MLB Player News

Pitching in a one-run game, Jansen gave up a leadoff double to Andrew Vaughn, but he was able to escape from there, with a double-play ball from Brooks Baldwin ending the game. Jansen and Ben Joyce both pitched for a second-straight day today, so the Angels might want to stay away from both on Monday. That could lead to a save opportunity for Brock Burke.

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. It’s a tough break for fantasy managers since it 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.

Wolfram was designated for assignment earlier on Monday and has quickly found a new home. The 28-year-old southpaw has yet to pitch in the majors, but compiled a strong 3.13 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 69/27 K/BB ratio across 60 1/3 innings (46 appearances) last year between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers’ system.

Suárez will be out until at least late May recovering from a right subscapularis strain, which is the muscle in the rotator cuff area of the shoulder. The procedural move frees up a spot on Baltimore’s 40-man roster for lefty Grant Wolfram.

There haven’t been a ton of updates regarding Kirby’s recovery from right shoulder inflammation that derailed his spring ramp-up, but he appears to be getting close to facing hitters again as he builds up his throwing program in Arizona at extended spring training. The 27-year-old will need a handful of minor league rehab starts before he’s ready to make his season debut, but we’re expecting he’ll make it back to Seattle at some point in May.

Brash is creeping closer to starting a minor league rehab assignment as he enters the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old righty got into one Cactus League contest and should be ready to rejoin Seattle’s high-leverage mix in late April or early May, barring something unexpected.