April 28, 2025
Cincinnati Reds left-handed pitcher
Wade Miley (elbow) exited his rehab outing on Sunday with an undisclosed injury. The southpaw was only able to tally two outs before exiting the contest. Before leaving, Miley allowed one hit and a run and did not tally a strikeout. In his first rehab outing with High-A Dayton, Miley struggled as he allowed nine hits and six runs across two 1/3 innings of work. The veteran pitcher is slowly working his way back from a UCL surgery on his left elbow. Last summer, Miley logged just seven innings of work to the tune of a 6.43 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP. During the 2023 campaign, the southpaw held a strong 3.14 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP across 120 1/3 innings of work. When eventually cleared to return, Miley should be in the mix for a depth role in the Cincinnati rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: WDTN.com
April 28, 2025
Houston Astros designated hitter
Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double in his team's 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The 27-year-old drove in three runs while scoring and walking once in the contest. Alvarez victimized Royals starting pitcher
Kris Bubic in the top of the third inning with a 436-foot blast that he deposited over the right-center field wall at 110.6 MPH to score the Astros' first runs of the day. His double was also struck well, leaving the bat at a scorching 109.1. It hasn't been the best start for the lefty slugger, as he holds an underwhelming .213 average (19-for-89) through his first 26 outings. However, he may be coming around as he's displayed a better eye at the plate over the last ten days.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfield prospect
Roman Anthony (foot) is dealing with a minor foot injury. The top prospect fouled a ball off his foot on Friday and was held out of action over the weekend. However, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic noted that the team does not anticipate him hitting the injured list. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he is viewed as one of the top prospects in the sport. Through the early part of the Triple-A campaign, the 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive start to the season. Through his first 23 games, Anthony has posted a stellar .313/.451/.588 slash line with five doubles, five home runs, and two stolen bases. If Anthony can return to the lineup this week, he should still be in the mix for an early MLB debut this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jen McCaffrey
April 28, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Andrew McCutchen went 4-for-4 with a home run in Sunday's 9-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was his third homer of the season, and the veteran added three singles for his fourth multi-hit performance of the year. McCutchen has been hitting well in recent days, notching at least one hit in six of seven games with four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs) during the stretch. The 38-year-old is having a bit of a resurgent season thus far, slashing .276/.368/.447, with increased quality of contact and a palatable 17.2% strikeout rate after a career-high in that statistic a season ago (25.8%). Moreover, McCutchen is registering a hard-hit ball 49.2% of the time with an average exit velocity of 91.2 MPH. Both figures would be career-bests if they hold.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher
Slade Cecconi (oblique) threw a bullpen session on Sunday. Cleveland manager
Stephen Vogt noted that the 25-year-old "looked really good." This is an excellent sign for Cecconi as he has yet to make his 2025 season debut. Cecconi is working his way back from a left oblique strain he suffered in March. Last summer, the Miami product logged 77 innings to the tune of a 6.66 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP. He appeared in 20 games and was given the starting nod in 13 of them. Under the hood, Cecconi generated a modest 4.52 xERA with a .256 xBA, which placed him in the 24th and 25th percentile, respectively. Fantasy managers should expect Cecconi to embark on a rehab assignment if he continues to progress well. When cleared to return, he will likely make his season debut out of the bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
April 28, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop
Geraldo Perdomo went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year-old added two steals and scored twice in the outing. Perdomo's batting average has dropped a bit from his blistering start earlier in the month, but he's still been impactful, registering four home runs, four doubles, 21 RBI, 15 runs scored, and six steals. His current home run total is one more than he blasted in 2024, but in far fewer at-bats. He's also vastly improved his plate discipline, walking a robust 16.5% of the time with a strikeout rate in the 96th percentile (9.4%). Perdomo has seen his hard-hit percentage jump by eight points (33.3%) from a season ago.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Matt Wallner (hamstring) could miss most of May due to his left hamstring strain. Team president Derek Falvey noted that the severity of his injury could keep him sidelined for the upcoming month. Wallner exited their contest on April 15 with this injury and was then placed on the 10-day injured list. Before his injury, Wallner was enjoying a solid start to the campaign, holding a .263/.373/.474 slash line with five doubles, two triples, and one home run. Under the hood, the 27-year-old has generated a .351 xwOBA with an elite 76.5 mph bat speed, which are both above the average marks. In addition, Wallner has also drawn walks at an impressive 13.4 percent rate. While he remains sidelined,
Trevor Larnach and DeShawn Keirsey should see time in right field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Nightengale
April 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBI in his team's 13-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, adding a double and a sac fly. Rafaela hadn't collected an extra-base knock or driven in a run in over a week, so it was nice to see him do so in their bludgeoning of the Guardians. He had four hard-hit balls, too, with three of them exceeding 100 MPH. The Curacao native's average hasn't caught up, but he's making better contact overall this season, with an xBA of .257 and modest increases in exit velocity (89.6 MPH) and hard-hit rate (43.7%). Furthermore, he's cut his strikeout percentage (16.8%) and raised his walk rate from a season ago.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby (shoulder) is slated to throw live batting practice on Monday. This will be the first time he faces live hitters since being shut down with this shoulder injury in March. The 27-year-old was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status after his session, as this is an important step in his recovery process. If he continues to perform well, he could eventually be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Last season, the right-hander held a strong 3.53 ERA with an impressive 1.07 WHIP across 191 innings of work. While he only tallied 179 punchouts, his elite control gave him significant value in all formats. When he does return, he will carry a solid SP2 value as he should improve your WHIP ratio.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Daniel Kramer
April 28, 2025
Miami Marlins infielder
Connor Norby went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners. He added a double, a single, and two runs scored. The 24-year-old knocked in all three runs in one swing with a three-run blast -- his first homer and RBIs of the season -- in the top of the eighth inning to bring Miami within one, but it was the last runs they'd muster in the contest. Norby is swinging a hot bat since returning from the injured list, notching at least one hit in six of nine games with two three-hit efforts. He's striking out at an undesirable 34.3% clip and has yet to draw a walk, but holds a .303 average and is already one off of his stolen base total from last season in 145 fewer at-bats.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Cleveland Guardians left-handed pitching prospect
Parker Messick tossed five shutout innings during his start against Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In this outing, Messick allowed just one hit and a walk, and matched a season-high eight punchouts. This was a strong bounce-back outing for Messick as well, as he allowed four runs in each of his previous two starts. Through 22 1/3 innings (five starts), the southpaw has posted a solid 3.22 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. During this stretch, the Florida State product has held a 30:10 K:BB and allowed just two home runs. Last summer, the 24-year-old progressed through the Cleveland system quite quickly and should be in the mix for his MLB debut later this summer, given his current production. Last season, Messick held an impressive 2.83 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP across 133 2/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A. If he continues to perform well, Messick could become a worthy stash target.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 28, 2025
Houston Astros infield prospect
Brice Matthews went 2-for-4 with a home run and two stolen bases during Sunday's contest against Triple-A Tacoma. This outing extended Matthews's hitting streak to four games. During this stretch, Matthews has gone deep twice and held a 2:3 K:BB. However, before this surge at the plate, the former 28th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft had carried a modest .213/.359/.293 slash line with one double, one triple, and one home run. During this 21-game stretch, Matthews held a modest 32:16 K:BB and only tallied five RBI. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression at Triple-A as he appears to be turning the corner. If the Nebraska product continues to show growth, he should compete for a second-half MLB debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 28, 2025
New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong struck out a season-high 10 batters during his start on Sunday against Double-A New Hampshire. In this start, Tong tossed four shutout innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk. This was Tong's first start, not allowing a run this season. Through his first four starts of the campaign (17 1/3 innings), the right-hander has struck out 30 batters and held a 4.15 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression at Double-A, as he is flashing elite strikeout upside. Last season, the former seventh-round selection spent most of his time with High-A, where he held a 3.71 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP with 110 punchouts across 85 innings. If he continues to perform well with Double-A, he should be in the mix for a promotion to Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox infield prospect
Marcelo Mayer continued to stay hot at the plate. During Sunday's double-header against Syracuse, Mayer went 3-for-7 with two doubles, a home run, six RBI, and a 2:1 K:BB. Over his last nine games, Mayer has enjoyed an impressive power surge, posting a strong .417/.452/.944 slash line with four doubles and five long balls. During this stretch, the No. 11-ranked prospect in the sport has tallied 24 RBI. Mayer performed well in Double-A last season but was unable to make his Triple-A debut due to numerous injuries. However, the former fourth overall pick has shown significant growth at the top level of the minor leagues and has opened the door for an early 2025 MLB debut. Through his first 23 games at Worcester, Mayer has held a .280/.324/.548 line. If he continues to hit for power, he will become an intriguing stash option in standard leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 28, 2025
Chicago Cubs infield prospect
Matt Shaw went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run during their contest on Sunday against Triple-A Louisville. This was his second-straight contest, tallying two hits. This was also his first long ball since returning to Triple-A. Shaw was able to earn a spot on the MLB roster out of spring training but was optioned following his first 18 games when he held a .172/.294/.241 slash line with just one double and a home run. During this first taste of the MLB, he held a 26.5 percent strikeout rate. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he should be in the mix for an early return to the major leagues. Last summer at Triple-A, the former 13th overall pick held a .298/.395/.534 slash line. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only formats should continue to stash Shaw on their bench.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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