MLB Player News

Jon Heyman of MLB Network was first to report the news of the agreement, and now the Giants have made it official. Smoak has been added to the team’s 60-man player pool and could join the active roster within the next couple of days. He was released by the Brewers on Tuesday after batting just .186 with a .642 OPS through his first 126 plate appearances this season, but he has some power and can be a useful switch-hitting option at DH or off the bench down the stretch for San Francisco. There’s no major fantasy relevance here.

It’s a bit unclear how close Kopech is to making his season debut, but he figures to be on the precipice following this latest throwing session. Los Angeles could certainly use his help in high-leverage spots. He’s been on the shelf since spring training working his way back from a shoulder impingement.

Fulmer returns to Los Angeles, where he made a career-high 37 appearances (eight starts) last season, after being released earlier this week by the Pirates. The 31-year-old former top pitching prospect was cut loose after compiling a pedestrian 4.64 ERA across 42 2/3 innings (13 appearances, six starts) this season at the Triple-A level. He’ll likely make his way to the Angels’ bullpen mix at some point in the coming weeks as long relief depth.

Carrasco figures to elect free agency in search of a new opportunity, but there’s a chance he decides to stick around with the Yankees and wait for another opportunity. The 38-year-old veteran has compiled a lackluster 5.91 ERA and 25/10 K/BB ratio across 32 innings (eight appearances, six starts) this season in the majors.

Sánchez went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week by Toronto. The 28-year-old backstop will presumably stick around as emergency catching depth instead of electing free agency.

Mayo has been taking defensive reps at the cold corner since returning to the majors last week and will make his first career start at the position on Wednesday night in Seattle. The extra defensive versatility helps give him another avenue to at-bats in Baltimore’s lineup moving forward.

It’ll be reliever Justin Sterner taking the ball to open Wednesday’s contest against a right-handed stack of hitters atop Minnesota’s lineup. There isn’t much of a takeaway here for fantasy purposes, but the move should help prevent Springs from facing a couple challenging right-handed bats.

Wallner takes a seat for the second straight game on Wednesday evening with lefty Jeffrey Springs taking the ball for a bulk relief appearance. It’ll be Trevor Larnach getting an opportunity in right field to open the contest. Wallner has gone 3-for-11 in three games since returning last weekend from the injured list.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters they’re not anticipating a lengthy absence, but it’s going to come down to how Thomas feels before he’s ready to return from the injured list. The 29-year-old outfielder hit the shelf last week with plantar fasciitis, which tends to be a recurring issue and typically only gets better with rest.

It’s notable that Edman is absent from the lineup for the second consecutive contest despite the presence of right-hander Griffin Canning on the mound. The 30-year-old missed time last month with an ankle injury, so it’s a situation worth monitoring closely. Speedster Esteury Ruiz was spotted in the Dodgers clubhouse, so it’s possible there’s something going on here.

Sasaki remains without a definitive return timetable as he re-starts his throwing progression after hitting the injured list last month with shoulder discomfort that he pitched through for several weeks. The 23-year-old phenom is expected to utilize the break to work on his mechanics and refine his arsenal. He figures to return to Los Angeles’ rotation mix at some point in the second half.