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Its time to get into some news and notes from around the MLB once again today. We are going to start with the endless news source of the Yankees. The team decided to option top pitching prospect, Clarke Schmidt. The move itself confuses me as Boone said, "He has delivered in every way/" That is a vote of confidence for me as I now expect to see him again this season. The Yankees are hoping to get SP Mashiro Tanaka back from a concussion by the 31st of July. The news is great for the Yankees as Tanaka is a crucial part of the rotation.
The Philidelphia Phillies also optioned their top pitching prospect in Spencer Howard. The move is expected, but not at the same time. The Phillies aren't in a bad spot with pitching, but Howard should be the first man up if they have an injury. The Phillies also optioned: P Mauricio Llovera, P Addison Russ, and C Logan O'Hoppe. In other moves for the Phillies, they released veteran IF/OF Josh Harrison as he is free to look for a new team.
The Chicago Cubs got Anthony Rizzo back on the field today. Rizzo is expected to start in the final exhibition game Wednesday after missing time with back soreness. Great news for the Cubs as Rizzo is a cornerstone of the team's success.
Going out West to the AL, The Houston Astros star 2B Jose Altuve is day-to-day with a leg contusion. The injury happened after being hit by a pitch in an exhibition versus the Kanas City Royals. I see this becoming a possibly regular occurrence for the Astros. The injury won't hold Altuve out long unless it develops further complications. Sticking in the AL West young Athletics P AJ Puk will be out "quite a while" after getting a cortisone shot in his shoulder. The original injury was a shoulder strain, and getting a picture is an obvious first step to help heal quickly, but more often than not, we see the surgery happen.