MLB Player News

Langeliers launches two homers on his wife’s birthday on Saturday before she gave birth to their first child on Sunday morning. The 28-year-old slugging backstop is going to take some time away from the club to be with his family for the next couple days while Austin Wynns and newly acquired Jonah Heim handle the catching duties.

Holmes shores up Chicago’s starting rotation depth issues, joining veteran Kevin Gausman as the club’s big-time trade deadline moves. The 33-year-old impending free agent is on the cusp of returning to the majors after fracturing his fibula back in mid-May. He’s looked sharp in a pair of recent minor league rehab starts and should be ready to make his Chicago debut later this week.

Taylor provides Chicago with a reliable lefty-mashing backup outfielder heading into the home stretch. He’s been sizzling hot ever since returning from the injured list back in late June, hitting .354 with seven homers in 24 games.

Rojas has been one of the better prospects in Chicago’s system for the last few years, which makes him an interesting pickup for the Mets as they jettisoned a pair of impending free agents. The 21-year-old middle infielder has batted .270/.339/.461 with 15 homers and 17 steals over 91 games in Double-A this season.

Aaron Gleeman reports that the Jays are covering $3.77 million of the approximately $14.2 million that Hoffman is owed through the end of next year. The 33-year-old Hoffman figures to go back to closing in Minnesota after losing his job in Toronto to ex-Twin Louis Varland. He has a 3.94 ERA this season, but that comes with a 75/18 K/BB and only four homers allowed in 48 innings. He’s allowed three earned runs in 22 1/3 innings since the beginning of June. The acquisition of Hoffman probably makes Yoendrys Gómez droppable in mixed leagues.

Hill’s stock has fallen some this year, as he’s walked 37 in 45 innings over his 16 starts in High-A, but he’s only 20 and he comes with a whole lot of upside if he harnesses his ability. He’s struck out 36 percent of the batters he faced with his mid-90s fastball, slider and curve.

Pena is another true contact hitter for an organization that craves them; he’s batting .300/.373/.362 with just 27 strikeouts in 384 plate appearances in the low minors this year. Unfortunately, there’s no power on the way, and he also doesn’t offer much defensive value as a second baseman or corner outfielder.

Klein, 24, made his major league debut earlier this season, allowing two runs and walking four in 4 1/3 innings over three appearances for the Twins. He can start or relieve, and he misses bats at a pretty good clip. He’ll probably be up and down several times as a swingman-type over the next couple of years.

Little loses his spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster with Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor arriving at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old made one relief appearance for the Cubs earlier this season.

Yates heads to Pittsburgh as a reliable late-inning option as they attempt to make a late-season playoff push. The 39-year-old veteran has notched three saves this season along with a respectable 3.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 36/12 K/BB ratio across 27 1/3 innings of work.

Robinson has posted a pedestrian 4.55 ERA and 78/34 K/BB ratio across 83 innings this season, most of them at Double-A Harrisburg. The 23-year-old was acquired from the Athletics in the Alika Williams trade back in mid-May.