MLB Player News

McDougal is the 86th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America, and a consensus Top 10 prospect in the White Sox’s system. He has a 3.13 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 26/13 K/BB ratio in 23 innings at Triple-A this season. The White Sox will hope that the forearm tightness is not a precursor to a more significant injury.

McLain’s calf injury helps the Reds activate Ke’Bryan Hayes. McLain was day-to-day with the calf as of last night. McLain has hit a disappointing .190/.293/.328 in 309 plate appearances this year, though he has provided 11 stolen bases and eight homers along the way. Managers in deeper leagues can probably cut bait at this point if they have better options on the wire.

Hayes will likely be in the lineup tonight with Matt McLain on his way to the injured list. Fantasy leaguers should probably maintain a wait-and-see approach with Hayes after his abysmal early-season struggles. There’s a non-zero chance we see some passable fantasy production from Hayes, as we have in flashes over the years. He’s hard to count on at this point.

Smith has been sidelined since June 11 with a neck injury, and while he’s begun swinging, it sounds like the Dodgers are going to handle this situation very carefully. Dalton Rushing should continue to be Los Angeles’ main catcher and be a viable starter in 12-team leagues while Smith is sidelined. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya believes the Dodgers view this as “an extended development period” for Rushing.

Waldrep has allowed 10 runs on 13 hits in 10 2/3 innings since coming back from injury. He clearly needs a bit more time to work off the rust in the minor leagues. JR Ritchie will now start on Sunday against the Cardinals, but he also remains off the fantasy radar for now.

Kinley will head back to his role in middle relief. He remains off fantasy radars.

Gonzalez was slashing .244/.323/.360 in his first 97 MLB plate appearances with two home runs, 17 RBI, and a 22/8 K/BB ratio. He would get another chance if there was an injury in Chicago, but the team will need to figure out how to open up a spot for him in 2027.

This was reported yesterday and is now official. Murakami will return to a .240/.378/.560 slash line with 20 home runs and a 32.5 percent strikeout rate in 57 games. The White Sox can certainly use his power back in the lineup.

No word yet on the type of contract, but we’d assume it’s a major league deal. Wilson has become a full-time reliever but has a 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings this season for the Phillies and Cubs. Of course, he pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the Brewers back on June 28th, so they must have seen something they liked then.

It makes sense since the Marlins are in the midst of a 26-8 stretch that has put them right back into the thick of the playoff race. In his last seven starts, Alcantara has a 2.98 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 20.6 percent strikeout rate. He’s clearly been a great starter for the Marlins and, even with his limited strikeout rate, has been a useful pitcher in fantasy leagues as well. It seems like his fantasy value going forward won’t be impacted by a new team.

King was the Nationals’ first-round pick in 2024 and began the season with a blistering start in Double-A, hitting .336/.427/.562 with five homers and five steals in 35 games. He was then promoted to Triple-A, where he has hit .275/.338/.443 with five home runs and four steals in 33 games. King played some second base this year but is primarily playing shortstop, which will create some questions about how the team can make room for him if they want him in the lineup in 2027. For now, the team doesn’t believe his oblique injury is serious, and they hope it will only keep him out for a few weeks.