MLB Player News

Cavaco was a late-riser in the draft, but a selection this high is a bit surprising. The power, speed and arm all have a chance to be plus, however, and the Twins are selecting the right-hander hitter as a shortstop. There’s some length to his swing, so he may not be able to hit for a high average, and there are questions about whether he’ll be able to stick at shortstop; with third base the most likely position if he can’t play there.

It’s doesn’t come as a total surprise to see the Dodgers giving Freeman a break after playing two straight games at first base in his return from the injured list. He’s gone 1-for-6 with three strikeouts during that span. It’s not uncommon for a player that skips a minor league rehab assignment to need a couple games to get their timing back at the dish. It’ll be Enrique Hernández handling the cold corner on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

Hendriks struck out one, issued one walk and needed just 18 pitches (10 strikes) to navigate a scoreless frame in his latest rehab outing. He could be ready to make his long-awaited Boston debut at some point next week. The 36-year-old righty averaged 94.1 mph on his fastball, which is an encouraging development. He’ll bolster Boston’s high-leverage mix, but it might be unrealistic to expect him to step into closing situations right away, despite his resume.

We’re getting close here. Chandler touched triple digits on four separate occasions with his four-seam fastball and averaged 98.8 mph on the offering. The hard-throwing 22-year-old generated 10 swinging strikes and finished with an elite 42 percent CSW on 52 pitches (37 strikes). He’s arguably the top pitching prospect in the minor leagues at this stage and should get a chance to contribute for Pittsburgh at some point in the coming weeks.

It appears to be a routine off day for Semien, who has started 15 consecutive games to open the regular season, and is hitting .123 with one homer and zero steals so far. It’ll be Joc Pederson, who is batting .077 (3-for-39) moving up to the leadoff spot. There’s no logical explanation here besides the Rangers trying something different in an effort to get Pederson going.

Doyle will miss his third straight contest on Sunday afternoon as he continues to deal with ongoing left quad soreness. It’ll be Ezequiel Tovar in the leadoff spot and Mickey Moniak patrolling center field. He should still be considered day-to-day for now. The 26-year-old fantasy stalwart doesn’t appear in jeopardy of landing on the injured list yet, but it’s a situation fantasy managers should monitor closely in the coming days.

Amador provides the injury-depleted Rockies with some extra infield depth ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Padres. The 22-year-old got into 10 games last year for Colorado and offers some power/speed combo intrigue for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues. He possesses robust contact skills, which should translate well to hitter-friendly Coors Field, which often boosts batting averages more than anything else. If he’s able to carve out an everyday role, Amador’s combination of fantasy-relevant skills will make him an impact contributor.

Freeman hits the injured list after suffering an oblique strain during batting practice prior to Saturday’s game against the Padres. No word yet on the severity of the injury, which will determine how much time he misses. It’ll probably be a couple weeks, even in a best-case scenario.

No surprise here after Siri left Saturday’s game against the Athletics with a left shin contusion. X-rays came back negative for any fractures, but he’s going to need some time off to rest and recover. It’ll be Tyrone Taylor patrolling center field during Sunday’s series finale in Sacramento.

Crews takes a seat for the second straight contest with Jacob Young and Alex Call drawing starts in center and right field, respectively. The 23-year-old top prospect is hitting .116 (5-for-43) with 17 strikeouts in 45 plate appearances through 12 games. It’s been a brutal start to the year from a fantasy standpoint, but it’s still extremely early. It’s possible the mental reset will help him start fresh and finally get going.

Williamson gets the call to the big leagues for the first time in his career after spending the last couple seasons in Seattle’s system. The 24-year-old infielder was a second-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and was off to a nice start for Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .281 (16-for-57) with eight RBI and two steals in 14 games. He gives the Mariners some extra infield depth with Ryan Bliss (biceps) out for the season and Jorge Polanco limited to DH duty.