MLB Player News

The Phillies recalled Clemens from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.

He'll join the 26-man active roster as a replacement for Bryce Harper (personal), who was placed on the paternity list. Harper will likely remain away from the Phillies for the maximum three days to welcome in the newest addition to his family, so Clemens' stay with the big club could come to an end before the end of the week. Clemens has produced an .841 OPS over 69 plate appearances at Lehigh Valley this season.

The Phillies placed Harper (personal) on the paternity list ahead of Monday's game against the Reds.

Per MLB rules, players placed on the paternity list have to miss between one and three games, so expect Harper to take the maximum amount of time to welcome in the newest addition to his family. Harper could link back up with the Phillies in Cincinnati on Thursday for the club's series finale with the Reds. Infielder Kody Clemens was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move.

Knack is slated to start Wednesday's game against Washington at Nationals Park.

The 26-year-old righty will make his second straight turn through the rotation after limiting the Nationals to two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings in his MLB debut this past Wednesday. Though he'll get a rematch with a weak Washington lineup, Knack's outing will come on the road this time after he had the luxury of debuting at Dodger Stadium. Walker Buehler (elbow) is due to make the fifth start of his rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and if all goes well, he could be activated from the 15-day injured list next week to bump Knack out of the big-league rotation.

Priester is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Brewers at PNC Park.

Even though he was lit up for five runs (four earned) on seven hits -- including three home runs -- and one walk across 4.1 innings in his 2024 MLB debut this past Friday against the Red Sox, Priester will get at least one more chance to prove that he belongs in the big-league rotation. He'll have the benefit of making a second straight start at home, though the more forgiving dimensions of PNC Park didn't do him many favors this past weekend when it came to keeping the ball in the yard. If Priester is unable to show improvement Wednesday and ends up being sent back to the minors, top prospect Paul Skenes could be next in line to fill the No. 5 spot in Pittsburgh's rotation.

Thomas went 0-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Astros.

The 28-year-old outfielder has stolen bags in back-to-back games and has gone 4-for-4 on steal attempts over the last seven contests, but that's been his only consistent source of fantasy value. Thomas is slashing a rough .179/.247/.250 through 93 plate appearances with two homers, 10 steals, six runs and 10 RBI as he struggles to reproduce his breakout 2023 campaign.

Abrams went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Astros.

The shortstop extended his hitting streak to eight games with the performance, but the steal was his first since March 30, snapping a 16-game drought on the basepaths. Abrams has hardly been a disappointment so far in 2024, slashing .297/.358/.676 with six homers, four steals, 12 RBI and 15 runs in 18 contests, but after he pilfered 47 bags last year in his first full big-league season, fantasy GMs who invested in him are likely expecting the 23-year-old to be a bit busier as a baserunner.

Rainey has averaged 93.6 mph with his fastball so far in 2024, down significantly from the 97.0 mph he averaged over 30 innings in 2022 prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery that August.

In his most recent appearance Saturday, Rainey gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning but topped out at 95.1 mph, and he missed out on a decision as the Nationals went on to win in the 10th. The 31-year-old right-hander has been superficially effective since getting tagged for three runs in his first two outings of the year, and he's allowed just one run in his last six innings. His 1.50 ERA over that stretch comes with a 1.83 WHIP and 5:4 K:BB, however. Rainey has yet to record a win, hold or save in 2024, and he might need to regain his lost velocity if he's going to work his way back into a consistent high-leverage role.

Ruiz (illness) indicated Sunday that he is almost fully recovered from the bout of the flu that landed him on the 10-day injured list, but he's expected to go on a short rehab stint before being activated, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The 25-year-old catcher has lost nearly 20 pounds while battling the bug, but he's begun taking part in some baseball activities and lifting weights again. He also tried to spin the weight loss as a positive. "But I feel good. I feel lighter," Ruiz said. "So I've got to take the positives. I feel like I can run better, move better. And I gain weight fast, too. I'm going to eat a couple burgers." Ruiz will likely be assigned to Double-A Harrisburg to get back into game shape, and while he's eligible to come off the IL as soon as Tuesday, a return this weekend for a series in Miami seems more plausible.

Nido went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's loss to the Dodgers.

Making his first start of the season for the Mets and batting ninth, Nido threw out Will Smith attempting to swipe second base to end the third inning -- a noteworthy event only because Francisco Alvarez (thumb) and Omar Narvaez had gone a combined 0-for-28 to begin the season in throwing out base stealers. With Alvarez sidelined and Narvaez batting just .200 (5-for-25), Nido's defense could earn him more than just a short-side platoon role while he's in the majors.

Hoeing gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning Sunday to record his first hold of the season in a win over the Cubs.

The 27-year-old right-hander has been one of the few bullpen arms for Miami to have success early in the season, and Hoeing sports a 1.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11:5 K:BB through 14 innings. Sunday's hold was only the second of his career, but he could work his way into more consistent high-leverage spots if he continues to get the job done and the likes of Andrew Nardi (9.31 ERA) and Anthony Bender (8.31 ERA) continue to struggle.