MLB Player News

With the Marlins acquiring Kyle Stowers earlier in the day as part of the Trevor Rogers trade, it made sense for them to get rid of another corner outfielder to free up playing time for their new addition. De La Cruz has been solid in 2024, slashing .245/.289/.417 in 105 games with 18 home runs and three steals. He has just a 5.5 percent walk rate with a 26 percent strikeout rate and, unfortunately for him, he’s moving to a park that’s worse for right-handed pull power, according to Statcast’s Park Factors. This shouldn’t impact his fantasy value much but likely means Joshua Palacios will no longer be in the starting lineup for Pittsburgh.

Fletcher passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment last week by the White Sox. The 27-year-old outfielder will stick around as extra organizational depth since he doesn’t have the option to elect free agency.

Not great. Roberts added that Freeman, who is out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Braves, is dealing with some swelling and will get some additional time off to rest and recover. The 35-year-old is still working his way back to 100 percent from offseason ankle surgery and will have to continue managing the ongoing issue. It doesn’t sound like he’s facing a trip to the injured list at this point, but fantasy managers should anticipate Freeman missing some time over the remainder of the week.

Palacios went unclaimed on waivers last weekend after being designated for assignment by the Pirates. The 29-year-old outfielder has opted to test the free agent waters and should be able to latch on elsewhere. He holds a .230/.286/.364 triple-slash line with 12 homers and seven steals in 156 games in the big leagues dating back to 2021.

Elder has been summoned to replace Reynaldo López (shoulder) in Atlanta’s starting rotation mix. The 25-year-old righty struggled to a bloated 6.52 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 46/17 K/BB ratio across 49 2/3 innings (10 starts) last year at the big-league level. He’s not a recommended fantasy option, even in deeper mixed leagues, when he takes the ball for Wednesday’s series finale against the Dodgers.

Ugh. The hits keep on coming for the Braves. López allowed three runs over five innings and recorded only one strikeout on Friday in his season debut against the Padres. Shoulder injuries can be extremely complex matters and typically result in extended absences. There should be some clarity on his status in the near future, but fantasy managers should anticipate López missing at least a couple weeks, even in a best-case scenario. It’ll be Bryce Elder taking his spot in Atlanta’s rotation, at least temporarily.

Hilliard passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment last week following the Rockies decision to sign Mickey Moniak. The 31-year-old lefty-masher is merely organizational fodder at this stage of his career.

Jurickson Profar’s 80-game PED suspension is a tough development for the Braves from a roster construction perspective, but it’s a significant break for fantasy managers as it bumps Harris into the leadoff spot at least until Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to make his season debut at some point in early May. Atlanta has resisted thrusting the 24-year-old franchise cornerstone into the leadoff role, even though his skills seem to be a perfect match. The move should lead to an uptick in runs scored for at least a couple weeks.

Ramírez is back at the hot corner and batting second on Monday night at Petco Park following a brief one-game absence due to a right wrist sprain. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar appears to have avoided serious injury, which is a massive relief for the Guardians and fantasy managers alike.

Canario represents an intriguing addition for the Pirates since he’ll have a much clearer path to at-bats than he had previously with the Mets. The 24-year-old former top prospect was jettisoned from New York’s 40-man roster last week and should get a chance to contribute in Pittsburgh. We’d recommend a wait-and-see approach for fantasy purposes, but he’s a name to watch in deeper mixed leagues to see if it ever comes together.

It’s merely a procedural move to free up a spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster since Jones was expected to be sidelined until at least early June as he recovers from a UCL sprain in his right elbow. Nothing has changed from a return timetable standpoint as Jones isn’t expected to resume throwing until at least early May, and won’t be ready to return until sometime in June, barring any setbacks.