MLB Player News

After signing Ramón Laureano last week, the Orioles have six players competing for four spots in the outfield. Tyler O’Neill and Cedric Mullins seem like locks to start in left field and center field respectively. That leaves Colton Cowser and Laureano as a potential platoon in right field since Cowser bats left-handed and Laureano bats right-handed. That would mean Heston Kjerstad needs to hit well enough to win a backup first base or outfield job or he could also be at risk for demotion. Carlson, who has minor-league options remaining, seems destined to start the season in Triple-A if everybody is healthy.

Neto is still dealing with some side effects from a scary-looking home-plate collision during Saturday’s game against the Rays that left him with whiplash symptoms. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Oswald Peraza taking over at shortstop in his absence.

Abel has finally progressed to facing hitters again after hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation back on April 20. The 24-year-old underwent an MRI at the time which didn’t reveal any structural damage. He’ll require a handful of rehab starts before he’s ready to rejoin Minnesota’s rotation, but he’s getting closer. There’s a chance he’s back by late June or early July based on his present trajectory.

Walls made a precautionary exit, according to the team, after experiencing some hamstring discomfort. The 29-year-old shortstop missed three games last week because of the same issue. He’s presumably day-to-day for now, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see this develop into an injured list situation.

David Peterson’s demotion to the bullpen in conjunction with nebulous roles for Jonah Tong and Sean Manaea have created an opportunity for Senga to have a meaningful role with the Mets again. The 33-year-old will make his likely final rehab start later this week before returning to New York’s pitching mix, most likely as a traditional starter, at some point next week.

Murakami is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain over the weekend. The 26-year-old slugger will be on the shelf until at least late June. The hope is that the PRP injection will expedite the healing process. There should be a clearer return estimate once he’s cleared to ramp up baseball activities in a couple weeks.

Ohtani has put together his finest season of his career on the mound and will be in the lineup while pitching for the third consecutive time. The 31-year-old generational talent holds a pristine 0.82 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 61/17 K/BB ratio across 55 innings this season. He also has 10 homers and six steals in 58 games. That’ll work.

Shook receives his first opportunity in the majors after posting seven saves along with a strong 2.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29/8 K/BB ratio across 28 1/3 innings on the doorstep of the majors this season. He’ll operate in a low-leverage role for the Rockies initially but could wind up pitching in more critical spots later this summer.

Agnos heads back to the minors after posting a disastrous 7.78 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 27/13 K/BB ratio across 37 innings this season as a long reliever. He was torched for seven earned runs in each of his last two appearances after tossing five shutout frames against the Diamondbacks on May 22.

It doesn’t look good for Herrera, who landed on the shelf with elbow inflammation over the weekend just a few days after being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque. The 22-year-old is likely facing an extended absence after tossing 2 1/3 scoreless frames over three appearances for the Rockies.

Simpson was left bloodied when his helmet fell off and struck his mouth as he slid headfirst into second base. The 25-year-old speedster finished 1-for-2 at the plate. There should be an update on his status following the contest.