MLB Player News

Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Saturday that Alvarez is 60 percent healed now and added that the fracture wasn’t found until inflammation subsided to the point it showed up on imaging. He continued that the 27-year-old superstar has been shut down from swinging for a while, but is expected to return in the “near future.” It’s an alarming development, but it certainly explains why Alvarez’s recovery seemingly plateaued in recent weeks as he continued to experience discomfort while swinging a bat. There isn’t a definitive timetable for his return at the moment and fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back for at least another few weeks, even in a best-case scenario.

Okamoto gets a breather after making five consecutive starts at the hot corner. It’ll be Ernie Clement taking over with Lenyn Sosa at second base. The 29-year-old could use a break since he’s been mired in a slump for a couple weeks, hitting .161 (9-for-56) with one homer and 24 strikeouts over his last 15 games.

It continues to be a completely bizarre season for Yoshida as he’s basically been eclipsed by unheralded reserve Mickey Gasper and utilityman Andruw Monasterio for at-bats against right-handed pitching since Roman Anthony hit the injured list earlier this month. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats until that equation changes.

Thomas remains on the bench for the third consecutive game due to an ongoing minor hamstring issue. The 30-year-old came off the bench during Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox, so it appears he’s healthy enough to play, if needed. The Royals are probably going to stay away from him as much as possible this weekend to give him extra time off to rest and recover.

Cruz takes a seat with Toronto lefty Patrick Corbin toeing the rubber. It’ll be intriguing prospect Jhostynxon Garcia getting a chance in center field with Nick Gonzales moving up to the leadoff spot. Cruz is hitting .303 (20-for-66) with four homers against lefties this season. However, he’s been struggling a bit of late, hitting just .242 (15-for-62) with one homer and 26 strikeouts over his last 15 games.

Crow-Armstrong finds himself back atop Chicago’s lineup with manager Craig Counsell shaking things up. The 24-year-old power/speed combo fantasy threat had been scuffling at the dish this month prior to slugging a two-run homer and walking twice during Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field. Nico Hoerner moves to the cleanup spot with Alex Bregman and Michael Bush hitting behind Crow-Armstrong. It’s a significant development that fantasy managers should monitor moving forward.

Happ takes a seat in favor of Michael Conforto against Astros starter Kai-Wei Teng. The 31-year-old hitting .107 (3-for-28) over his last seven games and slashing .188/.349/.377 with three homers and 34 strikeouts in 20 games since May 1. He’ll get a brief mental reset as the Cubs attempt to get him back on track.

Alcántara is the type of high-variance power hitter who’s easy to dream on developing into an impactful fantasy contributor someday. He’s made a concerted effort to lift and pull the ball this season, resulting in an International League–leading 15 home runs in 41 games. That approach has also come with a hefty 33.3 percent strikeout rate. Alcántara’s contact profile is concerning, but his over-the-fence power is real. The 23-year-old top prospect, who has gotten into 13 games for Chicago over the last two years, is the type of streaky power hitter that is both exhilarating and frustrating to roster in fantasy leagues. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.

Chicago has decided to jettison Lopez after the defensive specialist appeared in just four games after being called up back on April 24. The 31-year-old is merely emergency organizational depth at this stage of his career. The Cubs are presumably going to role with intriguing prospect Pedro Ramírez in a versatile utility role off the bench.

Fernandez provides St. Louis with some additional bullpen depth for Saturday’s twin bill at Great American Ball Park. The 27-year-old has compiled a 1.59 ERA across 5 2/3 innings at the big-league level this season.

Torres gets a look in left field for his major-league debut after being called up from Triple-A Memphis prior to Friday’s rainout with Nathan Church (shoulder) hitting the shelf. The 28-year-old offers some defensive versatility in a bench role after .336/.454/.477 with two homers and 10 steals across 36 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season.