Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario (elbow), who hyperextended his elbow in his final at-bat on Wednesday, is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting New York Mets and left-hander Jose Quintana. Candelario is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup, while Santiago Espinal is at the hot corner and is hitting seventh in the batting order. The 30-year-old switch-hitting Candelario has gone just 4-for-24 (.167) with a home run and two RBI in his first six games in 2024 with the Reds, but fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups now that he's active. In seven career at-bats against Quintana, he's hitting .429 with a 1.000 OPS.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario (elbow) is feeling better after leaving Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies due to soreness in his right elbow. "I should be good. It's already better," said Candelario, who will be re-evaluated before Friday's game versus the visiting New York Mets. Before exiting on Wednesday, he hit a two-out double in the eighth inning and may not have to miss any time moving ahead. After netting a three-year deal with the Reds this past offseason, the 30-year-old infielder is slashing just .167/.200/.375 with one home run and two RBI through 25 plate appearances so far this year. Even so, Candelario is difficult to consider dropping in shallow fantasy leagues while he's regularly batting cleanup at a hitter-friendly ballpark and locked into an everyday role at the hot corner with Noelvi Marte (suspension) unavailable until midseason.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell told reporters after Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies that corner infielder Jeimer Candelario (elbow) hyperextended his right elbow late in the game and that the trainers don't believe it's very serious. Bell said the team will "re-evaluate on Friday." Candelario injured his elbow on the swing right before hitting a double in the top of the eighth inning, and he was removed from the game in the bottom of the inning. The double was the 30-year-old's only hit in four at-bats, and he also struck out in the victory. Cincinnati has a day off on Thursday before returning home on Friday to face the New York Mets, so he may not have to miss any time. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if Candelario is in the lineup. He's struggling early in his first season with the Reds, hitting just .167 with a homer, two RBI and nine strikeouts.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario was signed this offseason to be a steady presence in a very young lineup, despite an already crowded infield picture in Cincinnati. He has played in 746 major-league games, and no other Reds position player has appeared in more than 380 games. "Adding a guy like Jeimer takes some of that pressure off. Between DH, first base and third base, he's going to be an everyday player. There's plenty of playing time to go around there," manager David Bell said. The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $45 million deal in December to give the Reds even more offensive depth and defensive versatility. Candelario hit a career-high 22 home runs with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs last year and is now moving to an even more friendly hitter's park. There's plenty to like about him as a cheap source of power with positional eligibility at both third and first base.

The Cincinnati Reds agreed to an undisclosed deal with free-agent infielder Jeimer Candelario on Wednesday night, according to a source. The deal is pending a physical. The Reds were not one of the teams expected to land Candelario, as they already have plenty of third base options at the big-league level in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer. Cincy has been rumored to be interested in some high-level starting pitchers on the trade market, though, so perhaps their plan is to flip several of their young players for a rotation arm. The 30-year-old Candelario is a switch-hitter and can also play first base. He'll be a bit more interesting with the Reds from a fantasy perspective after hitting .251/.336/.471 with an .807 OPS, career-high 22 home runs, 70 RBI and eight stolen bases in 140 total games with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs in 2023.

Free-agent infielder Jeimer Candelario is among the Seattle Mariners' options at third base after they traded Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. If the Mariners don't sign Candelario this winter, there is a good chance that Luis Urias could be the favorite to start at the hot corner to begin the 2024 regular season. Candelario is a hot commodity on the open market after hitting a combined .251/.336/.471 with an .807 OPS, a career-high 22 home runs, 39 doubles, three triples, 70 RBI, eight stolen bases and 77 runs scored in 140 games with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs in 2023. The 29-year-old switch-hitter isn't a big power guy for a third baseman and has only a .243 career batting average in eight seasons in the big leagues. He did the majority of his damage in D.C. in 99 games before hitting just .234 in 41 games for the Cubs after he was traded.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Monday that the Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels are among a number of teams interested in free-agent first/third baseman Jeimer Candelario. The soon-to-be 30-year-old had a solid 2023 season with the Nationals and Cubs, slashing .251/.336/.471 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 576 plate appearances. Candelario will be a popular off-season name among MLB teams, and his landing spot will impact his fantasy value for 2024. He has shown the ability to hit for power and average, but his counting stats could be boosted or hurt depending on the lineup he finds himself in.

Free-agent third baseman Jeimer Candelario has drawn interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels already this offseason, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays. It's no surprise after the 29-year-old had a strong bounce-back season in 2023, hitting a combined .251/.336/.471 with an .807 OPS, career-high 22 home runs, 39 doubles, three triples, career-high 70 RBI, eight stolen bases and 77 runs scored in 576 plate appearances and 140 games with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. The most intriguing thing about Candelario is that he's so versatile, as he's a switch-hitter and can play both third base and first base. His free-agent market will be robust this winter.

The Toronto Blue Jays have met with the representatives of free-agent infielder Jeimer Candelario at the general manager meetings this week. The club has issued a qualifying offer to free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman but are presumably checking in on Candelario in case Chapman decides to decline the offer and pursue a multi-year deal on the open market. It was a nice bounce-back season in 2023 for Candelario, who hit .251 with a career-high 22 home runs and eight stolen bases alongside an .807 OPS across 140 games split between the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. The 29-year-old has generally been an above-average bat with roughly average defense while spending time at both corner infield spots throughout his career.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) has been activated from the injured list on Wednesday. This is great news for the Cubs who are desperately trying to hold onto a Wild Card spot. Candelario has been out of the lineup since mid-September due to a lower back strain. He'll return on Wednesday, while Christopher Morel hits the bench. Candelario will cover first base and bat seventh versus right-hander Darius Vines on Wednesday.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) has reportedly been making terrific progress in his recovery. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since mid-September due to a lower back strain. However, it sounds like the switch-hitting infielder could return as early as Wednesday. That is great news for the Cubs who are currently in the middle of the Wild Card race. The return of Candelario would be a significant boost to this lineup.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) could return from the injured list as early as next week. The 29-year-old was placed on the injured list on September 11 due to a lower back strain. The good new is, Candelario has been making solid progress in his recovery. The Cubs could certainly use his bat as they continue to compete for a Wild Card spot. This season, Candelario is slashing .253/.338/.473 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI in 135 games between the Washington Nationals and Cubs. In the meantime, the combination of Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel, and Cody Bellinger should split up the playing time at third and first base.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. This news comes after Candelario suffered a back strain during Sunday's series finale versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a result, Candelario will be sidelined until at least next Thursday. Nick Madrigal is expected to see more playing time at third base, while Cody Bellinger should get some action at first base. The Cubs have also recalled outfielder Alexander Canario as extra depth.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) is not in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland at Coors Field. The veteran left Sunday's series finale against the D-backs early due to back tightness and will give way to Patrick Wisdom at first base on Monday evening in Denver. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a nice bounce-back season in 2023 after struggling last season, hitting .253 with a career-high 21 home runs and eight stolen bases alongside an .811 OPS across 135 games between the Cubs and Washington Nationals. At this point, fantasy managers can expect him to remain day-to-day while the ailment does not sound serious.

Chicago Cubs infielder Jeimer Candelario collected four hits during his 2023 Cubs debut on Tuesday. He remained hot at the plate for Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The 29-year-old went 4-for-5 on Tuesday and followed that up with a 4-for-4 game on Wednesday. He collected four hits and scored four runs during Wednesday's 16-6 win over Cincinnati. Candelario is already a solid fantasy contributor, but more performances like this are really going to boost his value.

Chicago Cubs first/third baseman Jeimer Candelario had a memorable debut with his new team in Tuesday's 20-9 win over the Reds. Playing first base, Candelario went 4-for-5 with three singles and a double. He also committed a fielding error. The 29-year-old was having a productive season with the Nationals before being traded and is now slashing .265/.348/.488 with 16 home runs, 53 RBI, and six stolen bases on the season. The improved lineup context should help boost his fantasy value,and he should continue to be a useful asset as long as he continues to hit for power.

The Washington Nationals have traded third baseman Jeimer Candelario to the Chicago Cubs prior to Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. It's a full-circle move for the 29-year-old who began his big-league career by playing parts of two seasons with the Cubs prior to being moved to the Tigers in another deadline deal in the 2017 season. The veteran is in the midst of a big bounce-back season, hitting .258 with 16 home runs, six stolen bases, and an .823 OPS across 99 games with Washington after struggling to a .217 average with 13 homers, zero steals, and a .633 OPS across 124 games with Detroit last season. The Marlins and Cubs were rumored destinations for Candelario prior to Monday night's deal with Chicago.

Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario is not in the team's starting lineup on Monday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Ildemaro Vargas will get the nod at the hot corner instead and will hit seventh against Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes. Candelario's name has been thrown around often with the trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, and there's a chance he'll be dealt during Monday's contest. The 29-year-old switch-hitter is having a pretty fine season in his first season in D.C., slashing .258/.342/.481 with an .823 OPS, 16 home runs, 30 doubles, two triples, 53 RBI, six stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 99 games. There's a good chance that he may not see everyday playing time if he's traded to a contender, though, so fantasy managers need to prepare for that possibility.

Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario (shoulder) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Mets. This is good news after the 29-year-old injured his shoulder during Friday's game. He'll cover third base and bat third versus right-hander Carlos Carrasco on Saturday. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Candelario back in their lineups here. The assumption is that Candelario is going to get moved at the upcoming trade deadline. A move to a contender should be able to increase his fantasy value.

Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario (shoulder) said he's fine after leaving Friday night's game early after a collision with New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil. Candelario was briefly worried when he felt something in his left shoulder, but he was able to swing in the cage after leaving and would have been able to hit if his spot in the batting order came up again. The 29-year-old went 1-for-3 with a walk in the 5-1 loss and is now hitting .254 on the year with 16 home runs, 52 RBI, five stolen bases and 55 runs scored. A popular trade candidate this summer, he might be sent to a contender before Tuesday's trade deadline, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his fantasy value will receive a boost for the rest of the season. Check back on Saturday to see if he's in the starting lineup for the Nats.