MLB Player News

It seemed like Black would get more of a look this time around, but after four games in which he collected three hits and three walks, the Brewers glued him to the bench for the entire last week. Now they’ll be creating a logjam in the outfield by activating Mitchell while keeping Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins around. Jackson Chourio has turned into a fixture in right, so the Brewers will be choosing between Mitchell, Frelick, Perkins and Jake Bauers for two lineup spots each day. That’s not a great fantasy value situation for Mitchell, though his upside is very much present.

Rays manager Kevin Cash is rolling with an all right-handed lineup on Saturday afternoon against Rangers southpaw Andrew Heaney, which means Lowe will start this one on the bench. The 26-year-old corner outfielder is batting .259 (14-for-54) with three homers and six steals over his last 15 contests.

Freeman is back in center field and batting seventh following a three-game absence due to lingering right wrist discomfort.

It’ll be a bullpen game for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon against the Reds with Faedo taking the ball for at least a couple frames at the outset. The 28-year-old former top pitching prospect has excelled this season as a full-time reliever, compiling a solid 3.35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 33/15 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings (23 appearances).

Alvarez took a 99-mph fastball from Pirates starter Paul Skenes off his left 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).

Ingram was claimed off waivers earlier this week from the Cardinals and will bolster San Francisco’s relief depth heading into Saturday’s showdown against the Guardians. The 27-year-old lefty made five relief appearances last year for the Angels and has yet to pitch in the majors this season.

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.