MLB Player News

Yes, that David Fletcher. The former middle infielder is reinventing himself as a knuckleball pitcher in the Braves minor league system. All while making $6 million dollars this year. Fletcher’s first start was particularly impressive, especially against a loaded Baltimore Orioles Triple-A lineup. Fletcher struck out six batters, including Jackson Holliday, and walked just one. There is no way to know if the Braves will actually give Fletcher a chance to pitch at the big league level, but this is a fun experiment.

Nelson is working his way back from an elbow strain that put him on the shelf back in mid-June. It might be unrealistic to expect him to make it back before the end of the regular season, but he could be available to pitch in relief if Arizona makes the playoffs.

As expected, Lombard is sitting out for the third consecutive game with right knee discomfort. It’ll be José Caballero continuing to handle shortstop in his absence. There’s a chance he winds up requiring a trip to the injured list, but the Yankees have some flexibility with expanded rosters to wait and see for a couple extra days.

Arcia latches on with Cincinnati as additional depth at Triple-A Louisville heading into the final month of the season. The 32-year-old hit .271 (13-for-48) with one homer during a 19-game stint with Minnesota earlier this season.

Slater heads back to Tampa Bay as emergency outfield depth for the final four weeks of the season. The 33-year-old is basically a short-side platoon option, if anything, at this advanced stage of his career. He’s gotten into 28 games between the Rays, Mets and Marlins this season.

Carlson bolsters Philadelphia’s organizational relief depth heading into the home stretch. The 27-year-old has yet to pitch in the majors but has spent time at the Triple-A level with the Dodgers and Astros over the last two years.

Rengifo will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee. The versatile 29-year-old suffered the injury while making a relay throw over the weekend. He’s set to undergo surgery to address the complete ACL tear and an MCL sprain in the near future.

Rodríguez is expected to miss 7-9 months after undergoing left hip surgery last week. The 26-year-old former top prospect figures to be ready to return to game action at some point towards the end of spring training. There’s a chance he’s non-tendered by the Pirates this offseason if they decide to move forward with Rafael Flores Jr. as their primary backstop.

Morabito returns to New York’s outfield equation with Luis Robert Jr. no longer in the picture. The 23-year-old rookie went hitless in 11 at-bats over five games with the club earlier this season. He’s unlikely to be relevant for fantasy purposes.

Ross is back in the majors for the first time since being called up at the end of last year. The 26-year-old relief prospect will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

Carrigg is at shortstop and hitting fifth after being held out of the starting lineup for two consecutive games for disciplinary reasons after making an inappropriate gesture towards fans in Atlanta over the weekend.