3 mins agoAtlanta Braves second baseman
Ozzie Albies was 4-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored during Thursday's 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The four-hit performance matched Albies' production from his previous seven games where he went 4-for-28 at the plate. The 27-year-old has been solid, albeit unspectacular, to start off 2024. He is slashing .270/.329/.403 with four home runs, 31 RBI, 31 runs and four stolen bases across 58 games. It feels like the entire Braves offense has been in a funk this year, aside from
Marcell Ozuna. Albies still remains a premium fantasy option at second base, but maybe this outing will inspire a serious hot streak.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 mins agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo (rib) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen on Thursday night. Mayo, the Orioles No. 3 prospect, suffered a fractured rib back on May 16 when he crashed into the dugout while attempting to make a catch. The 22-year-old has torched Triple-A this season as he was slashing .291/.359/.605 with 13 homers, 37 RBI and three stolen bases at the time of his injury. Mayo will need a bit of time to return to form, but he will assuredly be up with the Orioles at some point during the summer. He will be a worthwhile addition in most formats whenever he gets the call, but the Orioles have already been a bit stingy with prospect playing time this season.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Jake Rill
18 mins agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder
Taylor Ward (back) is in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 30-year-old will serve as the designated hitter and bat third. Ward has been dealing with a stiff back and missed Wednesday's game because of it. He is slashing .253/.331/.452 with 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 32 runs and two stolen bases in 2024. Ward is a useful fantasy contributor in all formats and may see a rise in value if he is traded to a contender ahead of the deadline. Ensure he is put back into lineups before Thursday's game starts.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
26 mins agoLos Angeles Angels catcher
Logan O'Hoppe (groin) is back in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will start behind the plate and bat fifth against Diamondbacks right-hander
Brandon Pfaadt. O'Hoppe sat out on Wednesday after taking a foul ball to the groin area earlier in the week. The 24-year-old is slashing .276/.327/.454 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and 27 runs scored across 56 games in 2024. O'Hoppe has become a top-12 catching option in fantasy and should continue to deliver some decent power numbers for the remainder of the season. Make sure he is put back into lineups on Thursday.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
34 mins agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Tommy Pham (ankle) is expected to return from the injured list ahead of Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pham has been sidelined since June 3 with a left ankle sprain, but he has played in the Arizona Complex League over the last couple days. The 36-year-old has been surprisingly productive for the White Sox after having his contract selected from Triple-A earlier in the year. He is slashing .280/.331/.402 with three home runs, 12 RBI and three stolen bases across 33 games. Pham will play pretty regularly when he returns, but his fantasy value is still quite limited due to the offensive environment around him. He is best suited for managers in AL-only formats.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Daryl Van Schouwen
44 mins agoSt. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado (hand) is day-to-day with a bone bruise after X-rays came back negative on his right hand. The 33-year-old was hit by a pitch on the back of his hand in the eighth inning of Thursday's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thankfully, it looks like the eight-time All-Star avoided any significant injury and may only need to recover for a day or two. Arenado has been relatively mediocre in 2024. He is slashing .260/.315/.380 with six home runs, 31 RBI and a 31:46 BB:K. He is also putting up some of the worst batted ball metrics of his career as his average exit velocity of 85.8 MPH is in the bottom eight percent of baseball. It seems like the days of 30+ homers are firmly in the rearview mirror for Arenado. He may not even be a top-15 fantasy third baseman by season's end.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo
56 mins agoChicago White Sox designated hitter
Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League White Sox on Thursday night. Jimenez has been out since May 22 with a left-hamstring strain. It is not clear how many rehab games Jimenez requires, but it seems likely that he will return to the majors at some point next week. The former top prospect is in the midst of another inconsistent campaign as he is slashing .231/.288/.381 with five home runs, 12 RBI, and three stolen bases through 36 games. Jimenez is unlikely to ever reclaim the fantasy heights he reached in 2019 when he smacked 31 homers. He is nothing more than a power option for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues when he returns.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Daryl Van Schouwen
3 hours agoKansas City Royals right-hander
Michael Wacha (foot) threw a three-inning simulated game on Thursday, and a minor-league rehab outing could be next up. However, the Royals will see how Wacha is feeling on Friday before putting a timeline on it. Wacha is making good progress from a fractured left foot and should make a minor-league rehab start sooner than later. Depending on how he feels, the 32-year-old veteran hurler could be ready to return from the 15-day injured list as soon as next weekend. After a solid season with the San Diego Padres in 2023, Wacha joined the Royals and has gone 4-5 in 2024 with a 4.24 ERA (3.62 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP in 68 innings over 12 starts. Wacha isn't a big strikeout guy (only 56 K's), but he induces a lot of soft contact and can be useful as a back-end starter in deep-mixed fantasy leagues in the right matchups when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anne Rogers
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Randy Arozarena (hamstring) is back in left field and is batting second for the Rays on Thursday versus the visiting Chicago Cubs and left-hander
Justin Steele. Right-hamstring tightness kept Arozarena out of the lineup for each of the last two games, but he's back in there now as he looks to get going at the plate. The 29-year-old is slashing a miserable .174/.282/.317 on the year in 230 at-bats with eight home runs, 20 RBI, seven stolen bases and 28 runs scored. The Cuban outfielder has gone 10-for-56 (.179) with two of his eight home runs against left-handers on the year and is hitless in three career at-bats against Steele. The good news is Arozarena has looked better in June, going 8-for-28 (.286) with two doubles and an RBI in 10 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles right-hander
Dean Kremer (triceps) threw a bullpen session on Thursday morning that "went well," according to manager Brandon Hyde. However, no decision has been made on when and where Kremer's minor-league rehab outing will be. It's likely that the 28-year-old will be sent to one of the team's minor-league affiliates for his first rehab start this weekend. Kremer is recovering from a right-triceps strain and may only need a start or two in the minors before the O's feel comfortable reinstating him from the injured list. He has been on the shelf since May 24. Kremer should have a rotation spot waiting for him when he's ready. Before getting hurt, Kremer went 3-4 this year with a 4.32 ERA (4.87 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 18 walks in 50 innings over nine starts. His 23.7% strikeout rate is his highest mark since his rookie year in 2020.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Sun - Sam Cohn
4 hours agoThe New York Mets officially reinstated right-hander
Edwin Diaz (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday and optioned left-hander
Danny Young to Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move after Wednesday night's game. Diaz hasn't been himself this year and was temporarily removed from the closer's role before landing on the injured list. The 30-year-old hard-throwing righty threw two shutout innings for High-A Brooklyn on his minor-league rehab assignment, though, and the Mets said on Wednesday that he would return to the primary closing role now that he's past his right-shoulder impingement. Diaz will return to an unsightly 5.40 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 30:7 K:BB in 20 innings. He has converted only five of his nine save opportunities on the year. Don't be surprised if the Mets ease him back into the fold in the ninth inning.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
4 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever
Giovanny Gallegos (shoulder) will throw another inning in a minor-league rehab appearance with Double-A Springfield on Friday, according to manager Oliver Marmol. This will be Gallegos' sixth rehab appearance since going on the 15-day injured list on May 6 with a right-shoulder impingement. In his 5 2/3 innings of work on the farm, the 32-year-old veteran reliever has allowed five earned runs on six hits (three home runs) while walking four and striking out four, so he hasn't been all that effective. However, he hasn't given up any runs his last two times out. In nine relief innings in St. Louis before his injury, Gallegos allowed 12 earned runs on 14 hits (five homers) while walking seven and striking out 13. The Cardinals will be hoping he'll be more effective in a late-inning setup role when he returns from the injured list.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
4 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals left-hander
Steven Matz (back) will make another minor-league rehab start for Double-A Springfield on Sunday, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Matz, who has already made two rehab starts, will throw roughly 50 pitches on Sunday. The Cardinals want him to get up to 75 to 80 pitches before reinstating him from the injured list. The 33-year-old southpaw allowed five unearned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out three in just 1 2/3 innings in his last rehab start on Tuesday for Springfield. Given the severity of Matz's back injury, it's no surprise that he'll need at least several more starts in the minors before he'll be an option again for the big-league rotation. Don't expect Matz to return before the All-Star break, and when he does, he'll be a shaky fantasy option after going 1-2 with a 6.18 ERA and 1.73 WHIP with only 17 K's in six starts before his injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
4 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (oblique) continues to do "rotational work" and could begin swinging a bat this weekend. Nootbaar won't jump right back in to hitting off live pitching or a batting machine, but instead will start with soft toss or tee work in the batting cages. The 26-year-old has been on the shelf since May 31 due to a left-oblique strain and still has a ways to go before he's once again an option for St. Louis' outfield. A lengthy minor-league rehab assignment will be last up for Nootbaar, who may not be able to return until the second half of the season. The former eight-round pick in 2018 out of USC has teased his potential before, but injuries continue to get in the way. He's played in only 39 games so far in 2024 and has gone 33-for-141 (.234) with five homers, 19 RBI and three stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
4 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that catcher
Willson Contreras (forearm) is taking bull batting practice in the cage on Thursday. Contreras is hoping to start a minor-league rehab assignment around June 18 despite being just five weeks into a projected 10-week timetable after having surgery to fix a fractured left forearm that he suffered when Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez hit his arm on a swing. It's good to see the 32-year-old All-Star backstop making good progress, but the Cardinals could slow him down eventually or require a lengthy rehab assignment from him. In addition to taking BP, Contreras has been catching bullpen sessions and could be on track to return before the All-Star break in mid-July. Until he's able to return as St. Louis' primary backstop,
Ivan Herrera will continue to see most of the starts behind the dish for the Cards.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
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