MLB Player News

It’s the first save for Morris since May 20th. The righty took the mound in Friday’s back-and-forth affair to secure the win for the Twins after manager Derek Shelton opted to go with Anthony Banda in the eighth inning in hopes of limiting further damage after the Cardinals took an 8-7 lead on an RBI single by José Fermín. Morris needed only nine pitches to get through the inning and induced a ground ball out to all three batters he faced.

Maton winds up back on the shelf with a recurring knee issue that previously put him on the injured list back in late June. The Cubs are probably going to give him an extended break in an effort to put the lingering issue to bed. He made just one appearance after coming off the injured list just prior to the All-Star break.

Pomeranz’s latest stint with Chicago winds up lasting just a shade over two weeks during which he allowed five runs with a 1/4 K/BB ratio over 5 2/3 innings of work. The 37-year-old southpaw was highly effective with the Cubs last year, but has struggled to a lackluster 5.59 ERA across 29 innings this season.

Lopez takes a seat for the second consecutive contest with inflammation in his right ring finger. The positive news for the Marlins, and fantasy managers, is that initial X-rays came back negative and he doesn’t appear to be facing an extended absence. The 27-year-old middle infielder has been an unexpected breakout sensation, delivering first-round fantasy value this season, slashing .335/.368/.505 with 61 runs scored, nine homers, 46 RBI and 18 stolen bases across 419 plate appearances through 97 games. It’ll be Javier Sanoja taking over at shortstop in his place on Monday night.

It sounds like there’s still a chance Suarez will be activated from the injured list to start Tuesday’s contest against the Orioles, but the sizzling-hot Red Sox are going to wait until after his latest throwing session before making that call. Th 30-year-old All-Star lefty has been on the shelf with a groin strain since early July.

Story has progressed to taking on-field batting practice and is close to ramping up his running progression, which is the final step prior to getting into rehab contests. The 33-year-old veteran shortstop should make it back to Boston at some point later next month after undergoing sports hernia surgery back in late May.

Max Muncy is also taking a seat with Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez toeing the rubber for his second-half debut. It’s been a rocky opening season for Tucker in Los Angeles as he’s struggled to a lackluster .240/.335/.367 slash line with seven homers and six RBI across 394 plate appearances in 94 games. It’ll be a red-hot Tommy Edman at the hot corner and batting third with Alex Call getting a look in right field.

It’ll be Scherzer’s first game action since receiving three cortisone injections in his thumb during last week’s All-Star break. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is hoping to return to Toronto’s rotation at some point in the second half, but it’s going to take several rehab outings before he’s ready. He’s been limited to just 22 innings across six starts this season due to physical issues. He’s pretty much a non-factor for fantasy purposes at the moment.

Blanco draws the starting assignment for Monday’s series opener against the Marlins at Daikin Park. It’ll be his season debut after missing the first four months working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. It’ll be his first start back in the majors since last May. The 32-year-old has had moments of fantasy relevance at earlier points in his career, but he doesn’t offer a ton of strikeout upside, and is more of a wait-and-see option in deeper leagues.

Sousa fortifies Houston’s left-handed relief depth heading into Monday’s series opener against the Marlins after missing nearly three months recovering from elbow inflammation.

Delgado heads back to the minors with both Ronel Blanco and Bennett Sousa rejoining Houston’s pitching equation. The 26-year-old rookie has hit .273 (9-for-33) with one homer in 17 games for the Astros this season.