MLB Player News

Smyly had his chance during spring camp to make the Cubs’ starting rotation, but his performances on the mound weren’t enough. Chicago likely will benefit from Smyly coming out of the bullpen as the 34-year-old posted a 2.51 ERA in 18 games of relief last season compared to a 5.62 ERA in his 23 starts.

The 22-year-old hurler was knocked around for two runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays in his big-league debut on Tuesday. Given the fact that he struggled to a 5.17 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 62 2/3 innings at Triple-A Nashville before he was recalled, and was then hit hard by the light-hitting Blue Jays, it’s probably best to avoid Rodriguez for fantasy purposes despite his upcoming two-start week.

The 24-year-old outfielder has been playing games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League over the weekend, so he’ll step up the competition level for a few games at Triple-A before he’s cleared to return to the Diamondbacks’ outfield. If all goes according to plan, he should return before the end of next week.

The 30-year-old second baseman is only expected to need a couple of games to get his timing back before he’s cleared to return to the Mariners’ lineup. Expect him back early next week, which will severely impact the playing time for Ryan Bliss, who has been filling in at second base over the past few weeks.

Cave was scratched from Friday night’s lineup after he was hit in the head by a line drive during batting practice. Fortunately, he sustained just a minor cut to his forehead and is able to return to action the following evening. The 31-year-old outfielder will bat seventh against Jared Jones and the Pirates on Saturday night.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the 23-year-old outfielder landed on the injured list with his hamstring strain, his MRI exam revealed it to be a more serious strain, which means that he’ll be sidelined for even longer. The Braves have yet to provide a timeline for his recovery, but it’s going to be longer than just a couple of weeks. Expect Ramon Laureano to see increased action in the Braves’ outfield in the meantime.

The 19-year-old outfielder was ranked as the sixth best prospect in the Mariners’ organization by MLB Pipeline. M’s general manager Justin Hollander told reporters on Saturday that the surgery has yet to be scheduled and that no timeline for his recovery exists just yet.

O’Hoppe knocked a base hit in the fourth inning, then took Keaton Winn deep for a two-run shot in the sixth to tie the game. The 24-year-old backstop is having a stellar season, slashing .284/.335/.476 with nine homers and 31 RBI across 225 plate appearances.

Moniak put the Angels on the board with a solo homer off Keaton Winn in the second inning for his only hit of the day. It was the third homer of the season for the 26-year-old outfielder while slashing .195/.243/.302 with 15 RBI and four steals across 169 plate appearances.

Ramos stayed red hot at the plate on Saturday collecting three hits and driving in all three runs for the Giants. He took Patrick Sandoval deep for a two-run shot in the first inning, then drove in the third run on a double in the fifth. Ramos added a third extra-base hit with a double in the seventh. The 24-year-old outfielder is hitting an excellent .325/.407/.571 with eight homers and 30 RBI across 145 plate appearances.

Estévez was summoned in the ninth inning to close out the game with a one-run led over the Giants. He shut them down, retiring the side on 12 pitches and ending the game with a called third strike on Heliot Ramos. The 31-year-old right-hander is up to 12 saves with a 3.68 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 22/3 K/BB ratio across 22 innings.