5 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Trevor Larnach (toe) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday night with Single-A Fort Myers. Larnach is working his way back after being placed on the Triple-A injured list on March 29 due to turf toe. If the 27-year-old outfielder doesn't suffer any setbacks with his toe while with Fort Myers, he'll be returned to Triple-A St. Paul in short order. The former 20th overall pick in 2018 out of Oregon State has yet to stick at the major-league level, hitting .222/.315/.385 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI in 188 games played in parts of the last three seasons. Nothing about his defense in the outfield stands out, and although he has drawn plenty of walks, he's failed to make enough consistent contact at the plate to play regularly for the Twins. A platoon role will be likely if he's back with the Twins in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: John Vittas
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles right-hander
Kyle Bradish (elbow) was supposed to begin his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday night with High-A Aberdeen, but the team is now saying he'll throw a live batting practice session instead due to the weather. Bradish is getting a late start to his 2024 season after breaking out in 2023 by going 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA (3.27 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with 44 walks and a career-high 168 strikeouts in 168 2/3 innings over 30 starts. He was diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his right elbow back in spring training, but for now the 27-year-old has avoided dreaded Tommy John surgery and could make his season debut with the O's at some point next week. After his big year last season, Bradish should be assured of a rotation spot when he's ready, which means
Tyler Wells could be the odd-man out soon.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
5 days agoChicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said there's a possibility that outfielder
Eloy Jimenez (groin) is able to come off the injured list to play this weekend. "He's getting close," Grifol said. "He feels better than yesterday, that day to day thing keeps coming up. But he feels better today than he did yesterday. [Friday] is a possibility. Everything is a possibility. We have to see where he's at and we'll have to see what we want to do as an organization in the short term and long term to make sure these things don't happen again." The 27-year-old is dealing with a left-groin strain, but with both
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) and
Yoan Moncada (groin) facing extended absences with injuries of their own, don't expect the White Sox to rush Jimenez back. Until Jimenez is able to return, veterans
Robbie Grossman and
Kevin Pillar will be in line for more playing time.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoTexas Rangers first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) said he will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Friday. Lowe is ready to test himself in minor-league games after recovering from a right-oblique strain that landed him on the injured list to start the 2024 regular season. The Rangers aren't going to rush the 28-year-old left-handed slugger back considering how much time he's already missed, so fantasy baseball managers shouldn't expect him to make his debut with Texas until around late next week. When Lowe does return,
Jared Walsh will head to the bench. Lowe has great plate discipline and resides in one of the better lineups in the league in a hitter-friendly home environment, so he should already be rostered in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
5 days agoThe St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (ribs) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned catcher
Pedro Pages to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar is recovered from two non-displaced fractures in his left rib cage and will make his 2024 debut on Friday on the road in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old didn't swing the bat well on his minor-league rehab assignment, but the only takeaway is that he's healthy now and ready to play every day for the Cardinals in left field, especially with
Tommy Edman (wrist) and
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) still sidelined. In the last two years, Nootbaar has hit 28 home runs and stolen 15 bases in just 225 games played, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination if he's available.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
5 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez.
Pablo Reyes will handle duties at the hot corner and hit ninth for the Sox. The 27-year-old isn't off to a great start as he's hitting just .184 through his first 10 games but he does have two homers and two doubles while his 15.2% BB% exceeds his 13% K%. He's also been held back by a tiny .167 BABIP and his .366 xwOBA ranks in the league's 84th percentile, as per Statcast. In other words, fantasy managers have little to worry about as Devers will rebound given his career .279 average and .851 OPS.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Chris Cotillo
5 days agoCincinnati Reds right-hander
Nick Martinez won't make a start for the team in its upcoming three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran had his third start of the season skipped due to a rainout on Thursday but will not get into any game action this weekend. The first two starts of his Reds tenure have not gone to plan as Martinez has yielded eight earned runs on 14 hits, including a homer, across 10 innings of work. He has only walked two in that time, however, and has punched out nine. The 33-year-old earned a two-year, $26 million contract from the Reds this winter after a successful return to the big leagues with the Padres over the last two seasons, most recently working to a 3.43 ERA across 63 outings (nine starts) in the 2023 campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Charlie Goldsmith
5 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks have signed second baseman
Kolten Wong to a minor-league deal and have assigned him to Triple-A Reno. Wong has inked a minors deal this offseason with the Orioles but failed to crack the Opening Day roster and once again hit the open market. Following a pair of production seasons at the plate with the Brewers, Wong's bat cratered in a brief stint with the Mariners in 2023, hitting just .183 with four homers, three stolen bases, and a .519 OPS across 87 games in the Pacific Northwest. The D-backs have
Ketel Marte as their everyday second baseman but fellow infielder
Geraldo Perdomo recently underwent knee surgery and will miss about a month's worth of action.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Reno Aces
5 days agoOakland A's infield/outfield prospect Max Schuemann has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas as a corresponding move to the club placing outfielder
Brent Rooker (abdomen) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. The 26-year-old Schuemann is in line to make his big-league debut despite a slow start in Las Vegas where he is just 4-for-23 (.174) without an extra-base hit in a small 29-plate-appearance sample size. He hit .277 with nine home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 14.3% BB% across 103 games at Triple-A in the 2023 campaign. Armed with big-time speed, Schuemann's lack of power throughout his minor-league tenure puts a hard cap on any fantasy value.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Oakland A's
5 days agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) will travel with the club for its upcoming road trip to Cleveland and Toronto as he builds up toward game action. The veteran suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right foot this spring and has recently worked on taking grounders and running the bases. LeMahieu didn't have his best season at the plate in 2023, hitting .243 with 15 homers, two steals, and a .717 OPS across 136 appearances, production that graded out 1% above the league average, as per his 101 wRC+. He was scheduled to be the team's everyday third baseman and leadoff hitter prior to his injury and he will likely return to those roles upon his return to action.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
5 days agoNew York Yankees reliever
Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session either Thursday or Friday at the club's spring training facility in Tampa Bay. The right-hander has been sidelined due to a shoulder issue this spring but appears to be trending in the right direction in his rehab. It was a successful return to the Bronx for the veteran in 2023, as Kahnle worked to a 2.66 ERA across 42 appearances after posting a 2.84 ERA in an injury-shortened 13 appearances in a brief stint with the Dodgers in 2022. Upon his return, Kahnle won't get many save opportunities behind
Clay Holmes but could be a solid source of holds after recording 14 of them in the 2023 season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
5 days agoIt sounds like Texas Rangers left-hander
Cody Bradford is going to stick around in the team's starting rotation. "You throw like that, you're not going anywhere," manager Bruce Bochy said. It means that right-hander
Michael Lorenzen might have to start the year in Texas' bullpen as a long man once he gets his arm up to speed after signing late in spring training. The 26-year-old Bradford has been outstanding as a rotation fill-in in his first three starts against the Cubs, Astros and A's, allowing only four runs (three earned) on 10 hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 17 in 19 1/3 frames. Meanwhile, Lorenzen has given up eight runs with 13 K's and nine walks in his three minor-league rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. Bradford has pitched well enough to warrant an early season waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
5 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Jose Urquidy (forearm) is "really close" to throwing off a mound, according to manager Joe Espada. It's good news for Urquidy, but he still has a ways to go before thinking about rejoining Houston's starting rotation. The 28-year-old Mexican hurler has been out for almost a month due to a right-forearm strain suffered in spring training and probably won't be ready to return until some point in May. And when he does return, there's no guarantee that he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him if
Justin Verlander (shoulder) and
Framber Valdez (elbow) are back and healthy by then. Urquidy also missed significant time due to a shoulder injury in 2023 and doesn't have much fantasy upside for those in mixed leagues when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
5 days agoHouston Astros left-hander
Framber Valdez (elbow) is feeling better and could start playing catch in the next few days, according to manager Joe Espada. Valdez is one of the latest high-profile starters to land on the injured list with an elbow injury, but he's only dealing with inflammation and hopefully will be able to avoid season-ending Tommy John surgery. There's currently no timetable for the 30-year-old southpaw to return to Houston's starting rotation, so fantasy managers are going to need to be patient and keep him stashed in an IL spot everywhere. Valdez has looked good in his first 12 1/3 innings this year, giving up only three earned runs while punching out 10. Rookie right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti is replacing Valdez in the rotation for now.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan that right-hander
David Bednar would still be the closer if a save situation arises on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener. After missing some time in spring training due to a lat injury, Bednar hasn't looked like himself in the early going in 2024 and has already blown three saves while giving up six earned runs on six hits (one home run) while walking one and fanning six in 4 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star's command just isn't where he needs it to be right now, but it's good news for his fantasy managers that Shelton isn't panicking just yet. The fact that Bednar has been one of the best closers in baseball the last couple years has bought him a longer leash, but if his struggles continue, lefty
Aroldis Chapman could start seeing some save chances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Andrew Destin
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