May 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander
Roki Sasaki will make his next start on Friday on five days of rest against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, according to manager Dave Roberts. The Dodgers are in a stretch of 10 games in 10 days, so Sasaki will be forced to make his first start of the year on five days of rest. In his first seven MLB starts on six days of rest between each outing, the 23-year-old Japanese hurler has gone 1-1 with a respectable 3.86 ERA (5.38 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and 20 walks in 30 1/3 innings pitched. He has reached five innings in each of his last four starts, but fantasy managers should be warned that Sasaki has been fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00 given his lack of command in the early going. The Dodgers will continue to monitor Sasaki's workload as the season progresses, limiting his fantasy upside in his rookie campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett
May 5, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander
Merrill Kelly (hamstring) is listed as the team's probably pitcher for Wednesday's contest against the visiting New York Mets. Kelly was forced to leave his last start early on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies due to more cramping in his right hamstring, but he's recovered nicely since and will be able to take his next turn in Arizona's starting rotation. However, in a tough matchup against the Mets, fantasy managers should be thinking twice about using Kelly after he's dealt with cramping in two of his last three appearances. Overall, the 36-year-old veteran has pitched well for Arizona and fantasy managers, though, going 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 27 punchouts and 12 walks in 37 2/3 innings over his seven starts. Kelly still managed to go five innings against the Phillies last week and allowed just one earned run for a no-decision.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 5, 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they transferred right-handers
Max Scherzer (thumb) and
Erik Swanson (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. The team also optioned left-hander
Josh Walker to Triple-A Buffalo to make room on the roster for right-handers
Spencer Turnbull and
Jose Urena, who were signed over the weekend. A right-thumb injury has limited Scherzer to just one start in his first season with Toronto in 2025. While the 40-year-old eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner has been trending in the right direction of late while throwing off a mound, he won't be eligible to return from the IL until May 29. The future Hall of Famer will require a minor-league rehab assignment and most likely won't be back in Toronto's rotation until June, assuming he doesn't have another setback with his thumb.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
May 5, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that outfielder
Daulton Varsho (back) potentially could have pushed through his lower-back tightness to play in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Guardians, but the team didn't want to risk it so soon after he returned from offseason shoulder surgery. The Blue Jays are hoping that Varsho will return for Tuesday's series opener versus the Los Angeles Angels. The 28-year-old made his return from the injured list due to his surgically repaired shoulder last week and has only played in five games, so the Blue Jays weren't going to push him. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in there. Varsho has three hits in his first 17 plate appearances, but it's a good sign that two of those hits went for home runs. When healthy, he's Toronto's everyday center fielder.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
May
5,
2025
New
York
Yankees
right-hander
Clarke
Schmidt
(side)
will
make
the
start
on
Tuesday
against
the
visiting
San
Diego
Padres
in
the
Bronx.
Schmidt
didn't
make
his
last
scheduled
start
on
Saturday
against
the
Tampa
Bay
read more...
May 5, 2025
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that Milwaukee Brewers second baseman
Brice Turang is absent from the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros at American Family Field. It is just another rest day for Turang after he recently dealt with an illness. Rookie
Caleb Durbin will start at the keystone and will hit seventh on Monday against Astros right-hander
Ronel Blanco. Turang missed a game last week due to illness but had played in the last four contests. Expect the 25-year-old to be back in action for Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. The former first-rounder has slashed a solid .315/.372/.400 with a .772 OPS, three homers, 16 RBI, 28 runs and eight steals in his first 130 at-bats. Durbin will lack much DFS upside on Monday. The 25-year-old has gone 12-for-50 (.240) with a homer and 10 RBI in his first 16 major-league games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
May
5,
2025
Milwaukee
Brewers
outfielder
Sal
Frelick
(knee)
is
not
in
the
starting
lineup
for
Monday's
series
opener
against
the
visiting
Houston
Astros,
but
manager
Pat
Murphy
said
Frelick's
MRI
results
were
encouraging.
"It
should
settle
down
in
read more...
May 5, 2025
The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they optioned infielder
Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul. Julien is the odd-man out with the Twins activating both
Royce Lewis (hamstring) and
Willi Castro (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Monday. The 26-year-old Canadian will surely be back up with the Twins at some point this season for infield depth, but he might not get another shot at a starting role after going just 18-for-91 (.198) with two home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored in 29 games played. In 232 games played since debuting in the big leagues in 2023, Julien has hit a mediocre .230/.336/.388 with a .725 OPS, 26 home runs, 66 RBI and nine stolen bases. He has been unable to repeat his rookie-year performance, when he clubbed 16 long balls in just 109 games. Expect Castro to see most of the playing time at the keystone going forward in Minnesota.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
May 5, 2025
The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they have reinstated utility man
Willi Castro (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder
Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Castro didn't require a minor-league rehab assignment and should be back in the team's starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican switch-hitter suffered a mild oblique strain in the middle of April. With Julien headed down to the farm, fantasy managers should expect Castro to play mostly every day at the keystone will also bouncing around wherever needed on the diamond. He'll return to a .227/.292/.364 slash line with a .655 OPS, one home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. Castro doesn't stand out for power or speed and will be a modest counting-stats contributor, but he's incredibly useful for his positional versatility.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
May
5,
2025
The
Texas
Rangers
are
likely
going
to
recall
outfielder
Evan
Carter
before
Tuesday's
series
opener
in
Boston
against
the
Red
Sox,
according
to
general
manager
Chris
Young.
It
remains
to
be
seen
if
Carter
will
read more...
May
5,
2025
San
Diego
Padres
outfielder
Jackson
Merrill
(hamstring)
has
been
traveling
on
Monday
and
is
believed
to
have
arrived
in
New
York
only
a
short
while
ago,
according
to
The
San
Diego
Union-Tribune's
Kevin
Acee.
The
plan
read more...
May
5,
2025
St.
Louis
Cardinals
shortstop
Masyn
Winn
(ankle)
remains
out
of
the
team's
starting
lineup
for
Monday's
series
opener
at
Busch
Stadium
against
the
division-rival
Pittsburgh
Pirates.
Jose
Barrero
will
get
another
start
at
read more...
May 5, 2025
The Houston Astros placed designated hitter
Yordan Alvarez (hand) on the 10-day injured list with right-hand inflammation on Monday, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros were saying that Alvarez's right-hand injury wasn't all that serious, and they didn't send him for testing, but he'll now miss at least the next 10 days after sitting out the last two contests. Fantasy managers can only hope that the 27-year-old left-handed-hitting All-Star will be back sooner than later and get going at the plate when he does return. In 29 games in 2025, the Cuban slugger has slashed a disappointing .210/.306/.340 with a career-worst .646 OPS, three home runs and 18 RBI in 121 plate appearances. Until Alvarez is able to return,
Zach Dezenzo and catcher
Yainer Diaz are most likely to split playing time in the DH role for Houston. Keep Alvarez stashed everywhere.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
May 5, 2025
Chicago White Sox outfielder
Andrew Benintendi (calf) is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Kansas City Royals.
Michael Taylor will patrol left field and will hit eighth against Royals left-hander
Cole Ragans. Benintendi was removed in the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Houston Astros with tightness in his left calf while running the bases, so the White Sox will hold him out on Monday against a left-hander. The 30-year-old veteran is being considered day-to-day for now, so there's a chance he returns as early as Game 2 of the series in KC on Tuesday. Outside of some modest pop from the left side, Benintendi has little fantasy upside for those in deeper leagues. He's gone 19-for-85 (.224) with five homers, 12 RBI and 13 runs so far this year. Taylor represents a low-upside DFS sleeper, and he's never faced Ragans in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May
5,
2025
The
Chicago
Cubs
placed
left-hander
Shota
Imanaga
(hamstring)
on
the
15-day
injured
list
on
Monday
with
a
left-hamstring
strain,
according
to
670
The
Score's
Bruce
Levine.
Imanaga
lands
on
the
shelf
after
injuring
his
hamstring
during
his
read more...
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