MLB Player News

The signing was announced last week but is now official. The one-year contract also has a $6 million player option for 2026 with a $750K buyout. If Polanco has 550 plate appearances in 2025 then his player option increases to $8 million. The 31-year-old was injured for much of 2024 and struggled to a .213/.296/.355 slash line with 16 homers, 45 RBI, and four stolen bases. However, he will get a chance to play every day for the Mariners to start the season and has a career .263/.330/.435 slash line in 950 MLB games and has at least 14 home runs in four straight seasons, so there’s a chance he can carve out deeper league fantasy value. Cade Marlowe was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Not good. Isbel was already placed on the 10-day injured list, but it sounds likely he will miss more than just the minimum amount of time. Kameron Misner and Lane Thomas could form a platoon in center field in Isbel’s absence.

Fantasy managers should anticipate the possibility that Lugo misses a start or is pushed back a few days after he left yesterday’s game, where he was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Brandon Nimmo. He also mentioned that his left elbow is sore from falling. All and all, this is a positive update considering how scary the injury looked in the moment.

It’s cost him two days now. Sterlin Thompson is starting in left field against RHP Edward Cabrera and the Cubs in McCarthy’s place today.

The ironman sat out both games over the weekend with a minor thumb injury and will get a blow on Thursday after catching last night. It appears he’s still being handled cautiously. Carter Jensen is playing catcher and Lane Thomas has taken over in the 5-hole for Perez in a rare start against a right-hander in Rangers starter Kumar Rocker.

He had played four days in a row before sitting here, so this is probably just some load management for a player that we know is dealing with an injury. Nick Loftin is playing third base and batting eighth in Garcia’s stead.

Since being activated from the IL on June 1, Smith has started against righties and been a bench bat otherwise. It hasn’t gone well yet — he’s hitting .120/.281/.120 in his first 32 plate appearances. Gabriel Moreno is grabbing a DH game after catching last night in Smith’s place.

He had been working in the Rookie-level FCL over the past few weeks, so this qualifies as good news for Waldrep’s chances of getting back to the big leagues in short order. Waldrep had loose bodies removed from his elbow in spring training. He might be able to get back to the big leagues before the end of June if everything goes right.

Whitcomb homered in a spot start for Jeremy Peña on Wednesday, but heads back to Triple-A. It appears the Astros are set to activate someone else tomorrow.

He and Jonathan Pintaro swap places after Pintaro threw three innings last night. The 29-year-old has pitched well at both Triple-A and in the bigs this year. He holds a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings at Triple-A Syracuse, including six starts, so he figures to be a long reliever.

Pintaro threw the final three innings in a game the Mets were getting demolished in on Wednesday, giving up his first run of the season in the big leagues. His ERA is now 1.35 and he’s struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He’ll be back up when the Mets need a fresh arm.