MLB Player News

Rocker had yet another uneven start here. He was consistently behind the eight ball, throwing a first pitch strike to only nine of the 18 hitters he faced and then barely getting the Cubs to swing at anything out of the strike zone. He now has a 5.01 ERA and a poor 27:13 strikeout to walk ratio through 32 1/3 innings on the season. Next up, he’s scheduled to face the Diamondbacks at home.

Crow is working his way back from a flexor strain that put him on the shelf back in early June. The 25-year-old rookie should be an option for the Brewers again after the All-Star break once he gets a couple tune-up outings under his belt.

It’s merely a procedural move since Springer has exhausted the number of days he can spend on the paternity list. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters the 36-year-old veteran will spend a few additional days away from the club on paternity leave before returning to Toronto but could return for Monday’s series opener against the Giants.

Wade returns to Houston’s corner outfield mix following a nearly one-month absence recovering from a right hamstring strain. The 32-year-old veteran was 4-for-12 with one round-tripper in four games with the Astros before getting hurt. He’ll play regularly against right-handed starters moving forward.

Dezenzo earns another look with the Astros after hitting .280 (23-for-82) with two homers and eight steals in 23 games at the Triple-A level since early June. He’s likely to be relegated to a platoon role and won’t play enough to have any realistic fantasy appeal.

Meyers has basically been usurped by Taylor Trammell as Houston’s primary center fielder over the last few weeks. The 30-year-old has been shipped to the minors after hitting just .206/.264/.316 with three homers and one steal across 148 plate appearances in 52 games. He’s not special enough as a defender to justify being a complete non-factor at the plate.

Loperfido returns to the minors after hitting just .136 (6-for-44 with one homer in 19 games since returning from the injured list back on June 9. The 27-year-old former prospect projects as a strong-side platoon option at this stage of his development, but he simply hasn’t hit enough to make that happen this season.

Donovan has been on the shelf with a groin strain since mid-May. He figures to spend most of his time at second base and the hot corner once he’s back with the Mariners.

Banks fortifies Philadelphia’s bullpen with a fresh arm for the rest of their series against the Royals. The 34-year-old lefty has posted an inflated 5.86 ERA across 27 2/3 innings in the big leagues this season.

Rangel heads back to the minors after tossing four shutout frames in a spot start against the Pirates earlier this week. The 28-year-old has compiled a serviceable 3.38 ERA across 16 innings at the highest level this season.

It sounds like the Nationals are going to take a chance that the appeal on Cavalli’s seven-game suspension for his actions against the Red Sox earlier this week won’t be heard until after the holiday weekend, which is why he’s being moved up to take the ball against the Pirates. They’re ostensibly going to have Cavalli take the ball on regular rest and skip Miles Mikolas, who is also facing a suspension. There’s always the possibility that the league decides to jump in at the last minute, but it appears that Cavalli is going to start later this weekend. He struck out a career-high 13 and allowed one run over seven innings against Boston earlier this week.