News
Seiya Suzuki (wrist) remains out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Padres.
Suzuki will miss his second straight game as he continues to battle an ongoing right wrist issue. There’s been zero indication he’ll require a trip to the injured list after re-aggravating the issue during Saturday’s showdown against the Dodgers. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. It’ll be Justin Turner filling in at DH on Monday night in San Diego.
Nationals released C Andrew Knizner.
Knizner had an opt-out in his minor league contract with the club and has been cut loose to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. The 30-year-old backstop has been one of the more impressive hitters in the International League this season, batting .382/.516/.500 with one homer and 11 RBI through 23 games for Triple-A Rochester. He should be able to latch on somewhere else as extra organizational catching depth.
Anthony Santander (hip) remains out of the lineup for Saturday’s showdown against the Tigers.
It’ll be veteran George Springer in right field with Santander out of the lineup for the second straight game and fifth time in the past eight contests. The Blue Jays are proceeding with an abundance of caution after Santander reported left hip soreness after tweaking it during Thursday’s series finale against the Rays. The 30-year-old slugger is presumably day-to-day for the moment. It’s a situation fantasy managers should continue monitoring closely.
Kerry Carpenter is not in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays.
Carpenter, who is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with one homer and one steal over his last seven games, takes a seat with veteran lefty Eric Lauer toeing the rubber on Saturday afternoon for Toronto. It’ll be Justyn-Henry Malloy coming up to the leadoff spot with Gleyber Torres getting a break from the field at DH.
Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde.
Hyde has been dismissed following a calamitous 15-28 start that leaves the Orioles in last place in a crowded AL East. The 51-year-old skipper helped guide Baltimore to the postseason each of the previous two seasons and leaves with a 421-492 record over seven years dating back to 2019. Third base coach Tony Mansolino will take over as interim manager, according to a team statement.
Paul Blackburn (knee) will make another minor league rehab appearance.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Saturday that the club wants a little more time before making a decision. Blackburn has been on the shelf since spring training working his way back from knee inflammation. The 31-year-old veteran has already made five rehab starts in the minors. New York’s rotation has been the best in baseball through the first seven weeks of the season, so it’s unclear what type of role Blackburn will have once he returns. It’s a classy problem for the Mets to have.
Moisés Ballesteros is at DH and batting sixth on Saturday against the White Sox.
Ballesteros has started three of four games at DH since being promoted from Triple-A Iowa earlier this week, going 1-for-8 with a pair of RBI through his first three contests. The 21-year-old slugging backstop figures to continue getting regular opportunities against right-handed pitching out of the DH spot for at least the next few weeks while Ian Happ (oblique) is on the injured list. His contact skills and path to regular at-bats makes him interesting for fantasy purposes, especially since he’s catcher-eligible.