MLB Player News

Spiers heads to the minors to make room for Andrew Abbott’s impending return after allowing five runs with an 8/3 K/BB ratio across 9 1/3 innings (two starts) at the outset of the regular season. The 27-year-old figures to return at some point in the near future, but the Reds needed to bring up some extra position player depth and he drew the short straw.

Sammon points out that Mauricio’s biggest flaw has been his penchant for chasing pitches out of the strike zone. The 24-year-old has big time raw tools and the ability to play multiple positions, so getting him settled in with a more polished big league approach could be big for the Mets. Over the last few weeks, he has been working on this with Soto and has posted a .797 OPS over his last 15 games. “He’s trying to stop chasing a little bit,” said Soto. “He’s doing it the past couple weeks with good takes, better decisions, and swinging the bat well. He is on the right path.” If Soto can help Mauricio hone his approach a bit more, that could pay huge dividends for the Mets and fantasy managers.

The Diamondbacks are not locked into the “seller” role, but unless something changes in the next few weeks, it would be smart of them to consider offers for players who are not likely to be part of their future. Grichuk seems to be the most likely to be dealt since he’s playing on a one-year contract with a mutual option for next season. Gurriel has $13 million guaranteed for 2026, which could make it harder for the Diamondbacks to find a trade partner for him, and they may be less inclined to trade Thomas, who used to be one of the top prospects in baseball and is under team control for a few more years.

Del Castillo was battling some arm fatigue earlier in the season, but he has now played 14 games at Triple-A, slashing .288/.386/.559 with four home runs, 16 RBI, and a 19/10 K/BB ratio. He has split his time between catcher and designated hitter and could get another opportunity with the Diamondbacks after the trade deadline if players like Eugenio Suarez are moved to another team.

The 25-year-old allowed one hit and struck out nine without walking a batter. He threw 38 of his 56 pitches for strikes and induced 15 whiffs in his four innings. Matthews averaged 97.4 mph on his four-seam fastball and touched 99 mph on one. There’s a good chance that he could return to the Twins rotation immediately following the All-Star break. It’s time to stash him if he’s still available in your league.

The 27-year-old didn’t allow a single hit while walking one and striking out five on the day. He threw 41 of his 59 pitches for strikes and looked to be in complete control on the day. Gipson-Long will likely need at least one more rehab start before rejoining the rotation to replace Keider Montero.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a strong month of May before struggling a bit in June. Still, he’s been solid on the year, slashing .246/.349/.413 with nine home runs, 48 runs scored, and 15 steals in 76 games. Lee can play both second and third base and is putting himself on the map as a potential replacement for Gleyber Torres in 2026.

Perlaza is having a good season for the Padres, hitting .298/.382/.486 in 85 games at Triple-A with nine home runs, 11 steals, and 62 RBI. He was good for the Cubs in Triple-A in 2023 as well, hitting .284/.389/.534 with 23 home runs and 13 steals in 121 games at Triple-A before going to Korea and hitting 24 home runs in the KBO in 2024. Perhaps Perlaza gets a shot with the Padres in the second half if they don’t add an outfielder at the trade deadline.

That’s now back-to-back strong outings for Waldron since being sent back down to Triple-A at the beginning of the month. He walked three and struck out three on the day, so it wasn’t dominant, but we saw last season how impactful the 28-year-old can be when his knuckleball is dancing, so it might make sense for the Padres to give him another shot.

He struck out four and walked nobody while throwing 51 of his 76 pitches for strikes. He did allow two home runs, and the long ball has been an issue for him since arriving in Triple-A, but Painter will almost certainly make his MLB debut at some point in the second half.

The 23-year-old has eight home runs and 18 RBI in just 18 games at Triple-A Syracuse since his demotion. That comes with a .250/.333/.672 slash line. Perhaps more importantly, Alvarez’s pull rate is up 13 percent since being sent down, and he’s elevating the ball 20 percent more often. If he can get to his pullside power more often, Alvarez could be a real asset for the Mets down the stretch.