MLB Player News

Polanco is dealing with tendinitis in his Achilles, but he’ll hit cleanup as the designated hitter for the middle game against the Giants on Saturday. Luis Robert will get Saturday off even with Juan Soto (hamstring) not available.

Bryan Baker has seemingly emerged as Tampa Bay’s preferred ninth-inning option but it would make sense for Uceta to work his way into the mix once he’s back. The 28-year-old high-leverage reliever has been on the shelf since the end of spring training working his way back from a shoulder impingement that delayed his ramp-up process during camp. He’ll require a handful of rehab outings before he’s ready to make his season debut.

Carpenter will miss his second straight contest as he deals with a stomach bug. It’ll be Zach McKinstry taking over in right field with Colt Keith at DH and occupying the leadoff spot.

It’s a devastating development for the Cubs, and fantasy managers, after Horton blossomed into an upper-echelon fantasy contributor during the second half of last season and looked like a rotation mainstay for years to come. The 24-year-old former top pitching prospect hit the injured list over the weekend with a forearm strain after leaving his second start of the season after just 17 pitches. It’s unclear whether he’ll undergo a full Tommy John reconstruction or a less invasive internal brace procedure, which would expedite his return to the majors. It’ll be Colin Rea and Javier Assad tasked with picking up the slack in Chicago’s rotation moving forward.

Murphy didn’t provide any specifics beside that Turang has been dealing with either a foot or ankle issue for the past week, which is one reason why he’s not in there for Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox. It’s unclear whether his availability is in question moving forward. There should be some clarity on his status soon.

Rome added that Astros manager Joe Espada may provide additional clarity on Brown’s next steps when he addresses the media. It’s hardly an encouraging update after Brown was placed on the injured list over the weekend with a shoulder strain. The -year-old fantasy ace allowed one run with a 17/6 K/BB ratio over 10 2/3 innings in two starts to open the season. The best-case scenario would involve him beginning a throwing program in a couple of weeks without setbacks, but fantasy managers should still anticipate an extended absence.

Scherzer told reporters he’s feeling good after exiting Monday’s start against the Dodgers with forearm tendinitis after just two innings. The 41-year-old veteran added that he’ll throw a bullpen later this week and expects to make his next start. The fact that he’s dealing with a lingering physical issue makes it challenging for fantasy managers to trust him, especially since he’s likely going to have some workload limitations after an abbreviated outing where he threw only 36 pitches.

Rushing takes a seat after making two consecutive starts, including a 4-for-4, two-homer explosion during Monday’s rout of the Blue Jays in Toronto. It will be a constant struggle for the 25-year-old former top prospect to carve out regular playing time with Will Smith firmly entrenched as one of the top backstops in baseball and Shohei Ohtani occupying the DH role. He’s just starting to hit his stride at the dish, which makes him interesting in two-catcher formats.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters it “didn’t go well” when Casas attempted to resume swinging a bat this week. The 26-year-old first baseman, who is working his way back from last year’s serious knee injury, has been dealing with an intercostal issue recently. There should be a clearer picture regarding his status at some point in the coming days. He’s pretty far off from helping the Red Sox at this point.

It’s not a worst-case scenario after Kirk underwent a procedure to address a fracture in his left thumb that involved inserting a screw, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider. The 27-year-old backstop will be on the shelf until at least mid-May. There should be an exact timetable once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities and head out on a rehab assignment. It’ll be Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela handling the catching duties in his absence.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Ponce will be out for at least six months, which effectively ends his season. The 31-year-old suffered an ACL sprain in his right knee during his season debut against the Rockies last week. It was his first start in the big leagues since 2021. The 31-year-old’s extended absence creates even more issues for Toronto’s rotation, which has been decimated by injuries this season.