MLB Player News

Dion was 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 15 appearances over 26 innings with Columbus, striking out 36 and walking just five. He’ll give the pen a fresh arm in his major league debut during his age-26 season.

Walker has hit a bit of a rough patch at the plate since his iconic performance during the All-Star Home Run Derby last month, hitting .240 (18-for-75) with zero homers in 18 games since the Midsummer Classic. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. There should be additional clarity on his status following the contest. It’ll be Nelson Velázquez taking over in right field at Yankee Stadium in his place.

Montgomery is back in right field and hitting eighth after being scratched from Sunday’s lineup with a skin infection on his right ankle. It doesn’t appear to be a concern moving forward.

Hicks draws an extremely favorable setting for his Tampa Bay debut since he’ll have the opportunity to do some damage in Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment. The 27-year-old backstop qualifies as one of the Rays’ biggest trade deadline swings in several years and should help fortify the middle of their lineup heading towards the home stretch. He was hitting 282/.363/.432 with 14 homers and 62 RBI across 409 plate appearances for the Marlins prior to the trade.

Ortiz, who homered during Monday’s series opener in Philadelphia, takes a seat with Andrés Chaparro getting the nod to face lefty Jesús Luzardo. The 24-year-old has an interesting fantasy skillset since he offers some over-the-fence pop and should bat near the heart of Washington’s lineup. He’s probably going to sit against most lefties over the final two months, but should do enough damage against right-handers to merit roster consideration in deeper mixed leagues.

Wilson is at shortstop and hitting second following a brief one-game absence due to right knee tendonitis. The 24-year-old will have to manage the ongoing issue for the final two months.

Arrighetti, who threw a bullpen session on Tuesday at Daikin Park, told the Blue Jays that he’s ready to take the ball against his former team right now, but that’s not going to happen. The 26-year-old is working his way through a nerve issue in his foot and should be ready to make his Toronto debut sometime around mid-August. He was shipped north of the border in the Daulton Varsho deal at the trade deadline.

Soriano takes the ball for Friday’s contest at historic Wrigley Field with the Blue Jays moving to a six-man rotation. The 27-year-old was one of the biggest names to move at the trade deadline, heading north of the border in a four-player swap. He’s posted a strong 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 127/57 K/BB ratio across 123 innings over 22 starts so far this year. This will be his first outing since July 26.

The decision to pitch Taillon in Houston bumps Dylan Cease back to Thursday’s series opener against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It’ll be José Soriano making his Toronto debut on Friday as they transition to a six-man rotation on a temporary basis.

Alcantara’s latest stint with Chicago wound up being extremely brief as he heads back to the minors to make room for trade deadline acquisition Tyrone Taylor. The 24-year-old top prospect would probably be an interesting fantasy option if the Cubs ever decided to give him an extended look. Clearly, that’s not happening this season.

Chapman will visit a specialist for additional evaluation to determine whether he’ll require surgery. The 33-year-old veteran third baseman has been on the shelf with an abdominal strain since early July and simply hasn’t progressed as they expected. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point later this week.