MLB Player News

Following opener Brandon Eisert – which Burke has rarely done this season – he did not have a great outing here. His strikeout stuff was working and each his fastball and slider forced at least four swings-and-misses, but there was either too much nibbling or he was just too focused on hunting those strikeouts. His five walks were his most in any start this season, including two in a row in the sixth inning to set-up a Phillies’ rally. Still, there are reasons to be encouraged by his season as a whole with a 3.88 ERA and a 67 to 23 strikeout to walk ratio across 69 2/3 in total. He’s scheduled to face the Dodgers and Yankees in his next two starts, so he’ll have his work cut out for him.

Boone elaborated that Stanton felt some discomfort in his calf while running the bases earlier this week and could potentially undergo followup imaging to determine the severity of the issue. The 36-year-old veteran slugger was on the precipice of a rehab assignment prior to the setback. He’s been on the shelf with a calf strain since late April. There is no timetable for his return following this latest development.

No surprise as Kwan will be spared from having to face Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. That honor goes to Stuart Fairchild instead. The 28-year-old has put together an abysmal season overall, but he went 2-for-4 with an RBI during Friday’s series opener and is hitting .281 (9-for-32) in nine games since returning from bereavement leave earlier this month.

Rutschman will get some extra time off to rest with Samuel Basallo handling the catching duties in this one. The 28-year-old backstop made his return behind the dish during Friday’s series opener after missing a pair of games with left hamstring tightness earlier this week.

Andujar was able to pinch-hit on Wednesday against the Reds, but was held out of the lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Orioles. He’s missed five straight games due to a lingering hamstring issue, but it doesn’t sound like a trip to the injured list is in the cards. It’ll be Will Wagner taking another turn at DH in his absence.

Puk was in the final stages of his rehabilitation from last year’s internal brace procedure on his elbow before the shoulder issue cropped up while pitching at Triple-A Reno. He’s been pulled off a minor league rehab assignment to undergo further evaluation and imaging. The 31-year-old high-leverage arm was trending towards a mid-June return to Arizona’s bullpen. There should be an update on his status later this weekend.

Poulin returns to Washington’s relief corps after spending a couple weeks in the minors. The 29-year-old southpaw has compiled a serviceable 3.28 ERA and 17/16 K/BB ratio across 24 2/3 innings for the Nationals this season.

Jones figures to see regular at-bats between several outfield spots with both Trent Grisham (hamstring) and Aaron Judge (ribs) on the injured list for the next couple weeks. The 25-year-old possesses light-tower raw power, but his all-or-nothing approach renders him virtually unrosterable in shallow fantasy leagues. He’s hitting .263/.349/.368 with one homer, five RBI and one steal, while also striking out in nearly 42 percent of his 43 plate appearances, over 15 games in the majors this season.

Arroyo moves up to the leadoff spot with Noelvi Marte taking over in center field with Blake Dunn receiving an off day in this one. The 22-year-old top prospect has hit just .227 (5-for-22) with one RBI in 10 games since being called up from Triple-A Louisville earlier this month. His opportunity to carve out a permanent spot on Cincinnati’s roster, likely as their primary second base option, is fading quickly with Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) progressing towards a minor league rehab assignment.

Wetherholt takes a seat following five consecutive starts after missing time last weekend with groin soreness. The 23-year-old rookie standout hit .286 (6-for-21) with four runs scored and three RBI during that five-game span. It’ll be José Fermín drawing a start at the keystone in his place.

Gasper finds himself at DH and atop Boston’s lineup after going 1-for-5 with a run scored during the club’s 10-run outburst during Friday’s series opener at Fenway Park. The unheralded 30-year-old backstop has hit .272/.326/.346 with zero homers and five RBI in 90 plate appearances since coming up from Triple-A Worcester in mid-May. He can be safely ignored in most fantasy leagues. His presence atop the lineup is a more significant hit to Jarren Duran’s immediate fantasy appeal than anything else. It also seems to render Masataka Yoshida completely irrelevant as a bench bat.