MLB Player News

With just two days left before his deadline to sign with a major league team, there have been very little in the way of good rumors involving Murakami, which many have taken as a sign that MLB teams just aren’t very high on him. However, it’s also true that MLB teams are simply much better at keeping these things out of the news now than they were 10-15 years ago, and posted players almost always seem to take it to the very end. We’re not sure whether Murakami will thrive in MLB, but it’s certainly worth a roll of the dice for a White Sox team in need of firepower and one with few other significant financial commitments. The Pirates and Marlins would also fit that description, and it’s still quite possible some big-budget teams are involved. The Angels are another club that has been whispered about here.

The move frees up a spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster following the acquisition of former prospect Luis Matos from the Giants. The 27-year-old lefty holds a respectable 5.12 ERA — 5.05 xERA — 1.71 WHIP and 37/24 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings in the majors since 2023. There should be some interest on waivers in the coming days.

Raleigh will get a chance to reset mentally, instead of facing Yankees southpaw Ryan Weathers, after going an ice-cold 2-for-15 with one RBI and 10 strikeouts during a four-game series against the Guardians to open the regular season. There are obviously zero concerns fantasy-wise when it comes to the 29-year-old slugging backstop on the heels of a 60-homer campaign where he rewrote the offensive record book for catchers. It’s only a matter of time before he heats up. It’ll be Mitch Garver handling the catching duties on Monday night in his place.

Murakami finds himself in the prime spot on Chicago manager Will Venable’s lineup card for the second consecutive game. The 26-year-old offseason acquisition has homered in three straight games to begin his major-league career. It’s an extremely small sample size, but the over-the-fence pop is very real. The biggest question is going to be how Murakami adjusts once the league starts to get a book on him. For now, he looks like a viable mixed-league option in all fantasy formats, even with the strikeout concerns.

Hamilton collected three stolen bases in a pair of games during Milwaukee’s season-opening series against the White Sox. He gets the nod at shortstop with Joey Ortiz getting the night off in this one. The 28-year-old utility infielder stole 55 bases in 189 games for the Red Sox over the past two seasons and could be a sneaky steals source in deeper mixed leagues, especially if the Brewers are going to hand him a semi-regular role.

Fraley remains sidelined for the second straight contest after being scratched from Sunday’s lineup with right shoulder soreness. The 30-year-old platoon outfielder will likely get a few additional days off to put the issue to bed. He’s presumably day-to-day for now. It’ll be Ryan Vilade taking over in right field on Monday night to face Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison.

Robert takes a seat with rookie sensation Carson Benge shifting over to patrol center field and Brett Baty making his first career start in right field. The 28-year-old’s Mets debut has gone swimmingly as he’s hitting .455 (5-for-11) with one homer and five RBI through three games. The home run was a walk-off blast in the 11th inning of Sunday’s marathon extra-inning win over the Pirates.

Berríos will progress to facing hitters in a live batting practice session later this week. The 31-year-old veteran starter hit the injured list at the end of spring training with a stress fracture in his elbow. He’ll need a few rehab starts to rebuild his pitch count and stamina, but could return to Toronto’s rotation mix by late April or early May.

It’s a significant step for Bieber as he continues to work his way back from offseason forearm fatigue that led to a season-opening stint on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The 30-year-old former fantasy ace was a revelation during last year’s postseason and could make a significant fantasy impact this season, but only if he’s healthy. There should be a clearer return timetabe for Bieber once he progresses to facing hitters and is ultimately cleared to head out on a minor league rehab assignment.

Yesavage is aiming for roughly 45 pitches as he continues to progress towards his season debut after being slowed by shoulder inflammation during spring training. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect will require at least a brief minor league tune-up before he rejoins Toronto’s injury-marred rotation, which looked outstanding during their season-opening series against the Athletics. Yesavage offers sky-high strikeout upside and projects as one of the most impactful young arms in the game from a fantasy perspective.

Peña takes a seat for the third time in five games to open the regular season as Houston continues to closely manage his ramp-up after missing the final few weeks of spring training with a fractured finger. It’s a tough situation for fantasy managers but the positive is that he’s healthy and able to contribute at all. It’ll be Carlos Correa back at shortstop and Isaac Paredes at the hot corner for Monday’s series opener at Daikin Park.