MLB Player News

As he’s done countless times in his legendary career, Altuve served as Houston’s primary offensive catalyst in this one, playing a key role in a four-run outburst in the seventh inning that ostensibly put the contest away. He got things going a couple frames earlier by reaching on a fourth-inning single before stealing both second and third base and scoring on Yainer Diaz’s run-scoring single. He also contributed a run-scoring single of his own in the ensuing frame before plating a run in the seventh inning courtesy of a fielder’s choice. The 34-year-old veteran fantasy stalwart has shown zero signs of slowing down and is really catching fire over the last few weeks, batting .365 (23-for-63) with three homers, 13 RBI and four steals over his last 15 games.

Brown has resumed throwing just a couple weeks after landing on the shelf with a neck strain. The 24-year-old righty appeared to be putting it all together this season with a pristine 3.58 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 64/19 K/BB ratio across 55 1/3 innings (15 appearances, eight starts) before hitting the injured list. He’s worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues until he’s ready to return in a couple weeks.

Despite the presence of lefty Max Fried on the mound for Atlanta in this one, this might be a mental break more than anything for Cruz, who is batting .143 (4-for-28) with two homers and one steal over his last seven games. He’s been mired in an extended funk the past few weeks, hitting .195 (23-for-118) with just four homers and two steals over his last 30 contests.

Burdi has been out since late May recovering from right hip inflammation. It seems likely he’ll be ready to return at some point after the All-Star break.

Gallen finds himself the recipient of a tasty matchup on Saturday afternoon against the rebuilding Athletics following a one-month absence due to a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. The 28-year-old upper-echelon fantasy contributor holds a strong 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 60/15 K/BB ratio across 57 2/3 innings (11 starts) this season.

Hughes holds an astronomical 10.29 ERA, 2.14 WHIP and 18/7 K/BB ratio across 14 innings (12 appearances) this season in the big leagues. He’s headed back to the minors this weekend to make room for Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen to return from the injured list.

It appears to be a routine off day for Carroll with lefty Hogan Harris drawing the starting assignment on Saturday afternoon for Oakland. The 23-year-old’s sophomore campaign hasn’t gone as planned, but he’s shown some signs of life over the last few weeks, batting .253 (22-for-87) with eight extra-base hits (zero homers) and five steals since June 1. The complete lack of over-the-fence pop at the moment remains a massive concern for fantasy managers moving forward.

Ortiz is back at the hot corner and leading off on Saturday after sitting out Friday’s contest due to neck tightness. The 25-year-old rookie infielder has been phenomenal this season in his Brewers debut with an .835 OPS to go along with seven homers and five steals over 251 plate appearances in 72 games.

Iglesias is becoming a bit of a cult hero in New York at the moment, and his on-field performance hasn’t been too shabby either. The 34-year-old journeyman infielder is batting .406 (13-for-32) since June 1. He’s pretty irrelevant for fantasy purposes, but his presence has injected some badly-needed life into the Mets clubhouse.

Chisholm is back in center field and leading in the wake of a one-game absence from Friday’s game against the Phillies after taking a 93 mph fastball from lefty Matt Strahm off his right hand during Thursday’s series opener. X-rays came back negative for any fractures and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to miss any additional time moving forward. The 26-year-old has been remarkably durable this season, managing to play through several minor physical ailments.

Morgan returns to Cleveland’s high-leverage mix after missing nearly four weeks due to right elbow inflammation. The 28-year-old righty, who also missed time earlier this year with a shoulder issue, boasts a 1.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 7/5 K/BB ratio across 11 innings (10 appearances) this season.