MLB Player News

The Cubs couldn’t break through against Skenes, but they did at least make him throw 95 pitches in five innings. Alas, getting him out of the game only did so much good, as they were limited to one run afterwards, and the Pirates won in extras to improve to 7-8 in Skenes’s starts. Skenes himself remained 4-6 after departing a scoreless game. He’s allowed one or no runs in seven straight starts, yet he’s 1-2 during that span.

Well, that was fast. Saggese returns to the big leagues with Nolan Gorman requiring a trip to the injured list due to an ongoing back ailment. The 23-year-old rookie infielder’s defensive versatility offers plenty of avenues to at-bats, but he’s hit just .233 (20-for-86) with one homer and 10 RBI across 28 games this season at the big-league level. He’s an interesting prospect based on his production at the Triple-A level, but it’s going to be a challenge for him to find at-bats in St. Louis, especially with top prospect JJ Wetherholt on the way.

Gorman has been battling a lingering back issue for over a week at this juncture. The 25-year-old infielder will get some extra time off to rest and recover. As fantasy managers are aware, back issues can be tricky matters, but we’re not anticipating a lengthy absence here. It’ll be Thomas Saggese coming up from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the Cardinals’ bench.

Apparently, Smith suffered the injury while pitching earlier this week in the MLB All-Star Game or at some point during the All-Star break. No word yet on the severity of the sprain, which will determine how much time he misses. Assuming it’s on the lower-end of the spectrum, Smith should make it back at some point in early August. The 25-year-old rookie has been a revelation this season for Chicago, wrapping up the first half with a strong 4.26 ERA and 81/37 K/BB ratio across 86 2/3 innings (18 starts) in his first taste of the majors. The most logical solution for the White Sox would involve stretching out either Tyler Alexander or Mike Vasil to fill Smith’s rotation spot for a couple turns.

González returns to the majors as extra relief depth for Chicago with rookie starter Shane Smith hitting the injured list with a left ankle sprain. The 23-year-old reliever made two appearances earlier this season for the White Sox. He came over from the Red Sox last offseason as one of the pieces in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster trade.

Baldwin rejoins Chicago’s bench mix following a minimum stint on the injured list with a lower back strain. The 24-year-old rookie infielder holds a pedestrian .628 OPS with four homers and three steals in 54 games.

Robertson returns to the minors with fellow rookie Brooks Baldwin coming back from the injured list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pirates.

Bohm has been dealing with a linger rib issue since before the All-Star break, so it’s not a complete shock to see the Phillies carefully managing his workload with very few off-days coming up in the schedule. It’ll be rookie Otto Kemp handling the hot corner on Saturday evening in his absence.

Heyman adds that Arizona remains undecided whether to sell ahead of the trade deadline. Suárez would be among the most coveted sluggers on the block if the Diamondbacks elect to pivot towards the future instead of trying to make a run at a Wild Card spot over the final two months. New York has a Grand Canyon-sized hole at third base and would make a ton of sense as a potential landing spot.

It sounds like a relatively minor issue, but the Orioles aren’t going to take any chances, which means Basallo will sit out at least a couple games this weekend to rest and recover. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the coming days. The 20-year-old prodigy is on the precipice of ascending to the big leagues with a .975 OPS and 19 homers in 62 games this season at the Triple-A level. However, Baltimore doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to get him to the majors, especially since they’re nowhere close to playoff contention. He’s unlikely to to stick at catcher long-term, but he’ll have eligibility for fantasy purposes once he arrives.

Matthews returns to start Saturday’s contest against the Rockies at high-octane Coors Field following a six-week absence due to a shoulder strain. It’s not an ideal spot for fantasy purposes, but the 25-year-old top prospect is worthy of a speculative roster spot, even in shallow mixed leagues, based on his strikeout upside after adding some additional velocity last offseason. The results haven’t quite been there this season from a run-prevention standpoint in the big leagues with a lackluster 5.21 ERA through five starts. However, a strong 3.08 FIP and 30 percent strikeout rate suggest his future is extremely bright.