Xander Bogaerts Back in Lineup on Friday
Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) is back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Cincinnati against the Reds and right-hander Nick Martinez, playing shortstop and batting sixth. Bogaerts was scratched from the series finale on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals with left-shoulder soreness, but he's feeling better after a scheduled day off on Thursday. While the 32-year-old continues to be very mediocre overall on offense, he has hit .385 with a 1.082 OPS, one home run and two RBI in 13 career at-bats against Martinez, a former Padre. In 22 games in June, Bogaerts has been slightly better, hitting .259/.319/.365 with a home run, six doubles, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, two stolen bases and an 11:8 K:BB in 94 plate appearances. The four-time All-Star's diminishing power is no secret, but he does already had 13 steals in 78 games.Source: MLB.com
San Diego Padres shortstop Griffin Canning Done for the Year With Ruptured Achilles
Griffin Canning (Achilles) will miss the rest of the 2025 season after being placed on the 60-day injured list on Friday with a ruptured left Achilles that he suffered in Thursday's game against the Atlanta Braves. The Mets added right-handed pitching prospect Blade Tidwell from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. It's a tough break for Canning, who might not be ready for the start of next year either, depending on how his rehab goes this offseason. The 29-year-old was having his best year in the big leagues in his first season with the Mets, going 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 70:35 K:BB in his 16 starts. Obviously, fantasy managers in single-year leagues can now drop him. With Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Sean Manaea (elbow, oblique) on the IL, Tidwell could temporarily fill the fifth spot in New York's starting rotation.Source: New York Mets
New York Mets right-hander Kyle Freeland Reinstated and Starting on Friday
Kyle Freeland (back) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and optioned right-hander Anthony Molina to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Freeland will make the start for Friday's series opener in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The 32-year-old veteran required a minimum stay on the IL and skipped a minor-league rehab assignment, so there's a good chance he will be on a strict pitch count in his first start back against a tough opponent on the road. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should probably be looking to stay away from Freeland, who has gone 1-8 this year with a 5.13 ERA (3.63 FIP) and 1.53 WHIP with 57 K's and 15 walks in 73 2/3 innings over his 14 starts. In his first start against Milwaukee on April 8, Freeland allowed five earned runs on eight hits while striking out five in a loss in 6 1/3 innings.Source: Rockies Club Information
The Colorado Rockies officially reinstated left-hander Marcelo Mayer Placed on Bereavement List
Marcelo Mayer on the bereavement list on Friday and recalled infielder Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move, according to Mass Live's Chris Cotillo. Mayer will step away from the team for a couple of days and will most likely miss the entire weekend series at Fenway Park against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Sogard will step into the starting lineup on Friday against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios, playing third base and batting in the nine-hole. Mayer, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is the club's shortstop of the future, but he has been filling in at the hot corner in Beantown with Alex Bregman (quadriceps) expected to be out for the rest of the first half of the season. The 22-year-old has hit just .208 (16-for-77) but does have four home runs in his first 27 MLB contests.Source: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
The Boston Red Sox placed rookie infielder Jake Fraley Placed on Injured List With Shoulder Sprain
Jake
Fraley
(shoulder)
on
the
10-day
injured
list
on
Friday
with
a
shoulder
sprain
and
activated
outfielder
Austin
Hays
(foot)
from
the
10-day
IL
in
aread more...
The
Cincinnati
Reds
placed
outfielder
Austin Hays Back From the Injured List
Austin Hays (foot) from the 10-day injured list on Friday, according to FOX 19's Charlie Goldsmith. Hays has been an everyday player for the Reds this year when he's been healthy, and he'll step back into that role, but the team will ease him back in as the designated hitter at first for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Dylan Cease. The 29-year-old has been out since May 29 with a left-foot contusion. Hays has had a tough time staying on the field in 2025, but when he's been active, he's been useful in mixed fantasy leagues with a .303/.346/.555 slash line, .901 OPS, six home runs, 25 RBI, 23 runs scored and two stolen bases in 119 at-bats. Outfielder Jake Fraley (shoulder) was put on the IL in a corresponding move with Hays returning.Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar Back in Cardinals Lineup
Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) is back in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Luis L. Ortiz, playing left field and batting fifth in the order. Nootbaar will return to action after missing the final two games of the series against the Chicago Cubs with an intercostal injury, but he's back on Friday and ready to go for the weekend. He has hit .237 (44-for-186) with nine of his 11 home runs on the year against right-handed pitchers and has gone hitless in just two career at-bats versus Ortiz. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder comes into Friday's series opener riding a modest six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 7-for-22 with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and three runs scored.Source: MLB.com
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jackson Stephens Could be a Rotation Option
Didier Fuentes will get another turn in the starting rotation after giving up eight hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings in his second major-league start on Wednesday against the New York Mets, and he now has a 10.80 ERA. Meanwhile, right-hander Jackson Stephens threw five shutout innings with one hit allowed on Thursday for Triple-A Gwinnett after going four hitless and scoreless innings in his previous start. The Braves have been impressed with Fuentes' maturity, but if they wanted to make a change going into next week's series against the Los Angeles Angels, it would line up for Stephens to make a start as the Braves continue to look to fill Chris Sale's (rib cage) spot in the rotation. The 31-year-old Stephens was recently moved to a starting role at Gwinnett after opening the year in the bullpen.Source: The Athletic - David O'Brien
It's unclear if Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Marcell Ozuna's Power is Down
Marcell Ozuna had a .287 average and .922 OPS through the first 30 games of the season despite battling through a hip injury. However, he had only five home runs and 12 RBI with 29 walks through his first 30 games after totaling 79 homers and 204 RBI in the last two seasons. Since then, he's hit just .224 with six home runs and a .700 OPS in 46 games before Thursday's contest, but he said two weeks ago that his hip was no longer an issue. He does have 15 RBI in his last 22 games, but he's also had just one home run and five extra-base hits. Ozuna currently is in the 90th percentile in xwOBA and 81st percentile for hard-hit rate, so as long as he stays healthy, there should be some positive regression coming in the second half for a Braves team that has had its share of offensive struggles in 2025.Source: The Athletic - David O'Brien
Atlanta Braves outfielder/designated hitter Wenceel Perez Thriving After Closing Off his Stance
Wenceel Perez got a late start to the 2025 season due to a back injury, but he's been a different player since he returned, and it's mainly been attributed to a mechanical tweak in his stance, according to The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen. Perez has closed off his stance and is angling his front foot to make sure he doesn't pull off the baseball. It's helped him be effective from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter, as he has three homers apiece from each side and currently sports a .983 OPS. In addition to his adjustments as a hitter, the 25-year-old has made strides at his new home in right field and has shown off his arm strength recently by hosing two Athletics baserunners. It's still only a small sample size of 83 at-bats in 2025, but the Dominican is hitting .301 and is worth a look as a waiver-wire pickup if he's available in your league.Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
Detroit Tigers outfielder Cal Raleigh Added to Home Run Derby Field
Cal
Raleigh
announced
on
Friday
that
he
will
compete
in
this
year's
All-Star
Home
Run
Derby
on
July
14
at
Truist
Park
in
Atlanta,
according
to
MLB.com's
Daniel
Kramer.
Raleigh,
who
great
upread more...
Seattle
Mariners
catcher
Jose Ramirez Won't Start on Friday
Stephen
Vogt
said
on
MLB
Network
Radio
on
SiriusXM
that
third
baseman
Jose
Ramirez
(forearm)
"probably
isn't
going
to
be
able
to
play"
in
the
series
opener
onread more...
Cleveland
Guardians
manager
Adrian Del Castillo Set to Begin Rehab Assignment
Adrian Del Castillo (back) was sent to the Arizona Complex League to begin his rehab assignment. Del Castillo was placed on the 7-day IL with a back injury earlier in June. This is an excellent sign as the young backstop appears to be on track to make a quick return. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could return to Triple-A Reno as early as next week. Last season, the No. 6-ranked prospect in the system made his MLB debut and performed quite well during his first taste of the majors, posting an elite .313/.368/.525 slash line with five doubles and four long balls. With Gabriel Moreno (finger) on the IL in the majors as well, Del Castillo could push for a promotion early in the second half once cleared to return to action.Source: Alex Weiner
Arizona Diamondbacks catching prospect Blade Tidwell Rejoining Mets
Blade Tidwell, will rejoin the big-league roster on Friday for the team's series opener with the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates. The news comes as New York has dealt with a myriad of pitching injuries -- the latest of which, affecting starter Griffin Canning (Achilles). Canning isn't the Mets' only concern, with Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Tylor Megill (elbow) still shelved -- not to mention the recent news regarding the loose foreign body rolling around in Sean Manaea's (elbow, oblique) elbow. For now, Tidwell will be available out of the bullpen, but he could take Canning's vacant spot in the rotation if the Amazin's decide to go in that direction. He sports a ghastly 9.82 ERA and 2.59 WHIP through two starts (7 1/3 innings) in his debut.Source: Andy Martino
SNY's Andy Martino reports that New York Mets No. 15 overall prospect, pitcher Hao-Yu Lee Launches Sixth Long Ball
Hao-Yu Lee went 2-for-5 with a home run and two strikeouts during their contest against Triple-A Charlotte. This was Lee's second-straight contest tallying at least two hits. This was also his second long ball since the start of June. Lee is considered the No. 6-ranked prospect in the Detroit system on MLB.com. The 22-year-old spent the entire 2024 campaign with Double-A and was given the nod to open the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Toledo. Through his first 63 games at the top level of the minor leagues, Lee has posted a .255/.361/.410 line with nine doubles, five triples, six home runs, 10 stolen bases, and a .771 OPS. At Double-A, Lee held a strong .298/.363/.488 line. Lee could be in the mix to reach the majors in the second half.Source: MiLB.com
Detroit Tigers second base prospect