1 hour agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Matos posted five multi-hit performances over the past week at Triple-A Sacramento. During this stretch, Matos held a .464/.516/.1.214 slash line with five long balls, six doubles, and one stolen base, with no strikeouts. Matos was sent back down to Triple-A earlier in June, logging a 21-game stint in the majors where he posted a .224 AVG. While the 22-year-old has looked very strong at the top level of the minors with a .300/.364/.547 line across 73 games, it has yet to show in the majors with a modest .243/.300/.329 line through 97 games. Matos is worth holding onto in keeper and dynasty formats, as he still has high potential and should get another chance in the majors in the coming months.Source: MiLB.com
1 hour agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect Daylen Lile is being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. Lile is taking the open roster spot from former number two overall pick Dylan Crews, who was recently promoted to Triple-A. Lile has been at High-A for the entirety of this season and the second half of last season and holds a cumulative .255/.335/.387 line through 97 games. However, this season he posted a much stronger .271/.352/.410 line compared to the .234/.310/.357 line he posted last summer at High-A, which suggests the former second-round pick is progressing quite well in the minor leagues. Lile is ranked as the number seven prospect in the Washington system on MLB.com and is projected to reach the majors next season. The outfielder is worth paying close attention to in dynasty leagues, as he could become an interesting stash candidate later this summer.Source: MiLB Central
1 hour agoSeattle Mariners executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations Justin Hollander announced on Tuesday that the team reinstated infielder Ty France (heel) from the 10-day injured list and designated catcher Seby Zavala for assignment in a corresponding move. France is back after landing on the IL on June 9 with a right-heel fracture when he was hit by a pitch on Friday, June 7. Overall this year, France is hitting .251 (53-for-211) with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 27 RBI and 19 walks in 61 games. In his last 27 games since May 10, he's hitting .267 (24-for-90) with 10 runs, six doubles, five homers, 18 RBI and an .865 OPS. France should be back in the starting lineup at first base for Tuesday's contest against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Triston McKenzie, which will push rookie Tyler Locklear to the bench.Source: MLB.com
1 hour agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitching prospect Yoniel Curet has had a rough time pitching at High-A but may have begun to settle in at this level. After allowing seven earned runs on June 5, Curet has now posted two consecutive shutout performances. On June 11, he turned in his best start of the young season with seven two-hit frames, with one free pass and 11 punchouts. Then, in his next start on June 16, the right-hander tossed four innings where he allowed four hits, two free passes, with three punchouts. Still, despite his recent turnaround, the 21-year-old is carrying a 4.79 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 56 ⅓ innings at High-A this season. Curet could make his Double-A debut later this summer if he continues this nice run.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoKansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (foot) looked good in his first minor-league rehab start in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday, tossing four scoreless innings while giving up two hits and no walks with six strikeouts. Given Wacha's strong performance, it seems likely that the Royals will now clear him to return from the injured list to make his next start in the big leagues. The 32-year-old veteran has been recovering from a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. If he does make his next start in the big-league rotation, it will likely come this weekend in a tough matchup on the road against the defending World Series-champion Rangers. Although he has a weak 19.8% strikeout rate, Wacha has been serviceable in deeper fantasy leagues as a streamer with a 4.24 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and a 56:20 K:BB in 68 innings over his 12 starts in his first year in KC.Source: Milb.com
2 hours agoBoston Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey is riding an eye-catching six-game home run streak. In this incredible stretch, he has posted four multi-hit games with a three-hit performance on June 9 and a 1.375 SLG. The young infielder has gotten off to a slow start to the season, holding a .224 AVG in April and a .200 AVG in May. However, since the start of June, the 20-year-old has been riding a .260 AVG with a .362 OBP. Coffey made his High-A debut at the end of last summer and held a .136 AVG through a small 18-game sample size and now sits with a .232 AVG in an extended 35-game look this season. Currently, the former second-round pick is not ranked in MLB.com's Top 30 Boston prospects but could enter this list if he continues to find his footing at High-A.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoThe Toronto Blue Jays signed free-agent right-hander James Kaprielian (shoulder) to a minor-league deal. Kaprielian was formerly a 16th overall pick in 2015 out of UCLA by the New York Yankees. All four of his big-league seasons have been with the Oakland Athletics, though, going 15-20 with a 4.61 ERA (4.67 FIP) and 1.35 WHIP with 282 strikeouts and 133 walks in 318 innings pitched over 66 appearances (58 starts). The 30-year-old veteran had surgery last August to fix the posterior labrum in his right shoulder and hasn't pitched in a live game yet in 2024. It's unclear if Kaprielian is a realistic option to return to the big leagues for the Blue Jays this year, but at the very least, he'll serve as organizational pitching depth in the second half of 2024.Source: MLB.com
2 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae (wrist) took part in live batting practice at PNC Park on Monday and worked defensively every day during the team's last road trip. "I would say we're probably getting close to a rehab assignment," manager Derek Shelton said. Barring a setback once Bae goes out on a minor-league rehab assignment, he should be able to return from the injured list before the end of this month. The 24-year-old South Korean utility man will be a bench option for the major-league roster when he's ready to return. He has played in only eight games so far in 2024 and has gone 5-for-24 (.208) with no home runs, two RBI, two stolen bases, two walks and seven strikeouts. Bae carries a .238/.304/.315 slash line with only two homers in 129 big-league games, but he did steal 24 bases in 111 contests in 2023.Source: MLB.com
2 hours agoBoston Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan performed well in his first week since recovering from a fractured finger. The 21-year-old has been sidelined since May 11. From June 12 to June 16, the infielder held a .333/.360/.625 slash line with two long balls, eight RBI, one swiped bag, and a 1:2 BB:K ratio. In this stretch, he posted three multi-hit games. Jordan has remained with Double-A Portland since last season and holds a strong .293/.346/.455 slash line at this level this summer compared to a .254/.296/.402 line he posted last summer. The former 2020 draft pick is ranked as the number 19 prospect in the Boston system on MLB.com and is projected to reach the majors sometime next season. He could become a name to stash in dynasty leagues if he continues to perform well at Double-A and reach Triple-A later this season.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoDetroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (spine) said he plans to leave on Thursday to visit doctors in Florida, and there's no clear timetable for his return, although the Tigers are expecting his absence to be longer than the minimum 10 days on the injured list as he recovers from lumbar-spine inflammation. Baez, who said he dealt with back pain last year, has already had an MRI exam and is expected to undergo more testing. Most fantasy managers have moved on from the once bright start that is Baez. The 31-year-old has continued to decline in each of his three years in Detroit and he was hitting just .183 (34-for-186) with a homer, 25 RBI, six stolen bases and 42 strikeouts in 196 plate appearances at the time of his injury. With Baez on the mend and Detroit not rushing him back, shortstop duties will be split by Zach McKinstry and Ryan Kreidler.Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
2 hours agoThe Detroit Tigers haven't indicated a timetable for outfielder Kerry Carpenter's (spine) return after he went on the injured list on May 29 (retroactive to May 27) with what the Tigers called lumbar-spine inflammation. Carpenter had been dealing with a lingering back issue and underwent tests the previous evening. The Tigers recently altered his diagnosis to a lumbar-spine stress reaction, which has been described by doctors as a crack in the bone that tends to appear clearly on MRIs and CT scans. It can take six weeks or three months for a stress fracture to settle down, so Carpenter's return isn't on the horizon. Before his injury, the 26-year-old had a 1.004 OPS against right-handed pitching, good for seventh in MLB. Carpenter should be able to return to full strength once the injury is healed, but he remains without a timetable and has yet to resume baseball activities.Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
4 hours agoCincinnati Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder has been very good in three June starts for Double-A Chattanooga. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 3.29 ERA this month with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 13 2/3 innings. The seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Wake Forest is known for his excellent control and his devastating changeup. Lowder has the feel, the savvy, and the stuff to contribute at the big-league level this season. He will need to continue to show consistency at Double-A. If he does, he could find himself in Cincinnati and firmly on the fantasy radar by the end of the season. The top prospect for the Reds and one of the top pitching prospects in baseball would warrant immediate waiver-wire attention should he get the call this season.Source: MILB.com
4 hours agoSan Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada hit a three-run, walk-off homer to lift them to a 7-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. Estrada's homer was his ninth and capped off a night that saw him finish with two hits, four RBI, and a walk in five plate appearances. The home run snapped a string of 20 consecutive games where Estrada had not gone deep. He is slashing .243/.277/.401 with 39 RBI and 37 runs scored. Estrada's versatility as a middle infielder offers some value and remains a solid fantasy option in leagues with 12 or more teams.Source: ESPN.com
4 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ homered and drove in three runs in Monday's 7-6 loss at the San Francisco Giants. Happ's eighth home run was a three-run shot in the top of the seventh inning that gave the Cubs a 6-3 lead as he finished with two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. He is slashing .229/.340/.400 with 36 RBI, 34 runs scored and six stolen bases. Happ is hurting fantasy managers with his batting average but makes up for it with his power and speed as he is on pace for 18 homers and could approach 15 steals.Source: ESPN.com
4 hours agoHouston Astros outfield prospect Jacob Melton (wrist) is back in action for Double-A Corpus Christi. In his first action since May 22, Melton is 1-for-6 in two games since his return to the lineup. The speedy 23-year-old has hit .264 with five home runs and 24 RBI to go with 10 stolen bases at Double-A this season. The Astros top prospect slugged 23 homers and stole 46 bases across two levels of the minors last season. The second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Oregon State has the power-speed combination that will catch the eye of fantasy managers for years to come. A debut in Houston this season is not out of the question, but next year is the more likely scenario.Source: MILB.com