40 mins agoArizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel has been a viable option for the team early in the season. The right-hander was asked to take over the closer role after Paul Sewald (oblique) went down. On Sunday, Ginkel made it look easy as he threw a scoreless ninth inning to hold the one-run lead over the Seattle Mariners. He holds a 3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 13/3 K/BB ratio, while converting five of his seven save chances. The expectation is that Ginkel will remain the primary closer until Sewald is ready to return.Source: MLB.com
44 mins agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt looked terrific on the mound during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander threw six innings, allowing five hits, and striking out 11 batters during a no-decision. The D-Backs would end up winning the game, but they didn't get the lead until Pfaadt was already done for the day. The hope is that this performance will help Pfaadt improve his 4.63 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. His next outing will be against the San Diego Padres next weekend.Source: MLB.com
52 mins agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (lat) has reportedly been making great progress in his recovery, according to manager Alex Cora. The right-hander recently landed on the 15-day injured list, but sounds like Bello should be back sooner rather than later. It's uncertain if the team plans on having Bello go on a rehab assignment. If not, Bello could rejoin the rotation once his injured list stint is over.Source: Mac Cerullo
1 hour agoNew York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been heating up at the plate over the last week. On Sunday, Rizzo went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked Rizzo's fourth homer in six days and his 300th career long ball of his career. It came in his 1,664th game since debuting with the San Diego Padres in 2011. The six hits in the last two days has boosted his slash line to .277/.341/.446 on the season. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if Rizzo is available.Source: MLB.com
1 hour agoNew York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos came up clutch for the team during Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and singled during that plate appearance. Vientos remained in the game and got another at-bat versus left-hander Matthew Liberatore in the 11th inning. He blasted a two-run home run off Liberatore to help the Mets get the 4-2 win. The 24-year-old has a chance to remain with the team if he continues to hit like this. Fantasy managers should use a wait-and-see approach for Vientos.Source: MLB.com
1 hour agoChicago White Sox relief pitcher Jordan Leasure was called upon to record the final two outs during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It sounds like Michael Kopech was unavailable for this game after pitching in the last two games. That being said, the White Sox went with Leasure after starting pitcher Erick Fedde went into the ninth inning. Leasure got the final two outs and recorded his first save in the MLB. He holds a 1.59 ERA through 11 1/3 innings but has also walked seven batters. Fantasy managers should run to the waiver wire after this save. Leasure might get more chances down the road, but it probably won't be enough to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.Source: MLB.com
1 hour agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde was sharp on the mound during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander threw 8 1/3 innings while allowing seven hits and two earned runs during the 4-2 win. Fedde struck out nine batters during this game to build his season total to 39 strikeouts. The assumption is that the right-hander is going to regress, but for the time being he holds a strong 2.20 ERA over six starts. Fantasy managers in need of pitching help should look at Fedde.Source: MLB.com
3 hours agoBaltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Oakland Athletics. The 27-year-old has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Mountcastle is enjoying solid production at the plate as he is slashing .319/.379/.527 with four homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs. He may not be the most electrifying fantasy asset, but he is worthy of a roster spot in all formats given his strong start and placement in one of the best offenses in baseball.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoOakland Athletics starter Paul Blackburn allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings of work during Sunday's 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out five batters while issuing one walk. The long ball killed Blackburn in this one as he gave up three home runs in the contest. The 30-year-old started the season with three straight scoreless outings and garnered streaming appeal in the process, but he has now given up 13 runs over his last three appearances. Blackburn will face the Miami Marlins in his next projected start, which is an appealing matchup, but he is tough to trust right now.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel blew his second consecutive save on Sunday before leaving the game alongside the team's training staff. Kimbrel issued a four-pitch walk to Darrell Hernaiz and then served up a two-run home run to Kyle McCann before leaving. He also blew the save in Friday's game after allowing two hits and three walks. It is unclear at this point what Kimbrel's injury is, but something was off with the veteran reliever. Expect more news to come out shortly from the Orioles.Source: Chelsea Janes
4 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was just the second homer of the season for Freeman and his first since March 28th. Despite the slight power outage, the former MVP has still been quite productive. Freeman is slashing .306/.425/.435 with 19 RBI, one stolen base and a 15.4 BB%. The 34-year-old is still one of the best bats in baseball and a serious hot streak might be right around the corner.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoToronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano picked up his fourth save of the season in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out two of the three batters he faced. The 31-year-old had a late start to the season due to injuries, but he is back and locked into the ninth-inning role for Toronto. Romano is a perfect 4-for-4 on save opportunities thus far to go along with a 3.18 ERA. He has been one of the best fantasy closers over the past few seasons and should continue to be a valuable asset.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman picked up his first win of the season during Sunday's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gausman allowed one run on five hits across seven innings of work. He struck out five batters without issuing a walk. The 33-year-old had a tumultuous start to the season due to injuries and inconsistencies, but he has only given up two earned runs across his last three starts. Gausman will look to continue his recent success in his next projected outing against the Washington Nationals.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal allowed one run on four hits across seven innings of work during Sunday's 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. He struck out six batters while issuing one walk. It was another masterful day on the mound for Skubal, who improved his season record to 4-0. The 27-year-old now owns a sparkling 1.72 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 41/6 K/BB through six starts. Skubal is unquestionably one of the top pitchers in baseball and is a must-start whenever he takes the field. He should continue to find success in his next projected outing against the New York Yankees.Source: MLB.com
5 hours agoSeattle Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh will receive the day off on Sunday as the Mariners look to complete a three-game sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Raleigh has missed only four games this season and is riding a .235/.315/.457 line with six long balls. The 27-year-old is considered one of the best power options at the catcher position and currently holds an incredible 94.3 mph average exit velocity, 15.7% barrel rate, and 54.9% hard-hit rate which places him in the 96th, 92nd, and 95th percentiles of qualified hitters respectively. Seby Zavala will instead serve as the catcher and bat in the eight hole. Zavala has not made many appearances this season and is a desperation play in DFS against right-handed pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, who enters Sunday with a 4.97 ERA.Source: MLB.com