MLB Player News

Semien came through with a big day after dropping to fifth in the lineup for the first time as a Ranger amid his struggles. He plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then drew a walk in the third and went yard for a three-run shot in the fifth. It was his second home run of the season. The 34-year-old second baseman is hitting .160/.231/.247 with six runs scored and ten RBI across 91 plate appearances.

Sandridge was acquired from the Yankees at the end of January. He had a 4.55 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 47/17 K/BB ratio in 31 2/3 innings at Triple-A for the Yankees last season. Even if he starts at Triple-A, there is a good chance that he sees MLB innings this season.

Fermin had a 4.46 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 39/23 K/BB ratio in 34 1/3 innings for the Angels last season. The 24-year-old could begin this year at Triple-A.

Gómez posted a 2.96 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 139/48 K/BB ratio in 121 2/3 innings split between the rotation and bullpen in High-A and Double-A last season. The 22-year-old spent the majority of Double-A in the starting rotation, so it seems like the Guardians may be trying to move him there.

Peterson posted a 3.21 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 127/40 K/BB ratio in 145 2/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A last season. The 26-year-old will likely start the season at Triple-A, but the Guardians are not settled on that yet, it seems. The team also reassigned RHPs Tanner Burns, Trenton Denholm, Tommy Mace, Aaron Davenport, and C Cameron Barstad to Minor League camp.

Schmidt said that he and the Yankees’ pitching department worked together to break his one sweeper up into two distinct breaking balls, including a new one that was “designed to give him more horizontal break and a better weapon against righties.” The pitch did that, but it also required Schmidt to “grip it really hard” and “torque it,” which caused the 30-year-old to have a tough time recovering in between his starts. He was then forced to undergo elbow surgery in July. He likely won’t return until the end of the summer, but he claims that he will stick to “his old sweeper grip and will definitely ditch the newer one.” That could lead to fewer strikeouts for Schmidt but more long-term health.

Peña fractured the tip of his finger earlier this week, but doesn’t feel that the injury will keep him out long. “I don’t know how it’s going to heal, I don’t know what the process is going to be like, but the goal is always to try to join the team for Opening Day.” We’re trying not to be influenced by the Astros’ poor track record with player return timelines in recent seasons, but we’d consider it a long shot that Peña is ready on Opening Day. The hope is that he plays not long after.

Goold highlights Wetherholt’s feel for the strike zone and mentioned how he doesn’t get fooled outside of the strike zone. He also said that Wetherholt has “power that will surprise you.” Even though Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle are getting most of the attention, Wetherholt may have the best path to playing time among the three. With the Cardinals rebuilding and both second base and third base up for grabs, Wetherholt could get 500 plate appearances or more for the Cardinals this season and is worth taking late in most draft formats.

Astros manager Joe Espada said the team will “see how he feels tomorrow,” so this could be a multi-day absense but it doesn’t seem like a major concern. The Astros need to be super cautious with Correa now that Jeremy Pena has been sidelined with a fractured finger.

Chourio was hit by a pitch in Wednesday’s game, but the imaging revealed that it was a “soft tissue” contusion, meaning none of the bones in his hand and wrist showed any damage. He will be able to run and play defense, but Team Venezuela, in conjunction with the Brewers, decided it was best to play it safe and have him not hit for at least one game. There is no reason to have any long-term concern here.

Yamamoto didn’t allow a single hit in this one, but he also struggled to put hitters away. He threw 82 percent first pitch strikes, so he got ahead easily, but he didn’t get many chases out of the zone on his splitter or curve, which made it hard for him to put away hitters. Still, his velocity looked good, and his pitch shapes all seem normal, so there isn’t much to be concerned about from a fantasy perspective this season.