MLB Player News

With Bryan Baker having thrown on back-to-back days, the Rays turned to Cole Sulser to protect a one-run lead on Tuesday, and he did without allowing a baserunner to pick up his second save of the season. What’s interesting here is that Garrett Cleavinger hadn’t thrown since Saturday, and the Blue Jays started the inning with a left-handed hitter and a switch-hitter. Perhaps they’re not ready for Cleavinger to step back into late-inning situations so soon after returning from the IL, or maybe Sulser has simply leapfrogged him in the peaking order, but the 36-year-old Sulser appears to be next in line behind Baker for saves.

Seager receives some extra time off after a home-plate collision during Thursday’s game against Kansas City left him with rib and jaw soreness. He had been heating up, hitting safely in four of his last five games with two homers since returning from a back issue that sidelined him for a couple of weeks last month. It’ll be defensive specialist Nicky Lopez drawing another start at shortstop in his absence.

Freeman gets the call to replace an injured Evan Carter (oblique) on the Rangers’ active roster. The 25-year-old projects as a versatile bench option in the majors. He’s .233 (27-for-116) with three homers and one steal in 37 games at the highest level over the past two seasons.

No word on the severity of the strain, which will determine how much time Carter misses. The 23-year-old suffered the injury while making a phenomenal diving catch in shallow center field during Friday’s series opener against the Red Sox. There should be a definitive return timetable at some point later this weekend.

Bidois returns to the big leagues with fellow rookie Wilber Dotel hitting the injured list with a lat strain. The 24-year-old has posted a respectable 4.05 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 16/11 K/BB ratio across 13 1/3 innings for the Pirates this season.

It’s a tough development for Dotel, who has shown flashes of significant upside during his rookie campaign, as lat strain-related absences are typically measured in months, not weeks. The 23-year-old has posted an encouraging 5.89 ERA (3.28 xERA), 1.36 WHIP and a 19/9 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed optimism that Varsho will be ready to get back to on-field work at some point in the next few days after receiving a cortisone injection to address a lingering left wrist issue. The 29-year-old center fielder was finally placed on the injured list prior to Friday’s game against the Yankees.

Wrobleski appears ready to take the ball on normal rest after leaving Thursday’s start against the Pirates with a hamstring contusion. The 25-year-old southpaw appears to have avoided serious injury. He’s compiled a respectable 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 45/16 K/BB ratio across 73 1/3 innings this season.

Lee returns to Detroit’s bench mix after hitting .205 (17-for-83) with two homers and nine RBI in 32 games for Detroit during his first stint in the majors earlier this season.

Flaherty has been diagnosed with a strain involving the tendons on the outside of the left lower leg and ankle. It’s unclear how much time he’s going to miss given the nature of the injury. The 30-year-old made an early exit from Friday’s start against the Guardians. No word yet regarding how the Tigers will fill his rotation spot, but it figures to involve Justin Verlander’s return from the injured list.

It’s become routine for clubs to hold a player out following their return from a lengthy stint on the injured list, which applies to Lawlar in this case. The 23-year-old former top prospect made an immediate impact in his return to Arizona’s lineup, collecting a pair of hits and two RBI during Friday’s win over Cincinnati. The on-field results haven’t been there for fantasy managers to completely trust Lawlar yet, but he’s certainly talented enough to make a significant impact, if everything comes together for him. He was off to a strong start before suffering a fractured wrist back in early April.