MLB Player News

The 25-year-old has already appeared in four games (two starts) at the hot corner this season, but with Geraldo Perdomo back to see action at shortstop and Eugenio Suarez struggling mightily offensively, it sounds like Alexander has an opportunity to carve out a real role there if he continues to hit the ball. He’ll start at third base and bat eighth against the Angels on Wednesday night.

Garver is back at designated hitter for Thursday’s game following a brief two-game absence due to a right wrist contusion.

X-rays came back negative for any fractures after Rengifo left Wednesday’s game against the Athletics with right hand soreness following a ninth-inning swing. However, he’s slated to undergo an MRI on Friday in Chicago to determine the extent of the injury, specifically whether he’s dealing with any structural damage. There should be an update on his status in the coming days, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back until the weekend, even if he checks out completely fine.

It’ll be Leo Jimenez making his big-league debut at shortstop on Thursday against the Astros in his absence. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

Woo has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since June 25th and has also battled an elbow injury earlier in the season. There’s no word yet on how many rehab starts Woo would need, but it doesn’t figure to be more than one or two.

Montero was designated for assignment last weekend after hitting .205 with a .571 OPS so far this season. With nobody claiming him on waivers, he will return to Triple-A where he hit .359 in 35 games last year with 15 home runs and 48 RBI. He may simply be a good Triple-A hitter who never quite finds his footing at the big league level.

Menses is hitting .235 on the season with three home runs and a 63/21 K/BB ratio in 75 games. He is also coming off a month of June in which he hit just .198; however, he was 4-for-12 in his first three games in July. No corresponding move has been announced and Joey Gallo has yet to start a rehab assignment, so the Nationals could opt to use Jesse Winker at first base in the near future.

Tucker’s long absence with a shin bruise will continue. It’s fair to wonder if there’s something more going on here, but Tucker will remain out for at least another two weeks through the All-Star game on July 16th. Both Astros fans and fantasy managers hope that will be enough time to get Tucker back on the field on July 19th.

Bloss injured his shoulder during his MLB debut back in June and was subsequently put on the IL. He may not need more than one or two rehab appearances before the Astros consider giving him another shot at the rotation, but with Luis Garcia (elbow) also nearing his return, the Astros could opt to keep Bloss at Triple-A for the near future.

Boone said that the Yankees have noticed that Gil’s recent point has been inconsistent of late. That could be tied to fatigue since he’s pitching more innings than he ever has before or it could simply be a mechanical issue with an easy fix. The inconsistent release point could also be leading Gil to tip some of his pitches, which might provide more context to why the Orioles were able to pounce on his fastball so much in his recent start. It should also be noted that Gil is making many non-competitive pitches and leaving pitches over the heart of the plate, so the release point isn’t the only issue to be fixed, but it might be one that can be addressed soon.

The rookie would have likely been on the bench today anyway with a left-handed pitcher on the mound, so it’s good to know that the thumb injury likely won’t keep him out long; however, he remains off the fantasy radar in most leagues as a defense-first player.