MLB Player News

Valdez is the clear headliner on the heels of a transcendent Arizona Fall League campaign where he batted .368/.513/.842 with eight round-trippers in 19 games. The 21-year-old slugger’s emergence gives the Pirates another potential high-impact bat to pair with blue-chip prospects Konnor Griffin and Edward Florentino, who will enter next season among the top-ranked talents in baseball. He’s officially protected from selection in next month’s Rule 5 Draft and should enter next spring as one of the more exciting talents for fantasy managers to monitor in the upper minors.

Puk was shut down from throwing with a capsular strain in his left shoulder last month and will get an additional medical opinion before the club determines his next steps. The 31-year-old lefty was on the precipice of making it back from elbow surgery before suffering the setback. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point in the coming days.

Lawlar hit the injured list with a right hamstring strain back on June 20. The 24-year-old former top prospect has shown some encouraging signs at the plate this season, but he’s been snake-bitten by injuries, which have limited him to just 12 games. He hasn’t been cleared to resume running at full speed, so he’ll need to continue building up that progression before he’s cleared to return.

Nelson has been shut down since hitting the injured list with a right elbow strain back on June 19. The 28-year-old will be racing the clock to make it back this season since he’ll need a couple weeks to build up his arm strength before he’s cleared for a rehab assignment. However, it’s theoretically possible he’ll make it back before the end of the year.

Hamilton hit the injured list with a mild left hamstring strain just prior to the All-Star break. He should make it back to Milwaukee in a reserve role before the end of the month.

Holmes was originally slated to make a minor league rehab start for High-A Brooklyn, but that has been scrapped due to the high possibility of rain in the forecast. The 33-year-old impending free agent has drawn some interest as a potential trade candidate, unless the Mets opt to extend him, while working his way back from a fractured fibula that put him on the shelf back in mid-May.

It remains to be seen whether Milwaukee’s plans will change with Brandon Woodruff set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, but it appears that McCullers will operate out of the bullpen once he’s activated from the injured list. The 32-year-old veteran was acquired from the Astros in a trade earlier this week.

Junis returns to fortify Texas’ high-leverage mix following a two-week stint on the injured list with a hip impingement. The 33-year-old has served as an invaluable bridge to breakout closer Jacob Latz this season with a sparkling 2.80 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 27/6 K/BB ratio across 35 1/3 innings in his Rangers debut.

Corniell provides the Rangers with a fresh arm heading into the final two games of a series against Atlanta. The 23-year-old allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings during his lone outing against the Marlins back on June 23.

Collyer has posted a respectable 5.09 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 22/19 K/BB ratio across 23 low-leverage innings for the Rangers this season. He’ll be an up-and-down option for the club over the final two months.

Teodo has looked phenomenal of late on the doorstep of the majors, but he got hit hard in his first taste of the big leagues on Friday night, allowing two runs over 1 2/3 innings of work against Atlanta. The hard-throwing 25-year-old figures to return at some point in the second half and continues to have to look of a future high-leverage arm. Teodo’s time is coming, but he remains a work in progress at the moment.