MLB Player News

Arraez kicked off the scoring with a run-scoring single to right field in the third inning before tacking on a key insurance run with an eight-inning single to center field. He also picked up his eighth stolen base of the season in this one. The 27-year-old contact-oriented infielder, who has been playing through a torn ligament in his left thumb, is still hitting for a strong batting average, but doesn’t bring much else to the table from a fantasy standpoint.

Lawlar will likely require a couple weeks of rehab contests to get back up to speed before rejoining Arizona’s lineup. The 23-year-old former top prospect was showing some really positive signs at the plate before hitting the injured list with a fractured right wrist back on April 3.

Crooks got into 15 games for the Cardinals last season and finally got another call up to the big leagues earlier this week after hitting .262/.412/.567 with 13 homers in 39 games for Triple-A Memphis. The 24-year-old offers enough offensive upside that he’s worth monitoring in deeper mixed leagues. He’s unlikely to wrestle enough starts away from Iván Herrera to make a significant impact.

O’Hearn will return to Pittsburgh’s lineup following a minimum stay on the injured list recovering from a right quad strain. The 32-year-old has hit .289/.368/.459 with seven homers, 29 RBI and one steal in 182 plate appearances over 44 games in his Pirates debut this season.

Kim finds himself glued to the bench after hitting .095 (4-for-42) with zero extra-base hits in 12 games since making his season debut back on May 12. It appears that Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss is going to give Jorge Mateo a chance as the club’s primary shortstop as long as he keeps producing.

It’s an extremely rare off day for Riley, who is hitting .242 (23-for-95) with five homers and 14 RBI since the start of May. The decision enables Atlanta to get Mauricio Dubón in the lineup at the hot corner to face Reds righty Brady Singer.

Avila figures to take the ball against the Reds on Monday at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. The 24-year-old righty has worked three innings in back-to-back relief outings and shouldn’t need to much time to stretch out to a traditional starter’s workload. He’s posted an underwhelming 5.06 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 20/12 K/BB ratio across 21 1/3 innings this season. He’s not a recommended streaming option for fantasy managers.

Kempner tossed a scoreless inning against the Orioles during his big-league debut back on May 5. The 24-year-old gets the call to rejoin Miami’s bullpen in place of an injured Andrew Nardi (ribs). He’s compiled a 4.56 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 46/16 K/BB ratio over 25 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season.

It’s a bit unclear how much time Nardi is going to miss, but it could wind up being a lengthy absence given the nature of the injury. The 27-year-old southpaw hits the shelf after posting a lackluster 5.16 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 27/11 K/BB ratio across 22 2/3 innings for the Marlins this season.

No surprise with crafty southpaw Martín Pérez toeing the rubber for Atlanta. Lowe will open this contest on the bench with Sal Stewart getting a turn at DH and Spencer Steer at first base. The 30-year-old veteran has been on a tear with three homers in his five games. He’s gone deep nine times over his last 30 games while hitting .293 (29-for-99) during that span. There are times where Cincinnati will keep him on the bench, mostly against left-handed starters, but Lowe has shown enough over-the-fence pop that he needs to be rostered in deeper fantasy leagues as a viable corner infield option.

Jackson gets the nod over Colton Cowser in right field and will make his first appearance away from the infield dirt this season after 48 games at second base to open the year. Jackson Holliday’s recent return as the club’s starting second baseman has complicated Baltimore’s infield picture, which means Jackson is probably going to wind up in a multi-position utility role moving forward.