MLB Player News

Gore’s career 4.19 ERA went mostly unchanged last season, but he did seem to take a step forward with his 27.2% strikeout rate while being held back by one of the game’s worst defenses and, in particular, one of its worst catching situations. Things will get quite a bit better in Texas, which offers the additional perk of boasting one of the game’s toughest ballparks for right-handed hitters to homer in the last two years. If it holds up — and it may not, as Globe Life Field really has been all over the map since opening in 2020 — it’s a particularly good match for a flyball lefty in Gore. He’ll join Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi atop the Rangers rotation, with Jack Leiter as the heavy favorite for the fourth spot and likely Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker competing for the fifth spot. The Rangers will pay him $5.8 million this year, and he’ll also be under control for 2027 before becoming a free agent.

Fantasy managers should anticipate the possibility that Lugo misses a start or is pushed back a few days after he left yesterday’s game, where he was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Brandon Nimmo. He also mentioned that his left elbow is sore from falling. All and all, this is a positive update considering how scary the injury looked in the moment.

It’s cost him two days now. Sterlin Thompson is starting in left field against RHP Edward Cabrera and the Cubs in McCarthy’s place today.

The ironman sat out both games over the weekend with a minor thumb injury and will get a blow on Thursday after catching last night. It appears he’s still being handled cautiously. Carter Jensen is playing catcher and Lane Thomas has taken over in the 5-hole for Perez in a rare start against a right-hander in Rangers starter Kumar Rocker.

He had played four days in a row before sitting here, so this is probably just some load management for a player that we know is dealing with an injury. Nick Loftin is playing third base and batting eighth in Garcia’s stead.

Since being activated from the IL on June 1, Smith has started against righties and been a bench bat otherwise. It hasn’t gone well yet — he’s hitting .120/.281/.120 in his first 32 plate appearances. Gabriel Moreno is grabbing a DH game after catching last night in Smith’s place.

He had been working in the Rookie-level FCL over the past few weeks, so this qualifies as good news for Waldrep’s chances of getting back to the big leagues in short order. Waldrep had loose bodies removed from his elbow in spring training. He might be able to get back to the big leagues before the end of June if everything goes right.

Whitcomb homered in a spot start for Jeremy Peña on Wednesday, but heads back to Triple-A. It appears the Astros are set to activate someone else tomorrow.

He and Jonathan Pintaro swap places after Pintaro threw three innings last night. The 29-year-old has pitched well at both Triple-A and in the bigs this year. He holds a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings at Triple-A Syracuse, including six starts, so he figures to be a long reliever.

Pintaro threw the final three innings in a game the Mets were getting demolished in on Wednesday, giving up his first run of the season in the big leagues. His ERA is now 1.35 and he’s struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He’ll be back up when the Mets need a fresh arm.

Pederson left Wednesday’s game with hip discomfort, and he will not be in the lineup on Thursday. There’s no word yet on whether a trip to the injured list is a possibility.