MLB Player News

Jax, who opened the season roughly six weeks ago as a potential closing option, is being stretched out as a start with the aim of joining Tampa Bay’s rotation. The 31-year-old’s departure from the bullpen mix is a boost to his fantasy value from a volume standpoint, but fantasy managers should probably employ a wait-and-see approach before trusting him in shallow mixed leagues. It’s a nice spot right out of the gate since the Giants have been one of the weakest lineups in the game this season.

No real surprise here with Andujar battling a hamstring issue that surfaced over the weekend. It’ll be Will Wagner taking over at DH in his absence.

Schanuel got the night off during Monday’s series opener with Trey Mancini returning to the big leagues for the first time since 2023. The 24-year-old first baseman has been playing through ankle tendinitis that he’ll presumably have to manage moving forward.

Jake Mangum takes over in center field. Presumably, the decision to hold Cruz out of the lineup is directly related to a hand laceration that he suffered on a slide into home plate last weekend against Atlanta. There should be an additional update on his status following Tuesday’s showdown, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the moment.

Harris is back patrolling center field and hitting second after being held out of Atlanta’s lineup for a pair of games against the Pirates over the weekend due to a lingering back issue. The 25-year-old came off the bench to deliver a bases-clearing double during Sunday’s comeback victory.

Ragans was shut down from throwing after he didn’t bounce back from a physical standpoint following a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha back on May 24. The 28-year-old strikeout machine has been working his way back from an elbow impingement that put him on the shelf back on May 8. He remains without a definitive return timeline and is at least a few weeks from making it back to Kansas City.

Kochanowicz is likely to miss a significant portion of next season given the timing of the procedure, which typically carries a 12-18 month return timeline. The 25-year-old starter hit the injured list with elbow inflammation over the weekend. It’s a definite hit to Los Angeles’ rotation depth, but he was a non-factor for fantasy purposes this season with a bloated 6.19 ERA across 64 innings over 13 starts.

Davila gets the call to replace an injured Cooper Criswell (shoulder) in Seattle’s bullpen ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Orioles. The 27-year-old rookie has reeled off 7 1/3 scoreless frames at the highest level this season.

Criswell has been a workhorse for the Mariners this season, matching a career high with 26 appearances so far. He’s posted a solid 3.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 23/8 K/BB ratio across 30 2/3 innings during that span. Shoulder injuries tend to lead to lengthy absences so there’s a strong possibility he’ll be out through next month’s All-Star break.

Roberts gets the call to rejoin Chicago’s bullpen with veteran starter Jameson Taillon hitting the injured list with a hamstring strain. The 28-year-old has posted a 1.96 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 14/7 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings this season.

No surprise here after Taillon was removed from Sunday’s start against the Giants with a left hamstring strain. No word yet on the severity, which will determine how much time he misses. The 34-year-old veteran is likely to miss a couple weeks, even if imaging reveals a low-grade strain.