MLB Player News

It will be Higashioka and not Jonah Heim who gets the first start of the season behind the plate. This will likely be a close timehsare but given how good this Rangers lineup could be, it’s worth monitoring how the team splits up this workload. The full Rangers lineup is: Marcus Semien 2B, Corey Seager DH, Wyatt Langford LF, Adolis García RF, Jake Burger 1B, Josh Jung 3B, Kevin Pillar CF, Kyle Higashioka C, Josh Smith SS.

Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters he’s hoping López will be able to pitch again this season. However, the severity of his shoulder issue won’t be known until he undergoes a surgical procedure next week to determine whether he’s dealing with any structural damage. The 31-year-old righty is likely to miss at least a couple months, even in a best-case scenario, and there’s a strong possibility his season is over. He can be safely dropped in shallow re-draft formats.

Matthews averaged 97.5 mph with his fastball, which is up roughly 2-3 mph from last year in the majors, and needed just 57 pitches (37 strikes) to navigate five one-hit frames in his season debut. The 24-year-old was hit hard last year in nine starts for the Twins, but he figures to get an extended opportunity in the near future, especially if Chris Paddack continues to struggle.

Uribe was handed a six-game suspension last May, which he had reduced on appeal, but never wound up serving because he was subsequently optioned to the minors and underwent season-ending knee surgery. The 24-year-old righty will be available out of the bullpen for Tuesday’s showdown against the Royals.

It’s a tough break for the Phillies as Kennedy has opted to test the free agent waters rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 26-year-old, who has gotten into 54 games in the big leagues since 2022, should be able to latch on somewhere else in the coming days where he has a clearer path to big-league at-bats.

Taylor was hitting the upper 90’s with his fastball and threw 19 pitches in his first rehab outing. The 23-year-old righty opened the regular season on the injured list recovering from a right lat strain. He figures to be ready to rejoin Seattle’s bullpen by mid-April, if not sooner.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani is scheduled to throw a higher-intensity bullpen on Saturday before the club determines his next steps. The 30-year-old two-way superstar remains without a definitive timetable to return to the mound in game action, but he’s making incremental progress with his ramp-up process.

Quintana is scheduled for another simulated game later this week before being eligible to be summoned from the minors on April 11. The 36-year-old lefty will certainly provide a lift for Milwaukee’s battered rotation mix, but his days as a fantasy-relevant option are probably long gone.

It’ll likely be Myers final throwing session before heading out on a minor league rehab assignment. The 26-year-old righty opened the regular season on the shelf recovering from a left oblique strain. If all goes well, he should be back in Milwaukee’s rotation by mid-to-late April.

Civale underwent an MRI earlier this week that revealed only a mild hamstring strain and he’s already been cleared to resume a throwing program. The 29-year-old should be ready to return to Milwaukee’s rotation mix at some point in a few weeks, if not sooner.

Gelof underwent surgery last week to repair a hamate fracture in his right wrist and is aiming to beat his original 6-8 week recovery timeline. The 25-year-old told reporters Tuesday that he’s targeting more of a 4-6 week timetable from the date of the procedure, which would put him back in the A’s lineup by late April. It’s not out of the question, but there’s little incentive for the Athletics to rush him back too soon. The positive news here is that he figures to be back by late April or early May.