MLB Player News

Stewart has evolved into one of Cincinnati’s top prospects after being selected 32nd overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. He’s hitting .393 (11-for-28) with two homers in seven games at the Double-A level. The 21-year-old slugger isn’t going to run much and has some defensive questions at the highest level, but he projects as a reliable 20-plus homer power source. It’s great to see him tearing the cover off the ball after missing most of last year recovering from wrist surgery.

Varsho was seen grabbing left left leg while moving into third base. The 28-year-old will likely need to undergo imaging to determine the severity and specifics of the injury, but for now Myles Straw is in the game in Varsho’s absence.

The report when Mitchell went down on Apr. 25 was that his oblique strain was rather mild, but as the weeks have gone by without updates of any sort, it had become apparent that he wasn’t progressing as hoped. It’s unfortunate the Brewers are being so tightlipped here. As of a couple of days ago, MLB.com still had Mitchell’s return pegged as “late May/early June.” Perkins was originally expected back from his fracture weeks ago, but updates there have been scarce, too.

Gurriel will get a breather Saturday against Michael Soroka and the Washington pitching staff. Randal Grichuk gets the start in left field and he’ll hit eighth while Gurriel rests.

It’s Ohtani’s second time facing hitters this month as he continues to progress towards a potential return to pitching in game action for the Dodgers. There’s no definitive timetable for that to occur, but it’s theoretically possible he’ll be ready to take the ball at some point in the second half, but there’s very little incentive for Los Angeles to rush this process. The 30-year-old two-way superstar leads the majors with 22 home runs this season after going deep twice during Friday’s victory over the Yankees.

Reds manager Terry Francona refused to delve into specifics on Saturday, classifying it as merely a “leg” issue that De La Cruz has been managing and playing through. If he’s dealing with any sort of underlying physical issue, it certainly hasn’t impacted his on-field performance of late. The 23-year-old fantasy superstar has notched at least one hit in seven straight games and is batting .346 with three homers and one steal during that span.

Counsell added that the oblique strain that put Hodge on the shelf last week has been resolved, but he’s now working through a hip issue. The Cubs are hoping he’ll be ready to throw a bullpen session next week and he’s going to need a minor league rehab assignment before re-joining the club’s high-leverage mix.

Betts will sit out the remainder of this weekend’s series against New York after being diagnosed with a fracture in one of his left toes, but is aiming to return fro Monday’s series opener against the Mets. There should be some official clarity on his status at the outset of next week. It’ll be rookie Hyeseong Kim filling in at shortstop on Saturday evening in his absence.

It’s worth noting that Freeman isn’t sitting out after appearing to be in some discomfort during Friday’s rematch of last year’s Fall Classic. The 35-year-old fantasy stalwart will have to play through lingering issues with his surgically-repaired right ankle, but it doesn’t appear that he’s going to miss any time after possibly aggravating the issue again.

Bieber celebrated his 30th birthday by authoring an impressive performance in his rehab debut as he continues to work his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. The former fantasy ace figures to be an option for Cleveland’s rotation at some point in late June or early July.

Bader is back in left field and batting eighth on Saturday night following a four-game absence due to right ring finger inflammation. The positive news here is that he’s managed to avoid a trip to the injured list. The Twins have their entire Opening Day lineup back fully healthy for the first time in nearly two months.