MLB Player News

Bush allowed four hits, and he didn’t walk anyone. He also struck out just two, and it’s worth pointing out that the southpaw has only struck out five batters in his 8 2/3 innings to open the year. He’s also allowed just one run so far, so it’s hard to complain too much. The 22-year-old was the 46th pick of last summer’s draft, and he has a four-pitch mix that he can locate for strikes, with two of those pitches projecting plus in his fastball and slider. This is more of a backend starter profile, but Bush’s command just might be good enough to make him fantasy relevant when he debuts before the end of 2023.

Alvarez took a 99-mph fastball from Pirates starter Paul Skenes off his elbow during Friday’s showdown, so it makes sense that he’s going to get some extra time to rest and recover. It’ll be Luis Torrens handling the catching duties on Saturday afternoon in his place. The 22-year-old backstop is probably fine, but it’s something to keep an eye on over the rest of the weekend.

Harrison draws the starting assignment for Saturday’s showdown against the Guardians following a nearly three-week absence due to a sprained right ankle. The 22-year-old southpaw has struggled to miss bats this season at the highest level, but still holds a respectable 3.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 68/22 K/BB ratio across 77 1/3 innings (14 starts).

Bivens loses his spot on San Francisco’s active roster with former top prospect Kyle Harrison returning from the injured list to take the ball on Saturday against the Guardians. The unheralded 30-year-old righty looked pretty sharp in a handful of appearances for the Giants, posting a sparkling 2.65 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 16/5 K/BB ratio across 17 innings (seven appearances, one start). He figures to be back in the majors in a couple weeks as a versatile swingman.

Villar heads back to the minors after a brief stint with the Giants where he batted .294 (5-for-17) with one homer and four RBI in 18 plate appearances over six games. The 27-year-old infielder figures to be back at some point later this summer, if needed due to injury.

Lawlar has missed the majority of the first half due to injury, so it’s a positive sign that he’s ready to return to game action after being shelved back in mid-June with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. The 21-year-old shortstop remains one of the top fantasy prospects in the game and figures to be back in action at Triple-A Reno in a few days.

Tucker, who has been out since early June due to a right shin bruise, was able to resume hitting a couple weeks ago, and has finally resumed running again. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar isn’t going to make it back until after the upcoming Midsummer Classic, but it sounds like he’s finally starting to make some actual progress in his recovery. We don’t want to speculate wildly, but it seems like Tucker was recovering from something more serious than a mere contusion, but there’s been nothing official from the club on that front.

Hancock will take the ball on Saturday afternoon against the Blue Jays for his first start in the majors since June 13. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect holds a serviceable 4.79 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 24/13 K/BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings (eight starts) this season in the big leagues. It’s difficult to completely trust him for streaming purposes, but he’s worth keeping on fantasy managers’ radar screens if he were to get an extended opportunity with Seattle.

Zavala wasn’t long for Seattle’s active roster since Mitch Garver was able to get back into the lineup earlier this week after being hit by a pitch in the wrist last weekend. The 30-year-old backstop spent a couple days in the big leagues as emergency catching depth and will most likely pass through waivers unclaimed for the second time this year.

Smith remains on the bench to open Saturday’s showdown after sitting out Friday’s game against the Rays due to glute tightness. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern moving forward, but the Rangers clearly don’t want to take any chances here. It’ll be Jonathan Ornelas drawing another start at the hot corner in his absence. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

Gordon hasn’t appeared in a game since last Saturday and will now miss his fifth straight game due to illness. It’s unclear whether he’s feeling well enough to be available off the bench, if needed. The timing is unfortunate since he was really starting to heat up at the dish, batting .286 (6-for-21) with one homer over his previous seven contests.