MLB Player News

Piña gets the call to join Toronto’s bullpen with veteran Yimi García hitting the injured list with a sprained ankle. The 26-year-old righty, who made one relief appearance earlier this season for the Marlins, was acquired last week in a small trade. He’ll be making his Blue Jays debut when he gets into a game.

Roycroft returns to Tampa Bay’s relief equation with Cole Sulser landing on the injured list with a back issue. The 29-year-old has allowed a staggering 17 runs over 18 1/3 innings between the Rays and Cardinals this season.

Sulser has delivered a serviceable 4.86 ERA and 48/14 K/BB ratio across 46 1/3 innings this season, his highest single-season total since 2021. His absence is a hit to Tampa Bay’s low-leverage relief depth. He missed time with a similar back issue earlier this year, so it seems likely the Rays aren’t going to rush him back.

Manaea struck out four, walked two, and allowed five hits. He served up a two-run homer to Matt Olson but limited the damage otherwise. He’s now made nine starts since returning to the Mets rotation on June 13, and his ERA is under 4 during that stretch. It isn’t dominant, but it’s a big improvement from where things were earlier this season. Manaea’s next start is scheduled to come in Cleveland.

Williams struck out one and allowed one hit as New York took the first of the doubleheader. He’s remained the team’s locked-in closer all year despite another ERA over 4. There just haven’t been as many save opportunities as projected entering the season. The Angels are the only team with fewer saves than the Mets, capping Williams’ chances. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t returned to his Milwaukee form, as some expected following his lone season with the Yankees.

Smith-Shawver got the ball for Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, striking out four while walking two. He threw 69 pitches, including 43 for strikes. His four-seamer averaged 97.2 mph, topping out at 99.6. It remains to be seen how Atlanta will handle his workload the rest of the season, including when he pitches again. Monday’s trade deadline could also shake up the team’s rotation. His next start lines up at home against the Marlins if he stays on schedule.

Ewing has hit leadoff in all but one game since July 6, starting against all four lefties the Mets have faced in that stretch. The rookie outfielder is now 14-for-20 on the bases this year, but he’s converted six in a row after an inefficient start. Ewing continues to look like a long-term building block for New York and will likely get all the playing time he can handle over the season’s final two months.

Olson connected for a two-run shot off lefty Sean Manaea, but it was the only scoring Atlanta could muster in the matinee. His 28 home runs rank seventh in the majors to date, and he’s top-five in runs and top-20 in RBI. It has been yet another strong campaign for Olson. While he’s unlikely to match his career-high 54 homers from 2023, he’s on track to blow past the 29 he hit in each of the past two seasons.

Bleday receives his first day off since the start of July after launching his 18th home run during the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Cleveland. The 28-year-old has cooled off considerably following a scorching-hot return to the big leagues earlier this season, but he’s still managed to connect for five round-trippers in 22 games this month. It’ll be rookie Ivan Johnson getting the nod in left field on Wednesday evening in his place.

It was supposed to be Shota Imanaga taking the ball, but that’s no longer happening. It’s possible he’s dealing with an injury or the Cubs want to give him some extra rest. It seems likely they wanted to have him face a lefty-heavy Yankees lineup on Friday evening instead. Fantasy managers should check back in case there are any unexpected developments in the next few days.

It’ll be Willi Castro taking another turn at the hot corner with Karros grabbing a seat for the second consecutive contest after being scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with left biceps inflammation. The fact that he hasn’t required a trip to the injured list is an encouraging sign. He’s presumably day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Royals.