MLB Player News

Skenes was able to generate 18 swings and misses among his 108 pitches, and the Los Angeles hitters were simply overmatched against the former first-overall pick. He did give up three doubles, but the 22-year-old was able to work around those two-baggers with ease while lowering his ERA to 2.39 in the process. It’s hard to overstate how good Skenes was against the Dodgers on Friday, and he’ll due his best to keep it up when he faces off against the Cubs on Thursday.

Loperfido has now started four straight games since being called up from Triple-A and is 5-for-11 in his first three games with one home run, one run, five RBI, and two strikeouts. The 26-year-old drastically reduced his strikeout rate in Triple-A this season thanks to a more selective approach. He still swings and missed a little more than you’d like, but he has the power to make up for it and that could make him an intriguing gamble in deeper formats right now.

Caminero was added to the All-Star game as an injury replacement for Alex Bregman (quad), so he’ll make the most of the opportunity with a spot in the Derby as well. The 22-year-old leads the American League with 21 home runs, so he’s a logical choice, and this is shaping up to be a fun Home Run Derby with James Wood, Oneil Cruz, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Cal Raleigh already announced as participants.

Morosi didn’t say that a trade was likely, but he did note that many teams, specifically the Boston Red Sox, are snooping around. Ryan still has two more years of team control under arbitration and should earn around $5 million next season, so there is no pressing need for the Twins to trade him; however, Minnesota is under strict salary limitations with their ownership group and is trying to revamp their core while not having to spend a lot of money. It will be highly unlikely that they re-sign Ryan when he’s a free agent in two years, so the Twins may choose to deal him now for a haul of prospects or MLB-ready players. Perhaps the Twins would be intrigued by Jarren Duran, who is also a former All-Star who is under team control through three more seasons. That could be an interesting start to trade discussions between those two teams.

He allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight. The 28-year-old was given only one start with the Padres after coming off the IL with an oblique strain. His command was shaky in that one start, but that can happen with a knuckleballer. He deserves another shot.

Tovar is 2-for-12 in his three rehab games at Triple-A, but is still spending most of his time at designated hitter. The team will need to see him play shortstop for a full game, likely multiple in a row, before they feel comfortable bringing him off the IL. That could happen soon after the All-Star break though.

The 20-year-old is knocking on the door for an MLB call-up, but a few things are working against him. For starters, the Orioles are not contending this year, so they may not be inclined to burn Basallo’s rookie eligibility to add him to the lineup in a season where there is little to play for. Additionally, Basallo has work to do behind the plate as a catcher. He has started only 22 games at catcher this season, while playing 15 games at first base and 19 games at designated hitter. If the Orioles are not confident in his defense behind the plate, they need to decide if his best fit long-term is at first base or at designated hitter. With Adley Rutschman around, Basallo’s best long-term home would likely be at first base, but the Orioles have Ryan O’Hearn there, at least until the trade deadline.

Rodriguez was activated off the IL earlier in the day after being out with a hip injury since May 30th. It was quite the return for the Twins’ top prospect, who is the 46th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. With trade rumors swirling around Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, and Willi Castro, there’s a chance we could see Rodriguez up in Minnesota at the end of this season if he can remain healthy.

Harrison struck out four and walked two, while allowing three of his four runs on two home runs, one of which was a cutter two inches off the inside part of the plate that was somehow pulled out of the stadium. The results are not the important thing here for Harrison, as the Red Sox continue to change his pitch mix and approach. The 23-year-old has added a cutter and threw it 15 times on Tuesday. He threw 56 of his 84 pitches for strikes and continues to showcase a strong four-seam fastball as a foundation for his arsenal with a cutter he can now use to get ahead of righties and a slurve that remains a good swing-and-miss pitch to lefties. We’d expect to see him up in Boston by the end of July.

At the beginning of June, it seemed like only a matter of time before Cavalli would get a chance in the big league rotation. However, he has since allowed 19 earned runs on 23 hits in 16 1/3 innings. Some inconsistency is expected after he missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but Cavalli will need to put together another strong stretch if he wants a chance to pitch innings for the Nationals this season.

It’s easy to forget that Grissom is only 24 years old. He’s now hitting .284 in 77 games at Triple-A with eight home runs, 35 RBI, 55 runs scored, and an .806 OPS. Right now, the Red Sox may not even have room for Marcelo Mayer on the active roster when Alex Bregman (quad) returns, so they might need a trade to create a spot for Grissom as well.