MLB Player News

Kurtz is up to 12 homers and seven steals to go along with a .276 average and a .923 OPS. His walk rate has exploded in his sophomore campaign, fueling the highest OBP in MLB so far this season. The absence of a high homer total is the only complaint fantasy managers might have, but opposing arms have seemingly decided to pitch around him any chance they get. Kurtz and the Athletics will return to hitter-friendly Sacramento for a 13-game homestand beginning Monday.

No surprise with Kirk sitting out Saturday’s afternoon affair following Friday night’s series opener. The 27-year-old backstop went 3-for-3 with two RBI and reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances in his return from the injured list on Friday. He missed the previous 10 weeks recovering from thumb surgery. It’ll be rookie Brandon Valenzuela handling the catching duties in this one.

Guerrero’s stunning power outage has lingered until almost midseason as he’s recorded just three round-trippers through 68 games this season after eclipsing 30 homers in three of the last five years. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone receives some time off to address a lower back issue after hitting .184 (7-for-38) with three RBI across 10 games since the start of June. He went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI during Friday’s series opener. It’ll be rookie Charles McAdoo filling in at the cold corner to face Yankees rising ace Cam Schlittler on Saturday afternoon.

Domínguez returns to New York ahead of Saturday’s showdown against the Blue Jays after missing just over five weeks recovering from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder back in early May. The 23-year-old former top prospect offers an intriguing blend of fantasy-relevant skills but hasn’t produced consistently enough to provide sustained mixed-league value. He’ll factor into New York’s corner outfield rotation, along with rookie Spencer Jones and versatile José Caballero, while both Aaron Judge (ribs) and Trent Grisham (hamstring) are on the shelf.

Grisham’s injury is merely the latest blow to New York’s outfield depth, leaving Cody Bellinger as the lone Opening Day starter left standing. It’ll be former top prospect Jasson Domínguez, who was activated from the injured list in a corresponding move, along with free-swinging rookie Spencer Jones and José Caballero splitting time in the outfield corners next to Bellinger. No word on the severity of the strain, which will determine how much time Grisham misses. He was hitting .232/.341/.406 with eight homers and six steals as the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter against right-handed starters.

Molina returns to fortify Atlanta’s bullpen mix with starter Spencer Strider (elbow) hitting the injured list. The 24-year-old has tossed two scoreless innings at the big-league level this season.

Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters late Friday that Strider will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury and whether he’s dealing with any structural issues. It’s an extremely concerning development given his injury history, which already includes two elbow surgeries. The 27-year-old former fantasy ace experienced a noticeable velocity dip, which lead to his removal from Friday’s start against the Mets in the fourth inning after just 68 pitches. There should be a definitive update on his status later this weekend. Top prospect JR Ritchie, who fired five shutout innings in relief following Strider’s departure, appears to be the most logical candidate to fill his rotation spot.

Vitello told reporters that Kilian will serve as their closer with Ryan Walker occupying a fireman role in the late innings following his return from a brief minor-league demotion where he made several mechanical adjustments. Kilian has converted four of five save opportunities this season. He’s at least worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues where every save matters.

Conelio earns a ticket back to the minors after throwing 73 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in relief during Friday’s blowout loss to the Mariners. The 26-year-old rookie boasts an underwhelming 6.48 ERA across 8 1/3 innings over three appearances this season.

Anthony remains in a bit of a holding pattern as the club waits for him to be completely symptom-free before he picks up a bat again. It’s been over two weeks since he experienced discomfort while swinging and was shut down afterwards. The 22-year-old has been on the shelf since early May with a nebulous wrist and finger issue. There should be some clarity on his status at some point before the end of June. In the meantime, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back at any point in the near future.

Gonzalez’s impending return will certainly improve Boston’s lineup against left-handed starters. The 29-year-old infielder has been on the shelf recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He’ll likely require a multi-week rehab stint given the lengthy layoff from game action, but he should make it back to Fenway Park before the end of June.