MLB Player News

Rooker went 2-for-2 with a pair of two-run home runs, an RBI sacrifice fly and a walk in an 18-3 win over the Phillies on Sunday.

Rooker ignited the Athletics' eight-homer barrage on the afternoon with the first of his two massive round trippers, slugging a 450-foot shot to center with JJ Bleday aboard in the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. He'd one-up himself just two frames later, clearing the center-field wall at a distance of 452 feet to plate Bleday once again. The All-Star snub has been one of baseball's most fearsome hitters since the calendar flipped to July, hitting .488 (20-for-41) with three doubles, six home runs, 15 RBI, seven walks, three stolen bases and 15 runs.

Butler went 3-for-6 with a trio of two-run home runs in an 18-3 win over the Phillies on Sunday.

The rookie had the most memorable hitting performance in an afternoon full of them for the Athletics, who slugged a whopping eight home runs in the rout. Butler left the yard in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings, capping off his trio of round trippers with a massive 449-foot shot that landed in the second deck in right-center field. It is the first time Butler has homered three times in a game at any level of professional baseball, and his long-ball total on the afternoon represented exactly half his season tally across 187 plate appearances coming into the day. Butler heads into an inopportunely timed All-Star break with his power stroke in prolific form, as he's left the yard on five occasions in the last six games.

Faedo (4-1) walked a batter and retired one via strikeout to earn the win in Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Faedo needed 12 pitches to close out the top of the ninth inning, then scooped up the win when the Tigers scored twice in the bottom of the frame. The righty finished a solid first half of the season in which he posted a 3.50 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 43.2 innings of relief. Faedo will remain a bullpen option for the Tigers after the All-Star break, and he can give the team multiple innings when needed.

McKinstry went 1-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Dodgers. He also stole a base.

McKinstry showed off his speed in the last game of the first half, as he recorded his third triple of the season and seventh stolen base. The utility player got the start at shortstop with Javier Baez (back) held out, though Baez is not expected to need a stint on the injured list. McKinstry will slot into a reserve role after the All-Star break if Baez is healthy, which limits the former's fantasy upside.

Manager Aaron Boone said that Stanton (hamstring) won't be reinstated from the 10-day injured list when the Yankees open their second-half schedule Friday versus the Rays, but the 34-year-old could be activated soon thereafter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Additionally, the skipper said that the Yankees remain undecided on whether will need to complete a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from the IL. Stanton was placed on the IL on June 23 with a left hamstring strain and was projected to miss around four weeks, and that timeline still looks to be accurate now that he's hit the three-week mark in his recovery process. Stanton will continue his rehab program during the All-Star break and could bypass a rehab assignment if the Yankees feel comfortable with how his hamstring is responding to live batting practice and pregame running. Fantasy managers shouldn't plan on Stanton being available for the start of the four-game series with the Rays, but a return from the IL the week after looks realistic.

Grisham went 3-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two runs Sunday against the Orioles.

Grisham drove in the Yankees' first run with a second-inning single, then touched up Orioles starter Dean Kremer in the fifth for his sixth homer of the year. In total, Grisham collected three hits for the first time this season and reached base in all four plate appearances, raising his average from .173 to .195 in the process. He enters the All-Star break slashing .195/.301/.389 with six homers, 19 RBI and 15 runs over 133 plate appearances.

Stanek left Sunday's game against the Angels after walking the first batter he faced in the eighth inning on four straight balls, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Stanek came on in the eighth to protect a 2-0 lead after Logan Gilbert fired seven scoreless frames. All four of Stanek's pitches were well off the plate, and he left with a trainer. Andres Munoz, who was already the top Mariners reliever to roster in fantasy, should get the save chances going forward.

Kimbrel (6-2) blew a save but picked up the win Sunday, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks over one inning against the Yankees. He struck out one.

Kimbrel came on in the ninth looking for his 24th save but quickly blew that opportunity by allowing a couple of walks followed by a three-run homer by Ben Rice. To his credit, Kimbrel then retired the next three batters, making him the pitcher of record when the Orioles completed their own comeback in the bottom of the inning. Despite Sunday's outing, Kimbrel has been highly effective in his first season with the Orioles, entering the All-Star break with six wins, 23 saves, a 2.80 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 53 strikeouts in 39 appearances spanning 35.1 innings.

The Yankees designated Morris for assignment on Sunday.

An intriguing pitching prospect as a member of the Guardians organization a few years ago, Morris was never able to show enough durability to hold up a starter, and he hasn't had success as a reliever with the Yankees. The 27-year-old righty had a 4.25 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 36 innings over 24 appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

The Yankees activated Effross (back) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

He had a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings over eight appearances on his four-week rehab assignment, and the Yankees aren't quite ready to add him to the big-league bullpen. Effross had back surgery in December while recovering from October 2022 Tommy John surgery.