MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks designated Beer for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Reno ahead of Wednesday's game against the Rangers. The 26-year-old Beer had yet to appear in the majors this season and slashed .200/.266/.314 in 79 plate appearances with Reno. His poor numbers at Triple-A and lack of defensive flexibility mean he's unlikely to be claimed off waivers.

Pederson is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Pederson will begin Wednesday's contest on the bench with left-hander Framber Valdez on the mound for the Astros. Wilmer Flores will operate as the designated hitter and hit fifth in the final game of the three-game series against Houston.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Detroit, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers are bringing southpaw Joey Wentz to the hill for the opening game of the twin bill, so the lefty-hitting Vogelbach will predictably head to the bench. Mark Canha will fill in for Vogelbach as the Mets' designated hitter.

Harper (elbow) went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his season debut Tuesday in a 13-1 loss to the Dodgers.

While Harper made an incredibly fast recovery from Tommy John surgery, a season debut like this one shows it's best to temper expectations with the 30-year-old for now. Harper will be limited to designated hitter initially, and he's expected to play at first base once he's cleared to throw with his surgically repaired right elbow. Fantasy managers will want to have him active quickly -- this is a player who slashed .286/.364/.514 with 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 63 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 28 doubles over 99 games in an injury-plagued 2022 campaign.

Harper was activated Tuesday from the 10-day injured list.

As anticipated, Harper will make his 2023 debut as the Phillies' designated hitter Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, less than six months after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow. It's an incredibly swift return from that procedure and Harper might need regular days off out of the gate, but his return is worth celebrating and arrives as excellent news for fantasy managers who got him at a value this spring. The 30-year-old slugger has delivered a .940 OPS across his first four seasons with Philadelphia while averaging 36 home runs, 105 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 108 runs scored for every 162 games played.

Ruf (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Ruf landed on the 10-day IL last week due to inflammation in his right wrist, and he appears to be in line for close to a minimum stay. The 36-year-old veteran is slashing .261/.370/.348 in 27 plate appearances since being selected to the major-league squad in the middle of April.

Blackmon is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Brewers.

Kris Bryant will take a turn in the designated hitter role and bat second in the Rockies' series opener versus Milwaukee. Jurickson Profar, Brenton Doyle and Randal Grichuk are starting across the outfield.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Astros.

Pederson's first home run since April 3 gave the Giants a 2-1 lead in the third. He continues to periodically sit out versus lefties and missed a two-week stretch due to a wrist injury, but his .255/.354/.509 slash line through 17 games is encouraging. During his first season with San Francisco last year, Pederson slashed .274/.353/.521 with 23 homers and 70 RBI across 134 games.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson confirmed that Harper (elbow) will be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Thomson said that he wanted to give Harper off for Monday's series opener in Los Angeles because of a hectic schedule that included a doctor's appointment, but the two-time National League MVP will be ready to make his season debut 160 days after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The Phillies could give Harper a day off or two in his first couple weeks back in action since he didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment and is returning from surgery sooner than anticipated, but he should otherwise be a mainstay in the lineup at designated hitter beginning with Tuesday's contest. Harper began working out at first base a few weeks ago and could eventually be an option at that position, but playing the outfield is most likely off the table for him in 2023.

Martinez (back) won't be activated from the 10-day injured list during the Dodgers' upcoming weekend series against the Padres, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez is eligible to come off the 10-day IL beginning Friday in San Diego, but skipper Dave Roberts noted Monday that he expects the slugger to need at least a few extra days before being activated. If all goes well over the next week, Martinez could be ready to return to the starting lineup for the team's series against the Brewers, which is scheduled to begin May 8.