MLB Player News

This is pretty aggressive. Pham, signed to a minor league deal on Opening Day, didn’t play this spring. His only minor league action consists of him going 2-for-12 in five games in A ball. And he was basically a zero WAR guy the last two years. No word yet on who is going down. Ronny Mauricio would seem to be logical choice, even if it leaves the Mets a little short-handed in the infield.

Mangum was a late scratch from the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader due to soreness in his right foot. It appears to have been just a minor issue though and he’s right back in center field and batting atop the Pirates’ lineup on Friday evening against Cubs’ left-hander Matthew Boyd.

The Pirates needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to make room for Shawn Ross on Friday and unfortunately Urquidy drew the short straw this time around. The 31-year-old hurler has made five appearances with the Pirates this season, posting an uninspiring 8.53 ERA, 2.68 WHIP and a 6/2 K/BB ratio over 6 1/3 innings of work. Even with his struggles this season, there’s a chance that he could generate interest on waivers.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 26-year-old backstop, who earns an opportunity with Rafael Flores Jr. (concussion) landing on the injured list on Friday. Ross was hitting just .181/.325/.432 with 10 homers and 25 RBI in 193 plate appearances at the minor league level this season. He can be ignored for fantasy purposes.

No word yet from the Pirates on how long Flores will be shelved for, but he’ll need to pass through the concussion protocol before he’s cleared to return. Shawn Ross was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move to provide depth behind the plate for the Bucs.

It’s the fourth consecutive game that Crawford has missed due to soreness in his left wrist. If it lingers much longer into the weekend, the M’s may be forced to make a move rather than continuing to play short-handed. Weston Wilson will man third base in his absence and will bat eighth for the M’s against Rangers’ left-hander MacKenzie Gore.

Kwan will get a breather with tough left-hander Shane McClanahan on the hill for the Rays. David Fry will mat left field in his place and will bat fifth on Friday night at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay.

The 35-year-old slugger will get a breather with left-hander Sean Manaea toeing the slab for the Mets on Friday evening. Tommy Edman will man the hot corner in his absence and will bat third for the Dodgers on Friday evening in New York.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 23-year-old outfielder. Tim Tawa will draw a rare start in center field in his place and will bat ninth against Nationals’ left-hander Carson Palmquist on Friday evening in Washington D.C.

Shaw’s hand sprain is getting better, but he’s still having some issue while swinging a bat. Fortunately, the Cubs haven’t lost anything while giving his at-bats to Pedro Ramírez and Michael Conforto.

That doesn’t bode well for Meyer returning to make a meaningful contribution down the stretch. With two weeks of no throwing and about five weeks of buildup, the best-case scenario is probably him making three starts before the end of the regular season. He could potentially make it back earlier as a reliever, if the Marlins wanted to go that route.