MLB Player News

The 26-year-old outfielder opened the scoring in the ballgame with a 403-foot (104.4-mph EV) solo shot off of Paul Skenes to open the second inning. That would be his lone hit in four at-bats on the afternoon. For the season, Hernández is now hitting .237/.308/.397 with six homers, 26 RBI and five stolen bases across 146 plate appearances.

Greene will make his long-awaited season debut either Friday or Saturday against the Orioles. The hard-throwing 26-year-old fantasy ace got his pitch count up to 82 (54 strikes) across 6 1/3 innings during his final rehab outing for Triple-A Louisville over the weekend. His return should provide a massive jolt to Cincinnati’s rotation, and a big lift for fantasy managers as well. He’s been out since undergoing surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies from his elbow back in early March.

Pagán wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment over the weekend and will regain his role as Cincinnati’s closer. The 35-year-old veteran stopper has been out since early May working his way back from a hamstring strain. He should be rostered in all fantasy leagues based on his track record and minimal in-house competition with the Reds.

Paddack can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats after compiling a bloated 6.96 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 39/19 K/BB ratio across 53 innings between the Reds and Marlins this season. The 30-year-old augments the Rangers starting pitching situation and will likely wind up eating innings in a mop-up role.

Cauley is an interesting prospect for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues since he offers a ton of defensive versatility and a little bit of power/speed combo intrigue. The 23-year-old has put together an impressive season on the doorstep of the big leagues, slashing .262/.363/.407 with eight homers and 29 steals in 343 plate appearances over 74 games at the Triple-A level. He’s a name to watch closely, especially if he’s able to carve out a semi-regular role with the Rangers.

Kelenic’s stint with the Rangers wound up lasting just over one week where he finished 1-for-8 at the dish across seven games. The 26-year-old former top prospect figures to pass through waivers unclaimed and will likely wind up electing free agency to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

Ross loses his spot in the Rangers bullpen with Cameron Cauley and Chris Paddack being added to the club’s active roster. The 33-year-old journeyman allowed five runs over eight innings during five appearances for Texas after being called up back on June 13.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Barger suffered the injury while ramping up his hitting progression as he worked his way back from elbow inflammation. The 26-year-old has been limited to just nine games this season due to injury and won’t make it back until well into the second half following this latest setback.

Altuve is back at second base and hitting leadoff following a one-game absence due to a minor leg issue. The 36-year-old veteran second baseman was a bit shaken up on a hard slide during Saturday’s contest against the Tigers, but appears ready to roll after some extra time off.

Smith is patrolling right field and hitting sixth after fouling a ball off his foot over the weekend. The 23-year-old former top prospect didn’t end up missing any time since he came off the bench during Sunday’s series finale against Detroit. He’s homered twice in his last six games, but continues to be a liability in the batting average department, which severely limits his realistic fantasy appeal.

It’s challenging to dismiss the possibility of a trip to the injured list despite a CT scan coming back clean on Suarez’s left hand. The 34-year-old veteran was hit by a pitch during Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates but expressed optimism on Monday that he’ll be able to avoid an extended absence after imaging revealed no structural damage. Fantasy managers should prepare to be without Suárez for at least a couple days, but it sounds like he managed to avoid serious injury.