MLB Player News

Clarke was also 3-for-16 with no extra-base hits for Team Canada in the WBC. Interestingly, Clarke has struck out just twice in his 24 plate appearances for the A’s, which seems like a good sign for someone who fanned 38% of the time in 47 games a rookie. However, he’s just pounding everything straight into the ground. Clarke’s superb defense will cause the A’s to be patient with him, but he could well be one of the league’s worst hitters. At some point, he’s going to need to show something offensively.

The gap between the big leagues and upper minors feels like its greater than ever before with Griffin serving as the latest prominent example. The 19-year-old prodigy is one of the most talented teenage prospects to reach the majors in nearly a decade, but he’s going through it a bit at the dish as he adjusts to facing big-league arms, batting .143 (3-for-21) with four RBI through seven contests. The off-the-charts talent is obvious, and he just signed the largest contract in Pirates history. He’s going to be a fantasy superstar someday, possibly even this season, but it might take some time to get there.

It would be an understatement to call Grissom’s last few seasons a colossal disappointment after he was the crown jewel of a trade that sent Chris Sale to Atlanta where he immediately won a Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, Grissom is already on his second organization after playing just 31 games in Boston over the last two years. The 25-year-old figures to split time with Adam Frazier and Oswald Peraza at second base, which extinguishes any sort of fantasy upside he might have in an everyday role. He’s at second base and batting sixth on Saturday against the Reds in his Los Angeles debut. He can be ignored in all fantasy leagues at this point.

Los Angeles has decided to pull the plug on the Candelario reclamation project after he hit .111 (2-for-18) with eight strikeouts in seven games this season. It’s a bit of a small sample, but the 32-year-old veteran was going to have to make the most of his limited chances if he wanted to stick around.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Scherzer is ready to take the ball and won’t have any restrictions from a workload standpoint following an abbreviated 36-pitch outing against the Dodgers earlier this week due to forearm tendinitis. It’s tough for fantasy managers to completely trust the 41-year-old veteran’s health at this advanced stage of his career, but it’s a tasty matchup, which makes him worth streaming, even in shallow leagues.

It’s become standard operating procedure for a hitter to take a seat following their return from a stint on the injured list. Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a walk on Friday after missing the first couple weeks of the season recovering from a knee sprain. Michael Conforto will patrol right field on Saturday afternoon.

Vargas will get a chance to reset mentally with an off day after hitting .174 (4-for-23) over his last seven games. It’ll be Tanner Murray getting a shot at the hot corner in his place.

Polanco has been playing through recurring Achilles tendinitis, so it’s a positive sign to see him back in the lineup at DH after Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters he could potentially require a trip to the injured list to put the issue to bed. The 32-year-old infielder is off to a frosty start in his Mets debut, hitting .200 (8-for-40) with one RBI through 10 games. It’s highly likely his recent on-field production is being greatly impacted by the lingering issue.

Conine suffered a hamstring tear while trying to make a diving play earlier this week and will be sidelined until at least late May or early June. The 28-year-old corner outfielder’s absence should be filled by Kyle Stowers (hamstring) once he wraps up his minor league rehab assignment. He was off to a strong start, hitting .273/.360/.591 with two homers, four RBI and two steals through 11 games. It’s a tough break after he suffered a significant shoulder injury last April that kept him on the shelf for five months.

Loutos winds up returning to Seattle as Triple-A relief depth after being jettisoned from the club’s 40-man roster earlier this month. The 27-year-old righty made 12 appearances between the Dodgers and Nationals last year.

McLain takes a seat after an ice-cold 14-game stretch to open the season where he’s batted .218 (12-for-55) with zero homers, three RBI and two steals. The 26-year-old was the talk of spring training when he blasted seven homers in 18 games and looked like he was on the verge of putting everything together. Emerging star rookie Sal Stewart is at second base and batting cleanup in his place with Spencer Steer bumped up to the second spot in the order.