MLB Player News

Zobrist missed the majority of the 2019 season while dealing with a very public and messy divorce, and wasn’t very effective when he was on the field. The 38-year-old utilityman could potentially still be a valuable bench piece on a contending team, but so far it doesn’t appear that he has had any lucrative offers.

Estrada has been sidelined since March 21st with a fractured wrist, so he remains on schedule with his recovery. He has been hitting high-end velocity in batting practice and will now likely need multiple weeks on this rehab assignment to get his timing and rhythm back. If all goes well, he could return to the Rockies lineup in 2-3 weeks and would be worth an add in most formats for his modest power and speed upside.

Encarnacion-Strand has been out since April 17th with inflammation in his lower back. The 25-year-old was hitting just .158/.183/.298 in 60 plate appearances this season, so the Reds aren’t likely to rush him back. He’ll take a few weeks to work his way back up to Triple-A and then hopefully the big leagues by something in the middle of June.

This is now the second game in a row in which Togia is on the bench, and his third in the last six games for Colorado. The 26-year-old has plenty of raw power, but he’s hitting just .205/.272/.367 with a nearly 39 percent strikeout rate this season. He’s hard to roster in most fantasy leagues with that profile and only six home runs. Kyle Farmer will play first base against left-hander Ranger Suarez while Tyler Freeman is in right field and Aaron Schunk starts at second base.

It’s a routine day off for the veteran with Jose Iglesias playing shortstop and batting eighth. Bogaerts has gotten off to a slow start this season and is hitting .241/.329/.362 in 17 games in May with two home runs and 12 RBI. He has stolen four bases over that stretch and has a solid 12/9 K/BB ratio, so the plate discipline and speed remain there.

With Trent Grisham continuing to operate as the everyday center fielder in New York, Rice’s playing time has started to become less consistent. Rice is also hitting just .226 in 16 games in May despite continuing to show strong plate discipline and good quality of contact. Aaron Judge will slide to DH on Thursday with Cody Bellinger in right field and Jasson Dominguez in left field.

With Fernando Cruz (shoulder) headed to the injured list, the Yankees needed a fresh arm in the bullpen. Headrick should be up with the team for two weeks until Cruz comes back.

Cruz hasn’t pitched since Sunday, but he received a cortisone shot today and is expected to begin throwing today as well. The Yankees don’t seem overly concerned about him being out for an extended period of time, but Cruz will need to ramp back up after the cortisone shot and hope that there is no residual discomfort.

Hall took over for Brandon Woodruff and closed the game with three innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six. The left-hander threw 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes and has now thrown 10 2/3 shutout innings during his rehab assignment with 15 strikeouts and six walks. If the Brewers are planning to keep him in the bullpen for the time being, then it would seem that he’s ready to rejoin the big league team.

The veteran allowed three hits while walking two and striking out two. He only needed 59 pitches to get through four innings in his first start since dealing with right ankle tendinitis last week. There’s no word yet on if Woodruff’s next start will be with the Brewers or in the minors, but he’s worth a stash in fantasy leagues right now. Just don’t expect him to reach the highs he showcased before his shoulder capsule surgery.

Ullola struck out six but also walked four on the day. That command has been a bit of an Achilles heel for the 22-year-old during his minor league career. He had seemed to turn a corner earlier in the month, walking just three total batters in two starts, but he’s now up to seven walks in 14 innings this month. However, he has also struck out 21 and not allowed a single run over that stretch. The Astros’ rotation is banged up right now, and Ullola is the highest upside pitcher for them at Triple-A. He just needs to show that he can get his command in check consistently.