MLB Player News

Birdsong struck out four and lowered his ERA to 1.38. He might have some mixed-league value right now had the Giants given him a rotation spot, but it looks like the current plan is to keep him in middle relief for the long haul. He’s pitched 2-3 innings in five of his six appearances to date.

Paddack’s time with the Marlins is officially over after compiling a bloated 7.34 ERA across 30 2/3 innings. He passed through waivers unclaimed after being removed from Miami’s roster last week. The 30-year-old starter figures to latch on somewhere as an emergency depth option, but his days as a fantasy-relevant option are long gone.

Eldridge takes a seat for the second straight contest after homering during Saturday’s blowout loss to the Pirates. The 21-year-old’s path to everyday at-bats is complicated by the presence of both Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt as he’s started just four of seven contests since being called up last week from Triple-A. He possesses upper-echelon raw power, but is probably going to strike out too often, and also struggle to play enough to be an impactful fantasy contributor this season. That’s just the unfortunate reality when it comes to most top prospects as they find their stride at the highest level. Sometimes it takes longer than anticipated.

Webb hit the injured list with right knee bursitis over the weekend but it doesn’t appear the issue will keep him on the shelf for too long. The 29-year-old workhorse figures to make it back before the end of May. It’ll be Trevor McDonald taking his rotation spot for now.

Hernández has been dropped to the lower-third of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ lineup card for the second time in three games after hitting .192 (10-for-52) with zero homers over his last 15 games. The more alarming development is that he hasn’t gone deep since April 15 and has just four round-trippers in 35 games overall. It’s worth noting that the Dodgers have plenty of prospects waiting in the wings for their shot at the highest level should Hernández continue struggling into the summer.

Betts is back at shortstop and hitting second in Monday’s series opener against the longtime rival Giants following a five-week absence recovering from an oblique strain. The 33-year-old fantasy stalwart was hitting .179 (5-for-28) with two homers and seven RBI across eight games prior to the injury. He might need time to knock the metaphorical rust off after just a pair of minor league rehab contests following the lengthy layoff. However, his return should provide a massive boost for the Dodgers, and fantasy managers as well.

Stanton will undergo follow-up imaging to determine whether his calf has made enough progress to start ramping up again. The 36-year-old veteran has been hitting recently, but needs to be able to run the bases before he’s cleared for a rehab assignment. He’s been on the shelf recovering from a low-grade calf strain since April 25.

The Angels could certainly use O’Hoppe back as quickly as possible since their current catching tandem features Sebastián Rivero and Omar Martinez. The 26-year-old backstop has been on the shelf recovering from a fracture in his left wrist since April 25.

Walker gets the call to join Baltimore’s relief corps after spending a couple weeks in the minors. He was in camp as a non-roster invitee this spring. The well-traveled 31-year-old has made 27 appearances in the big leagues since 2023. He got into three contests for the Blue Jays last year before bouncing around between several other organizations.

Baltimore’s top pitching prospect returns to the minors without making an appearance after being called up last Friday. The 23-year-old has allowed four runs with a 4/3 K/BB ratio across 6 2/3 innings over two appearances this season. His future is extremely bright, but the Orioles aren’t ready to hand him a rotation spot just yet.

The procedural move doesn’t adversely impact Kjerstad’s potential return timeline. The 27-year-old corner outfielder is currently on a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk working his way back from a hamstring strain. He won’t return to Baltimore until at least mid-to-late May.