3 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) will require surgery after being diagnosed with a torn UCL in his left thumb. Alvarez injured his thumb while running the bases in the second inning of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A cleared timeframe for his return will be determined after he undergoes surgery. Although the Mets haven't given an official timetable, Alvarez told teammates he expects to miss 6-8 weeks. Before the injury, he was slashing .236/.288/.364 with a homer, eight RBI, eight runs, and a stolen base over 59 plate appearances.
Tomas Nido and
Omar Narvaez will handle catcher duties while Alvarez is sidelined. Narvaez should see the bulk of the starts, and it is a speculative add in two-catcher formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
3 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Justin Verlander went six innings in his season debut on Friday and picked up the win in a 5-3 victory over the Nationals. The veteran hurler allowed two earned runs on four hits (one HR) and didn't walk a batter while striking out four. It looks like the 41-year-old won't miss a beat despite missing the first few weeks of the season. Even though his K% has gone down in three consecutive seasons and Contact% has gone up in each of those seasons, the 3x Cy Young winner has remained effective, going 13-8 last season with a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 14.8% K-BB%. His next start lines up with the Cubs next Thursday in Chicago.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoMiami Marlins closer
Tanner Scott picked up his third save of the season in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Scott gave up two singles to start the ninth but then retired the next three batter to avoid damage and seal the win without giving up a run. The 29-year-old hasn't gotten many opportunities for closes this season with the Marlins reeling, but he is now three-for-four in close situations and has a 3.72 ERA. Scott will look to pick up at least one more save this weekend with game two of the Saturday doubleheader happening tonight and the series finale against the Cubs happening on Sunday.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zach Eflin threw six shutout innings and struck out six in the Rays 2-0 extra innings win over the New York Yankees on Saturday. Though Eflin only gave up three hits, Tampa Bay's offense didn't show up until extra innings and prevented Eflin from picking up a deserved win. The right-hander now has back-to-back starts without allowing an earned run. It's a good sign after having giving up five-plus runs in two of his first three starts of the season. The 30-year-old now has a 3.68 ERA to go along with a 1.06 WHIP. He'll get a tasty matchup in his next scheduled start on Friday against the Chicago White Sox and will hold value in all fantasy formats.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Nestor Cortes struck out nine in seven shutout innings on Saturday in the Yankees 2-0 extra innings loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Cortes didn't walk a single batter but gave up six hits. It was the lefty's second-best start of the season but he unfortunately didn't record a win with New York's offense putting up a bagel on the scoreboard. Through five starts, Cortes now has a 3.41 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The 29-year-old should continue his dominant ways in his next scheduled start on Thursday when the Yankees host the Oakland A's, who are hitting lefties for just a .637 OPS.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (back) is slated for a rehab start on Wednesday. Scherzer recovered well from his live batting practice session and the team feels comfortable enough to move him forward in his recovery process. The expectation is that Scherzer may be ready to return to the Rangers' rotation in early May. The 39-year-old was solid in the regular season with the Rangers in 2023, posting up a 3.20 ERA in eight starts. Scherzer did show some cracks late in the season, though, and expectations for the veteran right-hander may need to be tempered by fantasy managers who are used to Scherzer's gaudy numbers. When he joins the AL West leading Rangers, his value may be best in DFS formats
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Evan Grant
3 days agoBoston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas is experiencing "left rib discomfort" according to the Red Sox. Not much other detail was given by the team in regards to Casas' injury. The 24-year-old exited the game in the first inning after grabbing at his left side during an at-bat. Though Casas was able to draw a walk and run the bases after the injury it was too painful for him to continue. Boston is already dealing with a litany of injuries to key members of their lineup with
Trevor Story,
Rafael Devers and
Tyler O'Neill being hurt and if Casas is to miss any significant time it would be yet another blow to their lineup. In Casas' absence,
Pablo Reyes may see additional playing time.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Pete Abraham
3 days agoTexas Rangers first baseman
Jared Walsh was designated for assignment on Saturday. The move was correlated with activating
Nathaniel Lowe off of the injured list. Walsh hit below league average in his early season stint, slashing .226/.317/.321 in 60 PA and has been a subpar hitter since his breakout years in 2020 and 2021. With the lefty off of the Rangers active roster, Lowe will take on the starting role at first base. Utility player
Ezequiel Duran will see decreased playing time as well. Fantasy managers should only have interest in Lowe at this time.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers
3 days agoTexas Rangers first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) was activated off the injured list today and is in the Rangers lineup for their tilt against the Atlanta Braves. Lowe has been out since early March after experiencing side tightness during spring training. The 28-year-old will bat fifth in his season debut against Braves right-hander
Charlie Morton. Lowe is projected to hit for a .269/.352/.431 slash line in 2024 and joins a Rangers lineup that continues to be one of the most productive lineups in the majors. Fantasy managers should look to snag Lowe if possible. With Lowe active, expect decreased playing time for
Jared Walsh going forward.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers
3 days agoBoston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas exited early in the Red Sox game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Casas took a swing on a 3-1 count in the top of the first, fouled the ball off and then appeared to grab at his left side. Casas eventually drew a walk and still ran the bases before exiting.
Pablo Reyes entered the game for the 24-year-old. More should be known about the extent of Casas' injury after the game but fantasy managers are hoping the highly-ranked first baseman won't miss much time if any. The Red Sox are already dealing with a swath of injuries to key contributors in
Trevor Story and
Rafael Devers and another blow to a productive member of their lineup would be a gut punch to Boston.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Chris Cotillo
3 days agoCincinnati Reds first baseman
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is back in the Reds lineup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. Encarnacion-Strand had been out the last two games with a scheduled day off on Wednesday and an illness on Friday. The 24-year-old will get a matchup against Angels lefty
Patrick Sandoval. Encarnacion-Strand has struggled this season, putting up a .192/.197/.329 slash line in 76 PA. He hasn't been good against lefties either, hitting for just a .095 batting average. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much in his return today and may need to exercise some patience before getting Encarnacion-Strand back in their lineups.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Cincinnati Reds
3 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins is out of the Orioles lineup on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a matchup decision as the Royals are starting their dynamic lefty
Cole Ragans.
Jorge Mateo will be starting in center field in place of Mullins. Mateo has been much stronger against lefties, hitting for a .908 OPS compared to Mullins' .388 OPS in 16 PA. The 29-year-old should be expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday as the Orioles will face off against Royals right-hander
Seth Lugo.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
3 days agoBaltimore Orioles second baseman
Jackson Holliday and outfielder
Colton Cowser are out of the Orioles lineup on Saturday against Kansas City Royals lefty
Cole Ragans. Holliday has had a rough start to his MLB career, hitting for a .037 batting average in 28 PA. Cowser has been Baltimore's best hitter, on the other hand, posting a 1.178 OPS in 51 PA.
Austin Hays will get the start in left field for Cowser.
Jordan Westburg will slide over from third base to second base and
Ramon Urias will start at third. Both Holliday and Cowser should be expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday against Royals right-hander
Seth Lugo.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
3 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (quadriceps) has started to begin baseball activities according to the Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta. "We're looking to get him in a running progression probably the end of next week. He's still got some boxes to check, but heading in the right direction," the trainer said. No timetable has been set for the 24-year-old's return though it's still likely he won't be back until closer to the All Star Break.
Kyle Farmer and
Jose Miranda have been splitting time at third base in Lewis' absence. Farmer has hit for a paltry 15 wRC+ in 41 PA while Miranda has hit for a 119 wRC+ in 28 PA. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to add either player in Lewis' absence, though Miranda shows more potential currently.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Gleeman
3 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Saturday. This marks the first time Valdez has thrown off of a mound since he was put on the injured list. The Astros will wait to see how the lefty responds to the bullpen session before taking next steps, though there is a chance he will be activated without needing a rehab start. The Astros are desperate for his return as their staters have posted a 4.93 ERA to begin the season, 5th worst in the majors. The lefty posted a 2.19 ERA in his two starts before hitting the injured list so his return will provide a boost to the Astros, who also welcomed back
Justin Verlander on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Valdez's progress in the event a rehab assignment isn't necessary.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Julia Morales
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