MLB Player News

The fourth-ranked prospect in Rotoworld’s latest Top 500 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings update, Walcott is headed to big-league spring training with the Rangers just a few weeks prior to his 19th birthday. He showcased an impressive blend of athleticism and raw power — including some stratospheric exit velocities — last year when he hit .265/.344/.452 with 11 homers and 27 steals in 515 plate appearances between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. The teenage prodigy possesses the raw talent necessary to evolve into a five-category fantasy monster if he continues on his current trajectory.

Wetherholt will get a break from having to face Rangers lefty MacKenzie Gore. It’s his first day off since May 16. The 23-year-old top prospect has put together an outstanding rookie campaign, slashing .249/.357/.400 with 40 runs scored, nine homers, 25 RBI and seven steals through 58 games. Thomas Saggese takes over at second base with Masyn Winn moving up to the leadoff spot.

Bieber will make his third rehab outing this weekend after allowing five runs over 2 1/3 innings last Sunday for Low-A Dunedin. The 30-year-old remains a few weeks away from returning to Toronto’s rotation after having his throwing progression delayed due to offseason forearm and elbow issues.

Dallas will make his major-league debut on Thursday at Truist Park with a challenging road matchup after posting a erviceable 4.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 38/13 K/BB ratio over 36 innings for Triple-A Buffalo this season. The unheralded 25-year-old is not a recommended streaming option for fantasy purposes.

Altuve told reporters following Wednesday’s session that he’ll get another round facing live pitching before determining his next steps. It’s entirely possible he’s feeling ready and will skip a minor league rehab assignment altogether. The 36-year-old veteran has made a rapid recovery from an oblique strain that shelved him back in mid-May. Additional clarity on his status should arrive later this week.

It appears to be a routine off day for Chourio following a stretch of 24 starts over a 25-game span since returning from the injured list back on May 4. The 22-year-old franchise cornerstone is riding a four-game hitting streak that includes his second round-tripper of the season along with a pair of multi-hit performances. It’ll be Jake Bauers heading out to left field with Andrew Vaughn getting a chance to hit second in his place.

Eldridge gets a chance at DH to face Milwaukee lefty Robert Gasser in this one after taking a seat against emerging ace Kyle Harrison earlier in the series. The 21-year-old top prospect has shown some encouraging signs of late, hitting .409 (9-for-22) with one homer and three RBI over his last seven games.

Sánchez is at DH and hitting cleanup following a brief one-game absence after being hit on the wrist by a ball that was thrown from the stands during Sunday’s game against Baltimore. He appears to have avoided serious injury and isn’t expected to miss any additional time. It’ll be George Springer getting a maintenance day with rookie Yohendrick Piñango picking up another start in right field on Wednesday evening at Truist Park.

Kim is starting at shortstop for the second time in the last three games after sitting out for an extended stretch last week. Jorge Mateo seems to be getting a real chance to play everyday with Kim shifting into more of a bench role recently. He’s hit just .089 (4-for-45) with two RBI and one steal in 13 games since making his Atlanta debut last month.

Bleday finds himself in the prime spot on Cincinnati manager Terry Francona’s lineup card for the third consecutive contest after hitting .291/.387/.632 with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 32 games since coming up from Triple-A Louisville. The power-hitting 28-year-old is making hard contact at a higher rate than ever while also showing the best plate skills of his career. It’s a bit of a small sample size, but a cursory glance under the hood suggests that his recent stratospheric production isn’t a mirage.

Meyer got the victory, moving him to 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA. He actually gave up 10 hard-hit balls today, but they turned into 10 outs; one was a single and another one saw a batter reach on an error, but two turned into GIDPs. He gave up one other single on an 85-mph liner to the outfield. He struck out seven. Meyer’s next start will come at home versus the D-backs.