MLB Player News

Hope’s dynasty value has skyrocketed this offseason with an extremely impressive showing out in Arizona. The 19-year-old’s fifth round-tripper of the fall circuit carried a stratospheric 105.8 mph exit velocity. His power/speed combination makes him a borderline top 20 prospect for fantasy purposes entering 2025. He’s highly unlikely to reach the majors next season, but he’s one of the most promising five-category fantasy prospects in the entire landscape, especially since he’ll be joining the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup at some point.

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Arrighetti was playing catch in the outfield during Mariners batting practice when he was struck by a batted ball on his pitching hand. He’ll further evaluation and testing at T-Mobile Park on Monday night and there should be some additional clarity on his status shortly. He’s obviously in serious jeopardy of missing his next start on Friday against the Angels.

Scherzer told reporters afterwards that he’s still dealing with some tenderness in his right thumb, which is concerning. The 40-year-old veteran has been battling a lingering thumb issue for the better part of the past year. He’s presumably several weeks away from being an option for Toronto’s rotation after being shut down back in late March and receiving a cortisone injection.

Lucas, who was given an extra day of rest with José Berríos bumped up to start Monday’s series opener in Boston, allowed one hit over five scoreless innings last Wednesday in his season debut against the Nationals. He’ll face a much stiffer test on Tuesday night when he tangles with the scorching-hot Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 28-year-old offers some streaming appeal in extremely deep mixed leagues, but this is a risky spot to roll the dice.

The Reds aren’t calling it an oblique issue specifically so we’re going to assume that Fraley is day-to-day for now. It’ll be Blake Dunn moving over to right field with Jacob Hurtubise stepping into the lineup to cover left field.

Wong suffered the injury on a catcher’s interference play in the opening frame when he was hit on the glove hand by George Springer’s swing, which led to him being replaced by backup Carlos Narváez to begin the second inning. Clearly the Red Sox didn’t want to take any chances here. It’s possible he’ll undergo additional evaluation and imaging to rule out anything serious. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

It’s Merrill’s first day off this season after making 10 consecutive starts in center field. He’s sitting for precautionary reasons due to a relatively minor hamstring issue that he’s been playing through. It’s a tough break for fantasy managers since his absence comes at extremely hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. The 21-year-old emerging franchise cornerstone has been one of the best hitters in baseball so far, batting .378 (14-for-37) with three homers, 10 RBI and one steal. It’ll be Brandon Lockridge patrolling center field on Monday night.

Smith takes a seat for the second straight game after going 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts in six games to open the regular season. It’ll be Mauricio Dubón in right field on Monday night. Even the most talented prospects face an adjustment period as they make the leap to the big leagues for the first time, so the initial struggles shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. The central question for fantasy purposes is how much time the Astros are willing to give him to turn things around before they go in another direction and send him back to the minors to continue playing everyday.

McLain will miss his fourth straight contest on Monday due to left hamstring tightness. It’ll be Gavin Lux taking a turn at the keystone on Monday evening in his absence. The 25-year-old infielder was able to pinch-hit last Friday, but didn’t make an appearance over the weekend. There’s been zero indication that he’ll require a trip to the injured list, but it’s hard to rule it out at this juncture. Fantasy managers should still consider him day-to-day for now.

Polanco is at DH on Monday evening following a two-game absence. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander clarified to reporters that Polanco has been dealing with a side issue recently, which was the result of an awkward swing last week. The positive news is that Polanco isn’t dealing with any knee issues, which have plagued him for the past few years.

Cameron was a notable prospect last decade, but never really carved out a permanent role at the highest level, batting .201/.263/.330 with 10 homers and 14 steals in 430 plate appearances at the highest level since 2020. He’ll head to Triple-A Nashville as extra organizational outfield depth for Milwaukee.