MLB Player News

Reds manager David Bell said Sunday that Fairchild (spine) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list following the All-Star break, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Fairchild was placed on the IL on Monday with a spinal disc injury, but he seems to be progressing well and tracking toward an abbreviated absence. He'll head to the Reds' complex in Arizona during the break to increase his baseball activities, and barring a setback, he should be ready to go when Cincinnati opens its second-half schedule Friday in Washington. Fairchild had been serving as the Reds' everyday center fielder in the absence of TJ Friedl (hamstring) prior to getting hurt, but he may be limited to a short-side platoon role upon his activation now that Cincinnati has added Rece Hinds and Austin Slater to its outfield mix in addition to getting Jake Fraley back from the family medical emergency list.

Walker (finger) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is scheduled to throw another Wednesday at his home in Arizona, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Walker "looked great" in Saturday's throwing session in Philadelphia, and the right-hander has received the green light to continue throwing on his own over the All-Star break. He'll link back up with the Phillies following the break before the club determines whether he's ready to face hitters. Walker is expected to require multiple starts on a minor-league rehab assignment as he looks to move past a blister and inflammation on his right index finger, so he doesn't look to be on pace for a return from the 15-day injured list until at least early August.

Yastrzemski went 3-for-3 with a triple, two doubles and a walk in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Twins.

Yastrzemski's triple was the decisive play, as it turned into a Little League home run when he scored on a throwing error by Brooks Lee. Neither power nor speed have been notable for Yastrzemski this year, though this was his third multi-hit effort in his last four games. The outfielder is slashing .241/.316/.436 with eight home runs, 31 RBI, 29 runs scored, nine doubles, five triples and one stolen base across 78 contests.

Walker (6-3) retired both batters he faced and earned the win Sunday over the Twins.

Walker was called on for damage control after Camilo Doval blew a save chance. Walker got Willi Castro to ground out and Brooks Lee to fly out, keeping the game tied at 2-2 before Mike Yastrzemski tripled and scored on an error to win it for the Giants. Aside from a three-run stumble versus the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Walker continues to be quite steady in a high-leverage role. He's at a 2.32 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 62:10 K:BB through 50.1 innings while adding 17 holds and two blown saves this season. While reliever wins can be tricky to project, Walker's steady ratios, high strikeout rate and setup duties make him a reliable option for fantasy managers.

Phillips is scheduled to make his next start either Saturday or Sunday in Pittsburgh, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Phillips will get a second turn through the rotation after he held his own in his first MLB start Saturday, when he earned a win over the Athletics while striking out five and allowing four runs on six hits and no walks over six innings. Whether Phillips pitches Saturday or Sunday will depend on how extensively left-hander Cristopher Sanchez is used in Tuesday's All-Star Game, but the Phillies are already committed to having the 26-year-old right-hander pitch next weekend against the Pirates. Unless he implodes against the Pirates, Phillips should get at least one more start after that, as the Phillies don't seem to be counting on Taijuan Walker (finger) returning from the injured list until August.

Doval allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning, taking a blown save in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Twins.

Doval's poor performance didn't stop the Giants from winning, but it made things a bit hairy in the ninth inning. The closer had gone five scoreless innings since his last blown save June 28, though he continues to put too many batters on base. For the season, Doval has a 4.38 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 49:24 K:BB over 37 innings while going 17-for-21 in save chances. If manager Bob Melvin changes his approach to the closer job, Doval could lose some of his save share to Ryan Walker or Tyler Rogers.

Suarez won't be available for Tuesday's All-Star Game while he recovers from back tightness, but the Phillies expect him to be available to make his first start of the second half July 22 or 23 in Minnesota, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Suarez hasn't been forced to miss any time due to the back issue and likely would have been available to start during the upcoming week if the Phillies needed him, but he'll instead use the All-Star break to heal up while he's less than 100 percent healthy. Though he's in the midst of a career-best season and was looking forward to pitching in his first Midsummer Classic, Suarez clearly hasn't been at his best of late, as he has struggled to an 8.62 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 13:7 K:BB in 15.2 innings over his last three starts, two of which have come against sub-.500 clubs in the Marlins and Athletics. Suarez won't travel to Arlington, Texas, for the All-Star Game and will instead remain in Philadelphia to continue throwing. Zack Wheeler is also tending to a back issue and will skip the All-Star Game, but both he and Suarez are expected to take the hill in some order when the Phillies next require fourth and fifth starters July 22 and 23.

Snell allowed one hit and struck out eight without walking a batter over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Twins on Sunday.

Snell carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, and he faced the minimum in his start by erasing the one hit he gave up with a double play. The left-hander was denied the win after Camilo Doval blew a save opportunity, but the Giants bounced back for the team victory. Snell has allowed two hits and three walks over 12 innings since returning from a groin injury, finally showing his skills after an injury-riddled start to 2024. He has a 6.31 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 42:17 K:BB through 35.2 innings over eight starts, but he should be considered a buy-low target in fantasy.

Yepez went 2-for-3 with a walk, one stolen base, one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Brewers.

Yepez has hit safely in all 10 of his major-league games this season, and this was his third straight multi-hit effort. He's also shown modest power with six doubles, though he's yet to hit a home run. The 26-year-old has added three RBI and six runs scored over 43 plate appearances, and his steal Sunday was the first of his major-league career. Until Joey Gallo (hamstring) returns from the IL, Yepez is likely to maintain a firm grip on a starting job at first base.

Wheeler (back) played catch in the outfield Sunday and is expected to make his next start for the Phillies on July 22 or 23 versus the Twins in Minnesota, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

A bout with back spasms caused Wheeler to miss out on a start in the Phillies' final game before the All-Star break Sunday versus the Athletics, and it'll also prevent from making his second appearance in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday. However, the back issue wasn't significant enough to force Wheeler to the injured list, and if he continues to remain free of setbacks in his throwing sessions over the next week, he should be ready to take the hill July 22 or 23 without any restrictions. With a 10-4 record, 2.70 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 116.2 innings over his 16 outings on the season, Wheeler had been a leading candidate to start for the National League in the All-Star Game, but those duties will now fall to Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes.