MLB Player News

Stammen said that Machado didn’t look great coming out of the batter’s box on his last at-bat and also had a couple of slides at second base that “didn’t feel great on his lower half.” The Padres will talk to Machado on Tuesday and see how he’s feeling before deciding if he needs an off day or not, but Stammen said that Machado is “fine.”

It’s the highest Ewing has hit for New York since being called up back on May 12. The 21-year-old speedster leapfrogs veteran second baseman Marcus Semien after hitting .281/.425/.438 with one homer and two steals in 11 games to open his career.

Pintaro, who made one relief appearance for the Mets last year, earns another look after posting a solid 2.81 ERA and 32/12 K/BB ratio across 25 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse this season. He’ll operate in low-leverage spots for the Mets.

All signs point to Jonah Tong sticking around for another turn in New York’s rotation after tossing three scoreless frames in his season debut on Friday night. Thornton heads back to the minors after allowing four runs over 4 1/3 innings against the Nationals in his big-league debut earlier this week. The unheralded 24-year-old control artist figures to get another chance when injuries or ineffectiveness create an opportunity later this season.

Okamoto gets a breather after making five consecutive starts at the hot corner. It’ll be Ernie Clement taking over with Lenyn Sosa at second base. The 29-year-old could use a break since he’s been mired in a slump for a couple weeks, hitting .161 (9-for-56) with one homer and 24 strikeouts over his last 15 games.

It continues to be a completely bizarre season for Yoshida as he’s basically been eclipsed by unheralded reserve Mickey Gasper and utilityman Andruw Monasterio for at-bats against right-handed pitching since Roman Anthony hit the injured list earlier this month. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats until that equation changes.

Thomas remains on the bench for the third consecutive game due to an ongoing minor hamstring issue. The 30-year-old came off the bench during Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox, so it appears he’s healthy enough to play, if needed. The Royals are probably going to stay away from him as much as possible this weekend to give him extra time off to rest and recover.

Cruz takes a seat with Toronto lefty Patrick Corbin toeing the rubber. It’ll be intriguing prospect Jhostynxon Garcia getting a chance in center field with Nick Gonzales moving up to the leadoff spot. Cruz is hitting .303 (20-for-66) with four homers against lefties this season. However, he’s been struggling a bit of late, hitting just .242 (15-for-62) with one homer and 26 strikeouts over his last 15 games.

Crow-Armstrong finds himself back atop Chicago’s lineup with manager Craig Counsell shaking things up. The 24-year-old power/speed combo fantasy threat had been scuffling at the dish this month prior to slugging a two-run homer and walking twice during Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field. Nico Hoerner moves to the cleanup spot with Alex Bregman and Michael Bush hitting behind Crow-Armstrong. It’s a significant development that fantasy managers should monitor moving forward.

Happ takes a seat in favor of Michael Conforto against Astros starter Kai-Wei Teng. The 31-year-old hitting .107 (3-for-28) over his last seven games and slashing .188/.349/.377 with three homers and 34 strikeouts in 20 games since May 1. He’ll get a brief mental reset as the Cubs attempt to get him back on track.

Alcántara is the type of high-variance power hitter who’s easy to dream on developing into an impactful fantasy contributor someday. He’s made a concerted effort to lift and pull the ball this season, resulting in an International League–leading 15 home runs in 41 games. That approach has also come with a hefty 33.3 percent strikeout rate. Alcántara’s contact profile is concerning, but his over-the-fence power is real. The 23-year-old top prospect, who has gotten into 13 games for Chicago over the last two years, is the type of streaky power hitter that is both exhilarating and frustrating to roster in fantasy leagues. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.