Nimmo. He also mentioned that his left elbow is sore from falling. All and all, this is a positive update considering how scary the injury looked in the moment.

It’s cost him two days now. Sterlin Thompson is starting in left field against RHP Edward Cabrera and the Cubs in McCarthy’s place today.

The ironman sat out both games over the weekend with a minor thumb injury and will get a blow on Thursday after catching last night. It appears he’s still being handled cautiously. Carter Jensen is playing catcher and Lane Thomas has taken over in the 5-hole for Perez in a rare start against a right-hander in Rangers starter Kumar Rocker.

He had played four days in a row before sitting here, so this is probably just some load management for a player that we know is dealing with an injury. Nick Loftin is playing third base and batting eighth in Garcia’s stead.

Since being activated from the IL on June 1, Smith has started against righties and been a bench bat otherwise. It hasn’t gone well yet — he’s hitting .120/.281/.120 in his first 32 plate appearances. Gabriel Moreno is grabbing a DH game after catching last night in Smith’s place.