MLB Player News

“Melton’s another guy that could be a big piece for us,” Brown said during last month’s annual GM meetings. “He’s a really good defensive outfielder with power. He has a chance to make an impact.” The 24-year-old outfielder will presumably compete next spring with established veterans Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers to carve out a permanent role in Houston’s outfield mix, but he’s on the verge of reaching the big leagues after batting .253/.310/.426 with 15 homers and 30 steals in 443 plate appearances last year between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land. Melton checked in at OF70 in Rotoworld’s 2025 Top 500 dynasty rankings and his power/speed combination makes him an easy top 100 fantasy prospect heading into next year. He’s a name to keep on watch lists, even in re-draft formats entering spring training.

Vierling remains in no-throw mode as he continues to work his way back from a right shoulder strain. He’s been hitting in the cage, but remains limited from a baseball activity standpoint. It’s possible he’ll be ready to rejoin Detroit’s lineup by the end of April, but that’s not a guarantee.

Freeman will miss his second straight contest in the wake of a shower mishap over the weekend where he tweaked his surgically-repaired ankle. There’s been zero indication that he’s at risk of requiring a trip to the injured list, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. It’ll be Enrique Hernández drawing another start at the cold corner in his absence.

Rivas has been summoned to replace Jorge Polanco on Seattle’s active roster while the veteran infielder is away from the club on paternity leave.

Polanco will be away from the club for the next couple days. It’ll be Miles Mastrobuoni filling in at third base during his absence with Leo Rivas taking his spot on the active roster.

Sheets will open Tuesday’s contest on the bench with Cleveland sending left-hander Logan Allen to the mound. The 28-year-old emerging slugger has been an unexpected revelation for the Padres, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with one homer, five RBI and one steal in five games. It’s possible a change of scenery has unlocked something here since Sheets was scalding-hot during spring training and simply hasn’t stopped hitting. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in extremely deep mixed leagues, even if he’s going to sit against southpaws.

Díaz provides Seattle with some extra long relief depth after Emerson Hancock’s unexpected implosion during Monday’s series opener against the Tigers put the bullpen in a tight spot. The 28-year-old southpaw has been up-and-down over the last few years with the Mariners, mostly on an emergency basis, and can be safely ignored in most fantasy formats.

Hancock has been shipped back to the minors following Monday’s calamitous season debut against the Tigers when he was rocked for six runs and recorded only two outs. The 25-year-old’s stay in Seattle’s rotation was always going to be short-lived with George Kirby (shoulder) expected back in late April, but this qualifies as little more than a cup of coffee. It’s unclear at the moment exactly how the Mariners are going to fill his spot later this week.

It’ll be Alvarez’s first outfield appearance after spending the first five games of the year at DH. It’s a notable development from a fantasy standpoint since retaining outfield eligibility will impact the 27-year-old sluggers value heading into next year and beyond.

Turang finds himself in the leadoff spot for the second time in the last three contests with Jackson Chourio occupying the second spot. The 25-year-old infielder dealt with a shoulder issue in the late stages of spring training, but didn’t end up requiring a trip to the injured list. He’s batting .267 (4-for-15) with one homer, three RBI and one steal through four games.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Scherzer is day-to-day in terms of when he’ll be ready to resume throwing following the anti-inflammatory injection. It’s unclear how much time he’ll need to ramp back up following a brief shutdown, but he’s likely going to need a couple weeks to build up his pitch count and stamina.