Juan Soto Leaves Game With Injury

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto left Sunday's game after rolling his ankle while trying to score from first base on an Asdrubal Cabrera double. Soto tried to remain in the game but was removed as a precaution by manager Dave Martinez. Claiming the ankle was nothing serious, Soto was able to later able to walk […]

Jose Leclerc Earns Eighth Save

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his eighth save of the season. Leclerc struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner while preserving a 1-0 win for Texas. Manager Chris Woodward has stated before he wants Leclerc to be the closer and is backing that up as […]

Mike Minor Goes Eight Shutout Innings

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor pitched eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts against the Brewers on Sunday. Minor only allowed four hits and a walk while picking up his 11th win of the season. The start lowers Minor's ERA to 2.90 with a FIP just north of four as he continues to be one […]

Isan Diaz (2B/SS, MIA) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: Marlins rookie Isan Diaz already gave us one of the year's best moments, homering in his first at-bat off of Jacob deGrom while his parents were being interviewed in the stands, resulting in the type of pure elation that makes baseball fandom so special. But putting […]

Luis Castillo Strikes Out Eight In No-Decision

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo pitched well in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Castillo allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings of work while striking out eight. The young hurler has been a dominant fantasy force this season, posting an 11-4 record, 2.69 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts in 143 […]

Nick Senzel Picks Up 10th Steal

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel went 0-for-4 with a walk, a run, and a steal in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Senzel now has double-digit steals in his rookie season, along with a .276 average, nine homers, 45 runs, and 36 RBI. He has been heating up of late, hitting .301 […]

Josh VanMeter (2B/3B/OF, CIN) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Not appearing on anyone's top prospect lists for the Reds heading into 2019, Cincinnati rookie Josh VanMeter has nevertheless impressed after being recalled for the second time on July 18. In his 62 plate appearances since, VanMeter is slashing .333/.419/.648 with four home runs, three […]

Jose Berrios Turns In Quality Start Vs. Indians

Minnesota Twins right-hander Jose Berrios turned in a quality start in a 7-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Berrios allowed three runs over six innings of work while striking out four and walking one. The young hurler started the seventh inning but was replaced after allowing the first two batters to reach base. […]

Trent Thornton Excellent in Loss

Toronto rookie Trent Thornton bounced back on Sunday versus the Yankees, after being lit up for six runs by Tampa Bay in his last time out. Outdueled by the dealing Masahiro Tanaka, Thornton took the loss despite only allowing a single run in the fifth inning on a ground-rule double by Brett Gardner. Thornton allowed […]

Brad Hand Blows a Save on Sunday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand blew a save on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits in the bottom of the ninth inning. He let the Twins tie the game at three and take it to extra innings. It was only Hand's third blown save of the season, and his ERA is still a solid […]

Lane Thomas Hits Go-Ahead Grand Slam

Getting a rare start, Cardinals rookie center fielder Lane Thomas made the most of his opportunity on Sunday against Pittsburgh, giving the Cardinals their first lead of the game after being down 8-5 in the seventh inning. With two outs and a full count, Thomas parked a Kyle Crick fastball into the Pirates bullpen, giving […]

Aaron Civale Has Another Excellent Start on Sunday

Cleveland Indians rookie starting pitcher Aaron Civale continued pitching well on Sunday, tossing six innings while allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Civale lowered his ERA to an even 1.00 and batters are hitting just .150 against him. He's obviously not this good, but […]

Roberto Osuna Blows Fifth Save

Astros reliever Roberto Osuna was called upon after Houston had scored three runs in top of the ninth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Osuna then gave the game away in dramatic fashion, first allowing a run to score via a sacrifice fly, before allowing a two-run walk-off home run to Rio Ruiz and giving […]

Ronald Acuna Jr. Hits 33rd Home Run

After failing to homer in his fifth straight game on Saturday, Atlanta superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. was back to his old tricks on Sunday, turning on a Hector Noesi fastball for his sixth home run in as many games. Acuna is on absolute fantasy fire, with eight home runs, 15 RBI, and 16 runs scored […]

Luke Jackson Gets 17th Save

Demoted after Atlanta acquired Shane Greene from Detroit, Luke Jackson was called on Sunday to preserve a 5-4 Braves lead over the Marlins. Jackson made things interesting, with Isan Diaz singling but being thrown out trying to advance, followed by two two-out infield singles. But Jackson then got Harold Ramirez to fly out and earned […]

Masahiro Tanaka Dominant in Victory Over Toronto

Having given up 19 runs over his last three starts, Masahiro was resurgent on Sunday afternoon, shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays for eight innings before being removed after giving up a weak leadoff single to start the ninth inning. Aroldis Chapman then closed the door, giving Tanaka his seventh win of the season and […]

Michael Pineda Throws Successful Bullpen

Injured Twins starter Michael Pineda threw a bullpen on Saturday in the first sign of progress for the right-hander. Pineda went on the injured list on August 3 with tricep inflammation although the issue was never believed to be serious. With no reported setbacks, Pineda would be on track to return later this week unless […]

Griffin Canning Scheduled for Return

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Griffin Canning is tentatively scheduled to be activated from the injured list on Wednesday to start against the Pirates. Out since August 1 with elbow inflammation, the rookie has had an up and down year and will be slotting into the rotation just in time for some rough matchups, as the […]

Points Leagues Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 20

Welcome to the RotoBaller waiver wire column that skews towards points league. Yes, there is positive correlation to standard 5x5 scoring but in our format, specific categories matter less and the accumulation of total stats is the ultimate objective. We’re turning towards home for fantasy baseball season. While some league counterparts may be multi-tasking with […]

Giancarlo Stanton Moved to 60-Day IL

Needing to make room for relievers Brady Lail and Joe Mantiply, the Yankees moved Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day IL as he recovers from a right PCL strain. The move means that Stanton cannot return before August 25 but was mostly a procedural move as GM Brian Cashman does not expect the slugger back before […]

The Cut List (Week 20) - Time to Let Go?

It's now really getting to that point in the fantasy season where cuts are going to be highly based on statistical needs, which are much more obvious now than they were in April and May. This is more true of hitters, whose production in each statistic can vary more widely than for pitchers. Additionally, with the […]

Kike Hernandez, Chris Taylor Going On Rehab Assignment This Week

Los Angeles Dodgers utility men Kike Hernandez and Chris Taylor are expected to go on a rehab assignment later this week as they work their way back from injury. Hernandez injured his left hand on a swing in late-July and likely won't need as many at-bats as Taylor to return to the big league club. […]

Maikel Franco Hits Minor League IL

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco was placed on the minor league IL Sunday with a left-hand bruise after getting hit by a pitch in Friday's game. He was sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the beginning of August after hitting .231 with 15 homers and 47 RBI through 102 games. Franco has remained […]

Blake Snell Playing Catch Monday

Tampa Bay Rays starter Blake Snell is set to play catch on Monday for the first time since undergoing surgery in late July to remove bone chips in his elbow. The reigning Cy Young winner won't return to the big league club until September at the earliest, providing he doesn't suffer any setbacks in his […]

A.J. Pollock Getting A Breather Sunday

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder A.J. Pollock is getting the day off Sunday as the team squares off against Mike Leake and the D'Backs in the series finale. Matt Beaty is getting the start in left field batting seventh while Kristopher Negron moves to center hitting out of the eighth spot. Pollock has hit well since […]

Still No Return Timetable For Dansby Swanson

Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson still has no timetable for a return after suffering a heel injury at the end of July. Manager Brian Snitker said “it hasn’t really taken the turn for the better like we wanted” as the team likely won't rush back their prized infielder. Swanson was enjoying a superb offensive breakout […]

Tommy Pham Returns To Lineup

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Tommy Pham is back in the lineup Sunday versus Mariners pitcher Sam Tuivailala for the series finale. He missed Saturday's game for precautionary reasons after injuring his hand on a slide in Friday's contest. Pham has cooled off in the second half hitting just .222, but he's still managed to swipe […]

Nolan Arenado Receives Rest Day Sunday

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting the day off Sunday as Ryan McMahon shifts to third base versus Padres starter Dinelson Lamet. Arenado has had a down year in the home run department clubbing his 26th last night after hitting at least 37 over the previous four seasons. He still sports a terrific […]

Oscar Mercado Sitting In Series Finale

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado is getting the day off in Sunday's finale against Jose Berrios and the Minnesota Twins. Greg Allen is batting second in his place and starting in center as the Tribe looks to even up the AL Central race. Mercado is in a mini-slump going 2-for-18 over his last five games, […]

Hyun-Jin Ryu Activated For Sunday Start

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially activated starter Hyun-Jin Ryu ahead of Sunday's contest versus the Diamondbacks. The lefty landed on the IL at the beginning of the month with neck stiffness, but only missed one turn through the rotation. Ryu has been outstanding this season carrying an 11-2 record with a 1.53 ERA and 117 […]