MLB Player News

An Iván Herrera homer was the only damage. Ashcraft averaged 97.4 mph with his fastball today and he really did it throughout; he averaged exactly 97.4 mph in the first and 97.4 mph in the seventh. The pitch had a 41 percent CSW, and it was never hard hit the five times it was put in play. It’s going to be fascinating to see how Pirates handle Ashcraft in the second half of the year, given that his career high in innings is 118, but he’s crushing it right now. He has a 2.81 ERA and a 65/16 K/BB in 62 1/3 innings through 10 starts.

Laweryson returns to Minnesota’s relief corps following a seven-week absence recovering from a forearm strain. The 28-year-old righty has posted a serviceable 4.26 ERA and 8/2 K/BB ratio across 6 1/3 innings for the Twins this season.

No surprise after Rojas was scratched from Wednesday’s start against the White Sox due to soreness on the outer side of his elbow. The 23-year-old southpaw will undergo imaging to rule out any potential structural damage. There should be a definitive return timeline at some in early June.

It’ll be Tyler Samaniego taking the ball as Boston’s opener before turning things over the Bello for a multi-inning outing. It’s the fourth time he’s followed an opener in his last five starts. The strategy has seemingly worked for the Red Sox as Bello has been much more effective in those relief outings than as a traditional starter. His odds of factoring into the decision are also exponentially higher when entering the contest later, which is a bonus for fantasy managers.

Brandon Eisert will get the ball to kick off the contest before Fedde makes a bulk relief appearance. The 33-year-old veteran was roughed up for eight runs over 3 1/3 innings his previous time out against the Giants last week. He’s not a recommended fantasy option.

Tiedemann will get a couple sessions under his belt before he’s cleared to start a rehab assignment at some point next month. The 23-year-old southpaw was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball just a couple years ago before injuries derailed his promising career. There’s a chance he makes it to the majors at some point later this year.

Macko gets the ball for his first career start after tossing four scoreless innings out of Toronto’s bullpen since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo earlier this month. The 25-year-old lefty is not a recommended streaming option for fantasy purposes, especially in a tough road matchup at hitter-friendly Camden Yards.

Castillo expressed some frustration with the piggyback situation following his last outing against the Athletics where he threw 68 pitches over four shutout frames. Miller has voiced similar displeasure with the situation as well. However, the bizarre arrangement has worked for the Mariners from a results standpoint with Castillo and Miller combining to limit the Athletics to just a pair of runs over nine innings their last time out. It’s possible the pair’s reluctance to pitch in relief will lead to Seattle changing their roles. It’ll be Miller opening the contest with Castillo following on Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Park.

It’ll be Skubal’s second time facing hitters within the past week as he continues to his literally record-breaking recovery from an innovative NanoScope procedure on his elbow earlier this month. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters previously that the 29-year-year ace will need at least one minor league rehab start before returning to Detroit’s rotation, which puts him on track to return at some point mid-June.

Domínguez was able to resume hitting last week and should return to minor league game action at some point next week. The 23-year-old former top prospect hit the injured list with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder back on May 8.

Seager was scheduled to take live batting practice last weekend, but that session was ultimately scuttled after he didn’t bounce back from a workout. The 32-year-old fantasy standout hit the injured list with back inflammation on May 18. There should be a clearer picture concerning his return timeline and next steps at some point this weekend.