MLB Player News

The news was first reported Wednesday morning by Craig Mish of SportsGrid. Gonzalez had trouble gaining much traction in free agency this winter after struggling to a 4.83 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, and 34/19 K/BB ratio in 31 2/3 innings (four starts, eight relief appearances) last season with the White Sox. But the veteran left-hander -- and South Florida native -- landed in a spot where he should have decent shot at making the Opening Day roster in a swingman-type role, offering depth at both the back of the bullpen and the back of the rotation.

Contreras will sit out his third straight game after being scratched from Friday’s series opener due to back spasms. There’s no reason for fantasy managers to panic, but back issues tend to linger. It’ll be Alec Burleson at the cold corner with Iván Herrera at DH on Sunday afternoon in his place. There should be some clarity on his status ahead of Monday’s showdown against the Orioles.

Kelly gives Boston a fresh arm in the wake of Saturday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park. The 30-year-old righty holds an inflated 9.00 ERA across 10 innings (seven appearances) this season at the big-league level.

Guerrero winds up sticking around for just the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Orioles during his latest stint with the Red Sox. He allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings on Saturday night and holds a 1.69 ERA across 5 1/3 innings (four appearances) this season overall.

Mayer went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday night in his major-league debut against the Orioles. The 22-year-old top prospect looked outstanding during spring training and was off to a strong start this season at the Triple-A level. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses in his offensive profile, but fantasy managers should anticipate some initial turbulence as he adjusts to everyday life in the big leagues. He figures to play mostly third base for now, but will likely see time at shortstop and second base as well. He doesn’t offer an extremely high fantasy ceiling, but he’s at least worthy of a speculative roster spot, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

Tarik Skubal’s presence gives Cleveland an opportunity to get Kwan off his feet for a rare off day. It’ll be Angel Martínez moving up to the leadoff spot with Nolan Jones in left field during Sunday morning’s showdown.

Vierling has gone 1-for-5 with a pair of RBI in two games since returning from the injured list on Friday. The 28-year-old lefty-masher has been bumped up to the leadoff spot to face Guardians southpaw Logan Allen with Kerry Carpenter getting the day off. He offers some appeal for fantasy managers in daily formats when he gets his opportunities against left-handed starters.

Gipson-Long threw 56 pitches (34 strikes) in his latest rehab outing as he continues to work his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and a recent hip issue that came up during his rehabilitation process. The 27-year-old righty figures to be an option for Detroit’s rotation or long relief mix at some point in a couple weeks.

Miller threw a simulated game on Friday without any issues and might be ready to rejoin Seattle’s rotation later this week. The 26-year-old righty, who is working his way back from elbow inflammation, added that he believes they’ve uncovered the source of the issue and how to address it long-term, but that would require a season-ending procedure. He added that he isn’t dealing with any structural issues, but it sounds like he’s eventually going to need offseason surgery.

Chandler authored a dominant performance in his latest Triple-A gem, carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before finally giving up a single and a walk, which ended his longest outing of the season. Both runs were charged to him following his exit from the contest. The electrifying 22-year-old righty has looked like a potential fantasy ace, recording a stellar 2.27 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 61/20 K/BB ratio across 43 2/3 innings (10 starts). It’s hard to imagine what else Pittsburgh’s front office needs to see before he gets his opportunity in the majors.

Morales put together an extremely impressive Triple-A debut, retiring 11 consecutive batters to open the contest before finally issuing a walk. It would be the lone baserunner he allowed over six nearly-perfect frames. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect was promoted to the doorstep of the big leagues earlier this week after posting a strong 2.98 ERA and 53/15 K/BB ratio across 42 1/3 innings (eight starts) for Double-A Midland.