MLB Player News

No indication yet on where exactly Hill will wind up at this juncture or whether there’s any actual interest from teams. However, the 44-year-old left-hander appears set on returning for what would be his 20th season in the big leagues since 2005. He was largely ineffective late last year with a calamitous 8.23 ERA in 10 appearances (five starts, and five relief appearances) following a midseason trade to the Padres. Yet, there’s probably some appeal here for a contending franchise to bring him in as a low-risk dice roll to see if there’s anything left in the tank.

Rome reports that three people briefed on the situation stated that Tucker sustained a fracture of his shin. This is in direct opposition of what Astros general manager Dana Brown has reported on Tucker’s injury, but he told The Athletic on Monday that “after several rounds of medical imaging, we suspect there was some type of small fracture.” This is all hindsight now with Tucker likely to return shortly, but fantasy managers have the right to feel irked based on the reporting — or lack thereof — of the injury.

Webb began a rehab assignment Sunday after missing around a month with inflammation in his elbow. The right-hander should be back soon if that appearance goes well and add quality depth to the Baltimore bullpen.

Not only is Marte in play to return for the Diamondbacks, but Christian Walker (oblique) is closing in on a return and could be back during the Giants series. That’s great news for Arizona as they close in on a wild card spot, and great news for fantasy managers as well.

Walker continues to make steady progress from his oblique injury, and Jesse Friedman believes that the first baseman will join the Diamondbacks on their road trip in San Francisco, with that series against the Giants beginning Tuesday. That doesn’t mean Walker will necessarily be activated for that three-game set, but it does sound like the 33-year-old will be back soon.

Bregman is still considered day-to-day, but this makes four straight contests that he’s missed because of his soreness in his elbow. Mauricio Dubon is the starting third baseman for Monday’s game against Cincinnati.

Muncy will once again sit against a southpaw, as Eduardo Rodriguez takes the ball for the Diamondbacks on Monday. With Muncy out, the Dodgers will have Enrique Hernandez handle the hot corner. It does appear that Muncy isn’t going to play at all against left-handed pitching, which obviously hurts the counting stats, but should help the rates.

Buxton is beginning his rehab assignment after being out for the last three weeks due to his hip inflammation. The 30-year-old will likely need a handful of games in Triple-A, and then he could be back with Minnesota early next week; maybe even by the end of the weekend if everything goes well.

Tatis Jr. will be in the lineup for Monday’s series opener. The outfielder has not been available for the Padres because of his femur injury, but now one of the most dynamic players in baseball joins San Diego for their playoff push. There could be some early issues for Tatis Jr. as he is coming back without a true rehab assignment, but obviously the reward outweighs the risk here.

The Astros are currently using a six-man rotation, but with the team likely to go to a five-man group in the next few days, that makes Blanco the odd-man out. The right-hander has pitched well for the overwhelming majority of the year, but it’s not surprising that the 31-year-old is the candidate most likely to make that move to relief. Unfortunately this would severely limit Blanco’s fantasy value, as it’s unlikely that he’s ever going to see a chance to pick up saves.

Gurriel exited Sunday’s game against the Dodgers with tightness in his left calf, and unsurprisingly is not available for Monday’s contest. The outfielder is considered day-to-day, and Pavin Smith gets the start in left field while Gurriel recovers.