MLB Player News

One imagines the Red Sox will bring in at least one outfielder this winter, but even if that happens, Abreu could still play right, with Jarren Duran occupying another spot and Masataka Yoshida serving primarily as a DH. Abreu was a nice surprise in limited action last season, batting .316/.388/.474 in 85 plate appearances. He’s not going to hit for that kind of average over a full season, but the power seems pretty legit.

No surprise here after Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy revealed that Story has been playing through a lingering groin issue pretty much all season. The 33-year-old shortstop has struggled to an abysmal .206/.244/.303 triple-slash line with three homers and four steals through 41 games. It’ll be Nick Sogard coming up from Triple-A Worcester to fill his roster spot. Putting former top prospect Marcelo Mayer at shortstop would make sense, but it was Andruw Monasterio at shortstop during Friday’s series opener in Atlanta.

Wetherholt receives his second day off this season with Royals lefty Noah Cameron on the mound during Saturday afternoon’s matchup after going 0-for-5 during Friday’s extra-inning marathon. The 23-year-old rookie sensation has been outstanding in his Cardinals debut, hitting .237/.358/.408 with 33 runs scored, eight homers, 22 RBI and five steals across 204 plate appearances in 44 games. It’ll be Thomas Saggese at second base in his place on Saturday afternoon.

Thompson will make his first start after coming off the bench during Friday’s series opener. The 24-year-old outfielder earned his first shot with the Rockies after hitting .344/.491/.496 with four homers and eight steals in 161 plate appearances over 36 games at Triple-A this season. He’s an interesting prospect but Colorado has a ton of corner outfielder options that he could be limited to a short-side platoon role initially, which limits his fantasy appeal to NL-only formats.

Eisert returns to the big leagues after spending a couple weeks in the minors after a pair of rough outings for the White Sox back in mid-April. The 28-year-old southpaw holds a serviceable 4.75 ERA across 78 2/3 innings for Chicago over the last two years.

Schweitzer heads back to the minors after allowing four runs over four innings during a pair of stint with the White Sox this season. The 25-year-old lefty figures to be back at some point later this summer.

Vest tossed a perfect inning on Friday in a minor league rehab appearance for Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers apparently saw enough that they’re ready to bring him back, likely for Sunday’s series finale against the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old righty reliever hit the shelf with forearm inflammation back on May 2. He’ll operate in a setup capacity for Detroit.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Berríos will undergo a procedure to address the fracture in his elbow and potential loose bodies. He also added that there may be some ligament issues that need to be addressed, but that won’t become clear until surgeons begin operating. There should be a clearer return timeline following the procedure, but fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility that he’ll miss the rest of the season. It’s another significant hit to Toronto’s rotation depth that likely ensures that Spencer Miles will get a chance to work as a traditional starter moving forward.

Falter joins Kansas City’s relief mix for Saturday’s game against the Cardinals with fellow lefty Matt Strahm heading to the shelf with knee inflammation. The 29-year-old southpaw is back after missing six weeks with elbow inflammation. He’ll pitch in long relief out of the Royals bullpen.

Strahm hits the shelf after recording just two outs on 15 pitches during Friday’s relief appearance against the Cardinals. The 34-year-old lefty holds a pedestrian 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 17/7 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances. There is no timetable for his return yet.

Pushard made one appearance for the Cardinals before hitting the injured list with right knee tendinitis back in late March. The 28-year-old righty was picked up from the Marlins in the Rule 5 Draft last December. He’ll operate in middle relief for the Cardinals.