1 min agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez did his part to keep his team in the game during Wednesday's defeat to the visiting New York Yankees, registering a quality start with 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball on a season-high 10 hits and no walks while fanning season-low three batters. Lopez only threw two clean innings on Wednesday, but he did a great job of limiting the damage for his third straight quality start to begin the month of May. The 28-year-old fantasy stalwart takes a solid 3.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 58:8 K:BB over 50 1/3 innings (nine starts) for the Twins into his next scheduled appearance during Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Although it's a favorable matchup on paper, Lopez yielded five runs across four innings in one start against Washington a year ago.Source: MLB.com
12 mins agoNew York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge powered his team to victory on the road on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, rapping a home run with three doubles and two RBI in the win. Judge first clobbered a 469-foot homer off Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez before doubling in each of his next three at-bats, with the third scoring Juan Soto in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar appears to have put his early-season swoon to bed at this point, now batting an absurd .444 with five long balls, seven doubles, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored over his last 10 outings. He'll draw a tough matchup during Thursday's series finale against Minnesota with Joe Ryan taking the bump, as Judge is just 1-for-7 with one walk in his eight career plate appearances against Ryan.Source: MLB.com
21 mins agoSan Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler (shoulder) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Soler is slated to play in two games in the minors and will likely be back with the Giants on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Colorado Rockies if everything goes well there. Before hitting the injured list with a strained right shoulder, the 32-year-old slugger slashed a disappointing .202/.294/.361 with five homers, four doubles, and eight RBI through 119 at-bats (34 games) as San Fran's everyday DH. Despite those shortcomings, Soler would have a great opportunity to jump-start his season while facing off with a Rockies team that entered Tuesday's action ranked last in team ERA (5.16) and WHIP (1.53) in 2024.Source: Alex Pavlovic - NBC Sports Bay Area
31 mins agoSeattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique, hand) exited Wednesday's minor-league rehab game at Triple-A Tacoma after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Making his first appearance on his rehab assignment on Wednesday, Crawford was hit in the right hand and immediately needed to come out of the contest in the fifth inning. The M's expected Crawford to be ready to rejoin the major-league roster by the time Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles rolled around, but the 29-year-old's return from a strained right oblique may be delayed depending on the severity of this setback with his hand. Look for Seattle to provide for clarity on Crawford's status sometime following the game, and the infielder should be considered day-to-day until more is known. UPDATE: It sounds like the Mariners have a low concern with Crawford's injury, but it's unclear how it might affect his potential activation this weekend.Source: Mariners Minors on X
36 mins agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad stifled the Atlanta Braves for six sharp innings of four-hit baseball on Wednesday. Assad got the win, bringing his record to 4-0 while lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.49, good for fourth-best in MLB. He had all of his pitches working Wednesday, tying a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing only one walk. Alongside lefty Shota Imanaga, Assad has given the Cubs one of the best 1-2 punches in all of baseball, with neither pitcher allowing more than two earned runs in a game all season. Assad looks to keep the streak intact with another start against these Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday.Source: ESPN
55 mins agoOakland Athletics outfield prospect Henry Bolte is a former second-round pick who signed an over-slot deal rather than attend the University of Texas. Bolte offers a rare blend of power and speed, using the latter trait to swipe plenty of bases and hold down the fort in center field. He also has a strong glove and a decent hit tool, though he definitely needs to cut down on strikeouts. Last week, Bolte went 7-for-24. While .292 isn't an elite batting average, Bolte worked to complement his hit total with an impressive two home runs, nine RBI, and two stolen bases. If the young outfielder can reduce his strikeout total, he could be shuttled through the minors and to the majors by this time next year.Source: FanGraphs
56 mins agoDetroit Tigers pitching prospect Andrew Sears was selected from the University of Connecticut during the 10th round of last year's MLB Draft. He's struggled with walks in the past but generally induces weak contact. His pitch repertoire is headlined by an effective fastball that clocks around 95 mph. Last week, Sears twirled five shutout innings. He allowed one hit, walked one batter, and hit one batter, all while recording a whopping nine strikeouts. It was his best outing of the 2024 season and also gave him a two-game streak with zero runs allowed. Don't be surprised if he gets elevated to High-A or Double-A soon.Source: FanGraphs
57 mins agoDetroit Tigers infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee is a former international signing from Taiwan who was acquired from the Phillies at last summer's trade deadline. He was swapped for Michael Lorenzen in a one-for-one trade, and so far, it looks like Detroit won that swap. Lee is a very polished hitter who gets good speed and strength behind his swings, works counts effectively, and hits to all parts of the field. There are also some indications that he may have some untapped (sneaky) pop. Finally, he's an above-average defender with good baseball IQ and reaction time. He'll likely play second base long-term, though he's looked solid on the left side of the infield before, too. Last week, Lee went 7-for-18 with two homers, 10 RBI, four walks, and four strikeouts. There aren't too many prospects who can hit for power while maintaining a respectable K/BB rate, but Lee is one of those players. He'll likely make his MLB debut in 2025.Source: FanGraphs
58 mins agoCleveland Guardians pitching prospect Trenton Denholm was the club's 14th-round pick in 2021. At 24, he's on the older side for High-A prospects, but there's still plenty to like about his profile. His fastball velocity has fluctuated over the past few years, but he has ultimately shown that he can throw it in the mid-90s. He also gets plenty of breaking action on his curveball. There are concerns about his control, especially given that he's had difficulty locating his curveball. However, his 10.02 K/9 and 0.84 BB/9 this year are both great signs. Last week, Denholm tossed a seven-inning complete-game shutout. He held his opponent scoreless while surrendering just two hits and one walk. He also showed an ability to find the strike zone and miss bats, racking up an impressive nine strikeouts over seven frames.Source: FanGraphs
59 mins agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is a former second-round pick who was flipped from the Padres as part of the return package for Juan Soto. At 6-foot-7, he's a big-bodied prospect capable of producing impressive power. He's also a very good runner, both on the basepaths and as a defender in the outfield. He rounds out his profile with a solid hit tool, reliable glovework, and a strong arm. Wood has legitimate five-tool potential, though he needs to cut down on strikeouts. He went down on strikes 173 times in 2023. Last week, Wood went 10-for-22 with five homers, 12 RBI, four walks, and four strikeouts. He also stole a base. The Nationals have plenty of young talent in their farm system, but Wood might be the best of the bunch. He should make his MLB debut sometime this season.Source: FanGraphs
1 hour agoTampa Bay Rays first baseman prospect Xavier Isaac stayed hot for High-A Bowling Green on Wednesday, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, three RBI, and a run scored. The game raised his season slashline to .280/.366/.523 with six home runs, 32 RBI, 24 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 29 games. The 20-year-old is MLB's 47th-ranked prospect (No. 3 for Tampa) and should see a promotion to Double-A before long, although he's at least a year or more away from making an impact at the major league level. With his hot hitting and 65-grade power, he should remain on the radar in dynasty leagues.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep threw eight innings in a 2-1 victory for Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday. The righty allowed six hits and one run but did not walk a batter while striking out a season-high eight. The 22-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft and is currently listed as the Braves second-ranked prospect per MLB.com (No. 75 in MLB). Waldrep is 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and a 14:33 BB:K in 38 IP so far in 2024. Look for Waldrep to make it to Triple-A at some point this season, and depending on the health of the Braves rotation, it's within the realm of possibility to see him make a couple starts in Atlanta by season's end.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoThe Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfield prospect Chris Roller to the major league club on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned Oliver Dunn to the minors. The 27-year-old made his major league debut Wednesday night when he entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter, ultimately striking out in a six-pitch at-bat. The right-handed hitter did a lot of that in his 56 Triple-A at-bats this season, striking out at a 36.2% clip (21 times compared to two walks), while batting .250 with zero home runs and one stolen base. Roller was drafted in 2017, so it's nice when you see a player's perseverance pay off, but as far as fantasy is concerned, he is off the radar for now.Source: Brewers on X
2 hours agoSan Francisco Giants outfield prospect Hunter Bishop was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The 25-year-old was the 10th overall draft pick in 2019, but between 2020 being wiped out due to COVID and other injuries including Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2023, Bishop's path to Triple-A has taken some time. In 2022 he hit .235 with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 85 games at High-A. Prior to his promotion, the left-handed hitter was slashing .242/.314/.358 at Double-A, with two home runs and five stolen bases. With aspirations of making it to the majors, hopefully he can somehow cut down on the strikeout rate at Triple-A (31.4% K% at Double-A). Although no longer ranked within the Giants Top-30 prospects, Bishop once had the profile to make him a top draft pick, so he should at least be on the radar for dynasty managers.Source: Maria Guardado - MLB.com
2 hours agoSan Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) is aiming to return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to start on Sunday in Atlanta against the Braves. Musgrove threw a bullpen session on Monday and was expected to throw another one on Wednesday, and it looks like he's shown enough to convince the Padres that he doesn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the starting rotation. The 31-year-old veteran went on the injured list on May 5 with right-elbow inflammation and was 3-3 with an elevated 6.37 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 41 innings over his eight starts to begin 2024. Although Musgrove looked much better in his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds, fantasy managers will be rolling the dice if they go with him in his first start off the IL on Sunday against the strong offense of the Braves.Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune - Jeff Sanders