MLB Player News

The 29-year-old is a .238/.287/.342 hitter with 15 homers and a 21.3 percent strikeout rate in 1,032 MLB plate appearances, but he can play a few positions around the infield and has been a solid minor league hitter over his career. He could provide infield depth at a few spots if he wins a minor league job.

José Altuve is getting a day off today, and Carlos Correa is out with an ankle injury, so Matthews will take the top spot in the order. It’s a strong vote of confidence for the former top prospect, who is 9- for-47 over his last two weeks with two home runs and one steal. Matthews is unlikely to sport a high batting average, but he does have intriguing power and speed if he continues to play regularly in Houston.

David Hamilton will start at third base, with Joey Ortiz back in the lineup at shortstop. Despite playing regularly, Rengifo has struggled this season with the Brewers, and both he and Ortiz remain off fantasy radars.

It’s a standard off day for the catcher with a day game after a night game. Dalton Rushing will catch for the Dodgers and hit seventh. After a torrid start to the season, Rushing is just five for his last 24 with no home runs in the last two weeks.

The home run was his second of the season, but came off Carlos Rodon (elbow), who was rehabbing for the Yankees. After a slow start to the season, Campbell is now hitting .291 with a .397 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, and .795 OPS in 28 games at Triple-A. The Red Sox have no space for him in the big league outfield right now, but it’s nice to see the 23-year-old bouncing back after a rough season last year.

The 26-year-old also struck out seven and didn’t issue a walk. We have no velocity readings from this game, and he’s obviously pitching against competition that’s well below MLB-caliber. Still, it’s nice to see him complete five innings without walking anyone. He should move up to an affiliate for his next rehab outing.

Joyce sat between 98 and 101 mph on his four-seam fastball in this one; however, he also threw just seven of his 15 pitches for strikes. He still has a few more rehab appearances to go before he joins the Angels’ bullpen, but it’s nice to see the velocity is already back to where we’d like it to be.

Bogaerts put the Padres on the board with a solo homer off Logan Webb in the second inning. He later plated a second run on a groundout in the fourth, drew a walk in the fifth, and ended his day with a single in the ninth. The 33-year-old shortstop is hitting .270/.352/.429 with six homers, 16 runs scored, 20 RBI, and four steals across 142 plate appearances.

After going hitless in his debut on Monday, Tuesday was a day of firsts for Rodriguez. A base hit in the second inning drove in a run for his first career hit and RBI. He later took Jeremiah Estrada deep for a solo homer in the seventh inning. He’s now made back-to-back starts at catcher ahead of Patrick Bailey and could take over primary duties if he can produce at the dish.

Buehler served up a two-run homer to Casey Schmitt in the first inning. The Giants brought two more runs in to score in the second on three straight hits and a groundout. Buehler settled in for three more scoreless innings, leaving with two runners on and one out in the sixth at 82 pitches. He struck out five. The 31-year-old right-hander will take a 5.64 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and a 29/12 K/BB ratio across 30 1/3 innings in a start against the Cardinals in San Diego on Sunday.

Webb tossed a scoreless first inning, then surrendered a solo homer to Xander Bogaerts in the second. The wheels fell off for Webb in the fourth as he surrendered five runs to the Padres on five hits and a hit batter. Webb would not return for the fifth, ending his day at 62 pitches. After the game, manager Tony Vitello said Webb was dealing with some knee soreness, but noted it wasn’t too serious, adding, “Nothing to freak out about.” Still, it could be something to monitor. The 29-year-old right-hander has struggled so far this season, posting a 5.06 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 42/15 K/BB ratio across 48 innings. He’s scheduled for a start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles next Monday.