MLB Player News

The 35-year-old hurler had been involved in a nasty dispute with the Nationals who wouldn’t let him receive the balance on his contract if he retired, as they hoped to recover a portion of the $105 million that Strasburg is owed over the next three seasons. Thankfully, that saga appears to have reached its end and Strasburg was able to officially hang up his cleats. The top overall selection from the 2009 draft finishes his career with a 113-62 record, 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 1723/394 K/BB ratio over 1470 innings in 13 seasons with the Nationals. He was a three-time All-Star and was the World Series MVP for the Nationals in 2019. Kudos to an impressive career.

McClavy goes on to say that, “The club hopes that, by shortening his starts or even mixing in relief outings, it could help Harrison reset in time to play a meaningful role in the postseason.” Since coming back off the injured list after a battle with forearm tightness, Harrison has allowed 24 runs (17 earned) on 38 hits in 27 IP with a 33/13 K/BB ratio. Obviously, it’s hard to trust him in redraft leagues with the plan for his usage being so vague.

Cruz struggled in his first few appearances with the Nationals after coming from the Yankees at the trade deadline, but he has pitched to a 2.57 ERA and a 7/5 K/BB in seven appearances at Triple-A Rochester. The command will be a big key in him becoming a more effective reliever.

Ribalta has been one of the few reliable relievers for the Nationals this year, posting a 3.77 ERA and two saves across 43 innings. No word yet on the severity of the injury or how long the Nationals expect him to be sidelined.

Happ was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with “left knee discomfort” and will also miss Monday’s game. There has been no word from the Cubs on whether an IL stint might be in the cards. Tyrone Taylor will start in left field again on Monday.

According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, the current plan is for Houck to throw about 20 pitches with Double-A Portland on Tuesday, then 40-45 with Portland on Friday. Then he’ll join Triple-A Worcester for a game next week and could be an option to return to Boston after that. Obviously, he could also be built up to around 50 pitches at that point, which means Houck could even fill a starter/opener role with Patrick Sandoval or Brayan Bello following behind him. It remains to be seen what role Houck will have, but getting him back will be a nice boost for the Red Sox pitching staff.

DeLauter has now missed three straight games with a sprained right wrist. However, the Orioles are also throwing a left-handed pitcher on Monday, so there is a chance that they viewed this as an easy way to give DeLauter another day of rest. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt said that DeLauter is “feeling a lot better” and will hit some batting practice today and is take flyballs in right field. It sounds like he could be back in the middle of this week, but Angel Martinez will play right field and bat cleanup.

Meyer landed on the injured list with a neck strain before the All-Star break and then also needed a cortisone shot in August. There are only three weeks left in the season, so there doesn’t seem to be enough time for Meyer to build up and return as a starter. It remains to be seen what the Marlins’ plan for him is, but it likely will be impacted by how he responds to his early throwing sessions.

Ballesteros has now started four of the last six games at either first base or designated hitter. The Angels are also carrying two other catchers on their roster, so it seems like they will limit how many starts Ballesteros makes behind the dish for the remainder of the season. That has meant Vaughn Grissom has played more third base and Oswald Peraza has shifted to the bench.

Kim has now started five of the last six games at shortstop, even mixing in against right-handers too. He is 4-for-12 with one run and one RBI over the previous four starts, but three of those hits came in one game against the Nationals. Mauricio Dubon has been playing in the outfield more often over that stretch.

Anderson was a key member of the Brewers’ bullpen this year with a 3.36 ERA in 59 innings across 52 appearances this season. It remains to be seen what his timeline is for a return.