MLB Player News

Steer put Cincinnati ahead with a two-run homer off Sonny Gray in the third inning before taking hiom deep for a three-run blast -- his 18th round-tripper of the season -- to record his first career multi-homer performance. He also chipped in a stolen base -- his 19th theft of the year -- just for good measure. The versatile 26-year-old has blossomed into one of the better five-category contributors in the fantasy landscape, batting .237 (101-for-427) with 60 runs scored, 18 homers, 74 RBI and 19 stolen bases through 116 games.

Fitzgerald will take a seat for the finale against the Guardians, and Christian Koss will hit ninth while playing second base.

Smith will not start for a third consecutive game because of his hamstring tightness. The good news is Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that Smith will be available off the bench. Assuming no setbacks, there’s a very good chance that Smith will be back in the Texas starting nine by the end of the weekend.

The question now is whether Martin will be available Thursday. The right-hander recently returned from the injured list because of a shoulder issue, so the Rangers may take even more precaution with the 39-year-old.

That’s the bad news. The good news is the soreness was expected after throwing 75 pitches in his rehab outing, and that Scherzer is slated to throw a bullpen in Toronto this weekend. Assuming that goes well and the soreness isn’t overwhelming, Scherzer will likely make his next start for the Blue Jays against the Guardians next week.

Moreno has missed the last few days with his hand bruise, and the Diamondbacks will now give the backstop a chance to get better while not hamstringing their roster. Assuming there’s no structural damage Moreno could be back in a week, but for now, Jose Herrera will be Arizona’s everyday backstop with Aramis Garcia up from Reno to help handle catching duties.

Montes De Oca recently underwent back surgery, and is out for the foreseeable future. He’ll be eligible to come off the 60-day injured list at the beginning of August, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to roll when that occurs.

Garcia will be the backup backstop to Jose Herrera now that Gabriel Moreno is on the injured list with his hand bruise.

Raley has been out since late April with an oblique string, and his return would be a welcome addition to the Mariners lineup. In his first four rehab games with Triple-A Tacoma, Raley is 5-for-14 with a homer, a double, a walk and a strikeout. He hit 22 hime runs for the Mariners last season, and could be a decent source of power and deeper formats when he returns.

Noda was on the bench on Tuesday against a left-handed pitcher, but he was replaced by Lenyn Sosa, who had just come off the IL, so there was some question about their roles going forward. It seems that Noda will continue to start regularly against right-handed pitchers. Despite struggling in Triple-A for the Angels to start the season, Noda seemed to figure something out in his brief stint in Boston, hitting .378/.519/.703 in 13 games at Triple-A Worcester with three home runs, 13 RBI, and two steals. He’s worth keeping an eye on in case some tangible changes took place in Boston.

Cook is up with Bryan Reynolds on the Paternity List, and he’s also right into the starting lineup. He could likely be sent back down when Reynolds returns later this week, so he’s not worth chasing in fantasy leagues right now.