MLB Player News

It’s wild that Jiménez has to accept a minor-league deal, but here we are. The 28-year-old has battled multiple injuries since debuting as a 22-year-old in 2019 and has never built on the pedigree he showed in that rookie season where he slashed .267/.315/.513 with 31 home runs and 79 RBI in 122 games. Jiménez has played over 98 games in a season just once since then and seemed like a shell of himself in 2024, slashing .238/.289/.336 with just six home runs in 98 games with the White Sox and Orioles. Perhaps the Rays can kickstart a resurgence for Jiménez, but he has seen his fly ball rate and barrel rate fall for three straight seasons, so it’s fair to wonder if the injuries have sapped his juice. He’s going to be a DH-only in Tampa Bay, which will limit his fantasy value, but the Rays will also be playing their home games in a minor league stadium and be playing outside in Florida in the summer where the ball should be flying, so perhaps Jiménez can find some deep league value in the second half of the season.

Skubal allowed just two hits on the afternoon and didn’t walk a batter. He needed just 54 pitches (44 strikes) to navigate his five frames, with his fastball touching as high as 99 mph. Expect him to make his highly anticipated return to the Tigers’ rotation next weekend.

Allen suffered the injury while running to first base. He’ll head for additional testing to determine the severity of the issue. Look for the Astros to provide an update on his status as soon as more information is available.

With Jack Kochanowicz (elbow) landing on the injured list on Sunday, Aldegheri will have another chance to pitch out of the Angels’ bullpen. The 24-year-old left-hander holds a 2.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 7/5 K/BB ratio over 11 innings in three appearances with the Angels this season.

Kochanowicz suffered the injury during Saturday’s disastrous outing against the Dodgers where he gave up seven runs (six earned) in just 1/3 of an inning. No word yet on how long he’ll be shelved for. Sam Aldegheri was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move on Sunday.

Vargas is still feeling the effects of his collision with Max Muncy on Thursday evening. He has appeared as a defensive replacement over the weekend, so he appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. LuJames Groover will start in his place at first base and bat eighth for the Diamondbacks against Cade Cavalli and the Nationals on Sunday.

Grissom was a late scratch from Friday’s lineup due to tightness in his left side and now he winds up missing the entire weekend series against the Dodgers. It sounds like he has shown improvement and will be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, but if this lingers into the start of next week, the Angels may be forced to make a move.

Scherzer threw 3 2/3 innings in a minor league rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and completed a bullpen session on Sunday morning without any issues. With Scherzer and Dylan Cease both likely to return to the rotation during the upcoming week, the Jays will have some decisions to make on how to structure their rotation going forward.

It’s a planned day off for both Betts and Andy Pages, so no need for fantasy managers to worry here. Miguel Rojas will start in his place at shortstop and will bat eighth against Angels’ right-hander Jose Soriano.

Smith was scratched from Saturday’s lineup due to stiffness in his neck. The expectation was that he was going to return to action on Sunday, but manager Dave Roberts wanted to give him an extra day to make sure that he gets right. Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate once again on Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Freeland doesn’t really qualify as a tough left-hander that fantasy managers would want Yelich to sit against, but he’ll get a breather in this one as the Brewers continue to manage his workload in an effort to keep him healthy for the remainder of the season. William Contreras will serve as the team’s designated hitter in this one with Gary Sanchez working behind the plate and batting fifth for the Brewers.