MLB Player News

Rodríguez is the notable name here for fantasy managers, especially in dynasty formats after slashing .283/.336/.450 with 19 homers and 15 steals across 135 games between two levels to finish last year at Triple-A. The 21-year-old will require some additional seasoning on the doorstep of the majors but he’s a power/speed combo talent worth watching throughout the season. Arroyo is one of Cincinnati’s top prospects entering the year after batting .284/.345/.371 with three homers and 12 steals in 120 games last season for Double-A Chattanooga.

Frelick is expected to be ready to return at some point in early-to-mid August. Milwaukee top prospect Luis Lara will continue playing regularly in his absence for the next couple weeks. Frelick hit the injured list with a right shoulder strain that had been bothering him for a while back on July 18.

Harrison is aiming for roughly 75 pitches in his first rehab outing after hitting the injured list with forearm tightness prior to the All-Star break. The 24-year-old southpaw delivered top-20 fantasy value at the position during a breakthrough first half where he posted a stellar 3.01 ERA and 101/20 K/BB ratio across 83 2/3 innings. The hope is that he’ll be ready to return to Milwaukee’s rotation in early August.

Reinforcements are on the way. Seager is likely to make it back to Texas’ lineup rather quickly after missing the last couple weeks with lower back inflammation. The 32-year-old shortstop will provide the Rangers with a much-needed boost in the middle of the lineup after taking over first place in the AL West from the Mariners earlier this week.

Refsnyder returns to a lefty-mashing platoon role with Seattle following a one-month absence due to right knee inflammation.

Kennedy has been booted from Seattle’s roster with Rob Refsnyder back from the injured list after going 1-for-10 at the dish in a handful of games.

Toronto is making more of an effort to manage Okamoto’s workload after he played 93 games before the All-Star break. It’ll be Ernie Clement moving over to the hot corner in his place on Wednesday evening.

No word yet on the reason for the move. It’ll be veteran utility specialist Willi Castro taking over at the hot corner in his absence. There should be an update on his status after the contest, especially if he’s dealing with a physical issue.

Schmitt is slated to undergo an MRI after tweaking his left knee during Monday’s series opener at Oracle Park. It certainly looks like an injured list situation where he’ll miss significant time, but that hasn’t been made official yet. There should be a definitive update on Schmitt’s status at some point this week.

Lee is back patrolling right field and hitting fifth following a two-game absence due to elbow soreness after being hit by a pitch over the weekend. The 27-year-old has delivered a strong .302 batting average with six homers and six steals through 96 games this season.

It’s always challenging to forecast catching prospects and Irish looks like he’s going to be another tough evaluation for dynasty managers, especially since he’s already moved off the position. The 22-year-old was selected 19th overall in last year’s draft after a standout collegiate career at Auburn and hit .286/.388/.528 with 16 homers and 20 steals in 343 plate appearances for High-A Frederick prior to the injury. There’s enough power upside to envision Irish making a real fantasy impact in the next couple seasons. The fact that he can chip in a handful of thefts is also a nice bonus.