MLB Player News

Detroit wants to avoid having Gipson-Long face a series of left-handed bats atop Cincinnati’s lineup, so Holton will work the opening frame before passing the baton during Sunday’s early-afternoon showdown at Comerica Park.

No surprise with crafty southpaw Martín Pérez toeing the rubber for Atlanta. Lowe will open this contest on the bench with Sal Stewart getting a turn at DH and Spencer Steer at first base. The 30-year-old veteran has been on a tear with three homers in his five games. He’s gone deep nine times over his last 30 games while hitting .293 (29-for-99) during that span. There are times where Cincinnati will keep him on the bench, mostly against left-handed starters, but Lowe has shown enough over-the-fence pop that he needs to be rostered in deeper fantasy leagues as a viable corner infield option.

Jackson gets the nod over Colton Cowser in right field and will make his first appearance away from the infield dirt this season after 48 games at second base to open the year. Jackson Holliday’s recent return as the club’s starting second baseman has complicated Baltimore’s infield picture, which means Jackson is probably going to wind up in a multi-position utility role moving forward.

Cease could potentially progress to facing hitters in a live batting practice session next week, depending on how he comes out of the this weekend’s bullpen. The 30-year-old righty hit the injured list with a low-grade hamstring strain earlier this week. There’s a chance he’s ready to jump back into Toronto’s rotation without a rehab assignment at some point in early June.

Carter is out of the lineup for Saturday’s showdown at Globe Life Field and will undergo imaging to determine whether he suffered any fractures when he was hit on the back foot by a slider from Guardians reliever Eli Morgan. He managed to remain in the contest after the incident, which is somewhat encouraging. An update on his status should come later this weekend.

Kelenic will test the free agent waters instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte. The 26-year-old former top prospect passed through waivers unclaimed after being jettisoned from Chicago’s roster earlier this week. He hit an underwhelming .226/.305/.321 with one homer and four RBI in 59 plate appearances during a 19-game stint with the White Sox this season.

Milwaukee remains optimistic that Priester will make it back from thoracic outlet syndrome without needing surgery, but the results have been abysmal in a pair of rehab starts at Triple-A Nashville recently. The 25-year-old’s fastball velocity has been down in the 91-92 mph range and he’s not where the Brewers want him to be at this stage in his rehabilitation. He’ll attempt to get back on track against some lower-level competition moving forward. He’s nowhere remotely close to being an option for the Brewers at the moment.

Heasley will stick with Tampa Bay as organizational depth after passing through waivers unclaimed earlier this week. The 29-year-old allowed five runs over four innings on Wednesday against the Orioles in his Rays debut.

Baty receives his first day off since May 10. Bo Bichette takes over at third base with Vidal Bruján getting a rare opportunity at shortstop.

Helsley appears to be getting close to heading out on a minor league rehab assignment, but he still hasn’t progressed to facing hitters in a live batting practice session. The hard-throwing 31-year-old stopper has been on the shelf with elbow inflammation since late April. There’s no real urgency to rush him back since unheralded Rico Garcia has done a phenomenal job as Baltimore’s primary ninth-inning option during his absence.

Astros skipper Joe Espada told reporters Javier came out of Friday’s live batting practice session fine from a physical standpoint and will face minor league hitters his next time out. The 29-year-old will likely need a couple outings to build up his stamina and pitch count before returning to Houston’s rotation sometime in June.