MLB Player News

Kepler gave Philadelphia a lead of 6-2 with a solo homer off an ineffective Jake Irvin. The 32-year-old has been solid — if unspectacular — in his first full month with the Phillies, but it’s nice to see some power showing up with homers in two of the last four games after just one roundtripper in the month of April prior to that run.

O’Hoppe is back behind the plate after sitting out a pair of contests over the weekend. The 26-year-old backstop was held out for precautionary reasons after being hit in the head during a home-plate collision during last Friday’s contest against the Rangers. The positive news is that he cleared concussion protocol and didn’t suffer a serious injury on the play.

Mayo remains on the bench as he continues to deal with lower back discomfort that caused him to be scratched from Sunday’s doubleheader against the Tigers. The timing is unfortunate for the former top prospect as he was just starting to look comfortable at the dish. There’s a chance he requires a trip to the injured list if he’s unable to play later this week. It’ll be utility infielder Blaze Alexander handling the hot corner on Tuesday night in his place.

Rutschman takes a seat with youngster Samuel Basallo handling the catching duties in this one. The 28-year-old backstop has put together a strong campaign, hitting .254/.325/.478 with seven homers and 26 RBI across 154 plate appearances through 37 games.

Bazzana is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with one homer in three games since being moved to Cleveland’s leadoff spot last weekend. It’s too small of a sample size to draw any firm conclusions, but the 23-year-old top prospect’s on-base ability makes him a natural fit as a top-of-the-order table-setter, especially since the Guardians are lacking any in-house alternatives. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats at this juncture.

García takes a seat with Andrés Chaparro getting a chance to face Cleveland southpaw Joey Cantillo. The 26-year-old first baseman went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBI during Monday’s series opener where the Nationals clobbered six home runs during a blowout win. He’s hitting .314 (16-for-51) with three homers and nine RBI over his last 15 games.

Fernandez returns to the big leagues to fortify St. Louis’ relief corps after spending a couple days back in the minors following last weekend’s doubleheader against the Reds. The 27-year-old has posted a sparkling 1.17 ERA and 13/2 K/BB ratio across 7 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Cardinals this season. Needless to say, he’s earned a longer look in the majors.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Báez will receive an additional medical opinion on his injured right ankle, which isn’t healing as quickly as originally hoped. The 33-year-old hit the shelf with a high-grade ankle sprain back on April 29. The big concern here is that Báez will require ankle surgery, which would require an extended absence. There should be an update on his status and next steps at some point later this week.

Blue Jays skipper John Schneider told reporters the decision was made to give Lukes some time to rest his hamstring and isn’t related to him being struck in the helmet by a pitch during Monday’s series opener. The 31-year-old outfielder went 3-for-4 in his return from the injured list after missing nearly a month with a left hamstring strain. Daulton Varsho is back in the lineup patrolling center field on Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre.

Lenyn Sosa will make another start at first base in his place. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Guerrero was able to hit prior to Tuesday’s contest but is still pretty sore. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone will miss his second straight contest after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow over the weekend. It’s impossible to rule out a trip to the injured list the longer his absence lingers, but all signs point to Guerrero returning this week, especially since initial X-rays didn’t reveal any fractures. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into Wednesday’s series finale.

Jump will make his major-league debut on Tuesday against the division-rival Mariners with veteran Luis Severino being pushed back an extra day. The 23-year-old southpaw, who was selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of LSU, has compiled a solid 4.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 56/20 K/BB ratio across 38 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season. He attacks hitters with an unorthodox delivery and a repertoire that features a mid-90s fastball, a strong curveball and multiple slider variations. Jump projects as more of a mid-rotation starter long term, but he misses enough bats to warrant immediate interest in deeper mixed leagues.