Pirates Option Max Kranick

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-hander Max Kranick to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, one day after throwing five perfect innings with three strikeouts in his major league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals. The performance surely earned him some more chances later this year. The 23-year-old was sporting a 4.37 ERA in the minors before his […]

Willie Calhoun To Have Surgery Tuesday

Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun (forearm) will undergo surgery on Tuesday to fix his fractured left ulna in his forearm. We'll have a better idea of how long Calhoun might be out after his surgery, but there's a good chance that we won't see him again in 2021. The 26-year-old was having a disappointing season […]

Sam Huff Starting A Rehab Assignment

Texas Rangers catcher Sam Huff (knee) is starting a rehab assignment with the team's Arizona League affiliate on Monday and will serve as the designated hitter. Huff had surgery in April to remove a loose body from his right knee. Before his injury, he was hitting .355 (11-for-31) with three home runs and four RBI, […]

Victor Robles Not In The Lineup

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles (knee) is not in the starting lineup on Monday after being hit by a pitch on Sunday. Robles should be available off the bench, which means that he could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday. Gerardo Parra is starting in center field and is hitting seventh against New […]

Paolo Espino Starting For Nats On Monday

Washington Nationals right-hander Paolo Espino is getting the nod on the mound on Monday against the New York Mets. Espino is taking the rotation spot of Erick Fedde (oblique), who landed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday. In 17 outings (two starts), Espino has a nice 2.35 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 23/4 K/BB in […]

Josh Naylor Lands On 10-Day Injured List

The Cleveland Indians placed outfielder Josh Naylor (ankle) on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a closed fracture and dislocation of his right ankle after he collided with a teammate on Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Tribe recalled outfielder Oscar Mercado from Triple-A Columbus. Naylor will need surgery to fix the injury and […]

Tyler Naquin Scratched From Lineup Monday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin (wrist) was scratched from the starting lineup on Monday with right wrist soreness. Shogo Akiyama will bat fifth and play center field against Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Spencer Howard. Until we have more details on Naquin's injury, consider him day-to-day. Naquin has hit just .200 with a homer and five RBI […]

Joe Mixon Set For Large Workload

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is expected to have the largest workload of his career with Giovani Bernard no longer in town. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. expects Mixon to have another 15 to 20 receptions. Samaje Perine will give Mixon a breather when needed, and rookie Chris Evans should earn a portion of […]

C.J. Uzomah Expected To Be Starting Tight End

Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah is expected to be the team's starting tight end in 2021, but that is assuming that he does well coming off his Achilles injury. Uzomah was a full participant and was declared 100 percent healthy during organized team activities, so that's a good start. If healthy, he's a much […]

Bryce Harper Returns To Lineup Monday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (calf) is returning to the starting lineup on Monday against Cincinnati Reds left-hander Wade Miley. Harper was hit by a pitch on his left calf on Saturday and was held out on Sunday, but he's back in the cleanup spot to begin the week. Get him back into your lineups […]

Shane Baz Has Been Impressive

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Shane Baz, baseball's No. 71 prospect, matched his career-high with 10 strikeouts and allowed two hits over five shutout innings for Triple-A Durham on Sunday. Baz retired the last 12 hitters for his fourth scoreless outing of the year. The 24-year-old had a 3.57 ERA in May, but he finishes the […]

Alex Verdugo Sitting On Monday

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is not in the starting lineup on Monday against the Kansas City Royals and left-hander Danny Duffy. Verdugo is likely just getting a breather against the southpaw. He's hitting just .136 (3-for-22) with seven strikeouts in the last seven days and only .204 (19-for-93) with one home run against […]

Nolan Jones Picking Things Up In June

Cleveland Indians third baseman Nolan Jones, the No. 26 prospect in baseball, went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. Jones is hitting just .222 through 46 games on the year, but he's reached base in nine of his last 11 games and has a .368 on-base […]

Jeff Hoffman To Make Another Rehab Start

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman (shoulder) will make another rehab start at Triple-A Louisville later this week before he rejoins the team. Hoffman has missed around a month with a right shoulder impingement, but he has six scoreless innings with nine K's in his first two rehab outings. In […]

Asa Lacy Strikes Out Nine On Sunday

Kansas City Royals left-hander Asa Lacy, the No. 4 overall pick in 2020, struck out nine in four innings of one-hit, one-run baseball for High-A Quad Cities on Sunday. The 6-foot-4 also walked three hitters while throwing 46 of his 79 pitches for strikes. All nine of Lacy's whiffs came on swings and misses. Lacy […]

Shohei Ohtani Finishes Single Shy Of Cycle

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani had a double, triple, his 25th home run of the season and three RBI in the team's 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Ohtani also worked a walk and stole his 11th base of the season in the victory. He leads baseball in extra-base […]

Jasson Dominguez Making Pro Debut Monday

New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez, MLB Pipeline's No. 24 overall prospect, will make his professional debut on Monday in the Rookie-level circuit of the Florida Complex League. The switch-hitter signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic nearly two years ago. Dominguez is a five-tool player and is one of the most exciting […]

Cameron Jordan Feels Rejuvenated

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, who ranks second in Saints history with 94.5 career sacks in 10 seasons, said he feels rejuvenated this year and is "more hungry now than ever." The soon-to-be 32-year-old is the longest-tenured player on the team with Drew Brees and Thomas Morstead no longer around. He said he […]

Harrison Smith Wants To Remain In Minnesota

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith, who saw his streak of five straight Pro Bowl appearances end last year, is entering the final year of a contract he signed back in 2016. Smith said that he would like to sign a contract extension that would keep him in Minnesota for several more years. "I don't have […]

Julio Rodriguez Promoted To Double-A

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez has been promoted to Double-A Arkansas. The No. 5 overall prospect in baseball hit .325/.410/.581 with six home runs and five stolen bases for High-A Everett to earn the promotion. Rodriguez recently helped the Dominican Republic qualify for the 2021 Olympics as well. The 20-year-old has played both center and […]

Cam Newton, Mac Jones Set For Legitimate QB Battle

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton and rookie first-rounder Mac Jones are set for a legitimate QB competition this summer. Jones, 22, was fast-tracked in organized team activities and mandatory minicamp and, up until the final day of minicamp, even looked better than Newton. Jones has had his rookie mistakes, but he's been accurate and […]

Trevor Story Will Take Part In Home Run Derby

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story said that he will participate in this year's Home Run Derby. With the All-Star festivities taking place at Coors Field in Colorado this year, Story will predictably be the team's representative in the Derby. Fantasy managers have been a bit disappointed with the 28-year-old this year from a power perspective, […]

Reds Call Up Alejo Lopez

The Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of infielder Alejo Lopez from Triple-A Louisville on Monday and designated outfielder Scott Heineman for assignment in a corresponding move. Lopez, 25, has been the most dominant hitter in the Reds farm system this year, slashing a combined .360/.437/.485 with two home runs, 41 runs scored, 27 RBI and […]

Demaryius Thomas Hangs Up His Cleats

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, the second leading receiver in franchise history, announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday. The former first-round pick and first wideout taken in the 2010 draft emerged as the team's No. 1 receiver when quarterback Peyton Manning arrived in Denver. Thomas earned five straight Pro Bowl selections […]

Mecole Hardman Has Made Improvements

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman has the best opportunity to be this offense's breakout player of the year in 2021. Through minicamp, Hardman showed that he has made sizable improvements, whether it's his route-running, his consistency catching the ball or his overall demeanor when on the practice field. "I think he's hungrier than […]

Patrick Mahomes Focusing On Short And Intermediate Passes

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes focused more on short and intermediate passes during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp after re-watching tape of the Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mahomes completed 64 percent of his 130 passes between 10 and 20 yards downfield last regular season, but he thinks he can […]

Danny Duffy A Trade Option For Padres

Kansas City Royals left-hander Danny Duffy, who will start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, is one trade option for the San Diego Padres as they evaluate rotation upgrades at the trade deadline in July. Duffy is a pending free agent after this season and recently missed more than a month with a […]

White Sox Making Progress In Eduardo Escobar Talks

There has been some progress made in trade talks that would involve Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Eduardo Escobar going to the Chicago White Sox. Escobar was not in the starting lineup on Sunday against the San Diego Padres, with speculation that a trade was imminent. It didn't happen on Sunday, but it appears the White Sox […]

Victor Robles Leaves Game Early Sunday

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles (knee) left the game early on Sunday after he was hit in the back of the knee by a pitch from Miami Marlins pitcher Ross Detwiler. Outfielder Gerardo Parra replaced Robles in the game. Before leaving, the 24-year-old had gone hitless in three plate appearances with a walk, strikeout and […]

Hector Santiago Ejected For Foreign Substance

Seattle Mariners left-hander Hector Santiago became the first player in Major League Baseball to be ejected on Sunday after a foreign-substance inspection against the Chicago White Sox. The 33-year-old southpaw had gone 2 1/3 innings in the game, allowing one run on three hits while walking two and striking out four before the ejection. Santiago […]