Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker Not In Saturday's Lineup
Ivan Herrera and outfielder Jordan Walker are not in the starting lineup on Saturday when they continue a series against the Washington Nationals. Herrera returned from the injured list on Friday and went 1-for-4 with two RBI. However, he will get the day off, which will open a spot in the lineup for Pedro Pages to be behind the dish. Walker has started each of the previous three contests but has tallied just one hit and held a 5:2 K:BB over this stretch. Instead, Lars Nootbaar will shift to right field, which opens left field for Brendan Donovan. Fantasy managers should expect both Herrera and Walker to return to the lineup on Sunday. The Cardinals are worth targeting in DFS facing Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams, who has held a modest 5.86 ERA this season.Source: MLB.com
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Josh Bell Not Starting On Saturday
Josh Bell is not in the starting lineup on Saturday when they continue a series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bell was dealing with a groin injury earlier in the week. He was able to start on Friday but went 0-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout. As a result, James Wood will shift to the DH spot, which opens left field for Alex Call. The veteran first baseman has had a slow start to the campaign. Through his first 32 contests, Bell has posted a modest .130/.219/.278 slash line with five home runs. Under the hood, the switch-hitter has generated a low .285 xwOBA and a .204 xBA, which are both well below the average marks. This afternoon, the Nationals are worth a look in DFS, facing St. Louis right-hander Andre Pallante, who enters this game holding a 4.75 ERA.Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals first baseman National Recall Zach Brzykcy From Triple-A
Zach Brzykcy from Triple-A Rochester. Brzykcy will replace Lucas Sims, who was released on Friday evening. The 25-year-old had a brief one-inning appearance in the majors earlier this season. Last summer, Brzykcy made his MLB debut but logged only five 2/3 innings of work. Across his first six 2/3 innings in the majors, Brzykcy has held a 13.50 ERA with a 2.25 WHIP. He has struck out five batters but has walked 20% of the batters he has faced. However, Brzykcy has been very productive at Triple-A, holding a stellar 1.88 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP across 14 1/3 innings of work. Given his previous struggles in the majors, fantasy managers should expect Brzykcy to have a low-leverage role in the bullpen.Source: Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals have recalled right-handed pitching prospect Endy Rodriguez Playing Catch
Endy Rodriguez (finger) has shed his cast and has been cleared to begin playing catch. Rodriguez has been recovering from a laceration on his right index finger since April. It appears the 24-year-old has progressed well and can begin ramping up his baseball activity. Through his first 15 games of the campaign, Rodriguez held a .178/.260/.244 slash line with three doubles, two RBI, and a 12:5 K:BB. Under the hood, he generated a solid 45.5% hard-hit rate and was able to draw walks at a 10.0% rate. If he continues to progress well, Rodriguez could be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment before the end of the month. When he is cleared to return to Pittsburgh, fantasy managers should expect Rodriguez to compete for time at first base and as the No. 2 backstop behind Joey Bart.Source: MLB.com
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/catcher Jake Fraley Could Be Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Jake Fraley (calf) on the 10-day injured list. Fraley was held out of action earlier in the week but was slated to return to the lineup on Friday. However, the outfielder was a late scratch due to this lingering calf injury. Following the game, manager Terry Francona noted an IL stint could be possible. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status over the weekend. If Fraley remains sidelined, the team will likely shift him to the injured list. Before his injury, Fraley was having a slow start to the young season, holding a .205/.319/.359 slash line with three doubles and three home runs. While he remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Will Benson, Rece Hinds, or the newly-acquired Connor Joe to cover right field.Source: MLB.com
The Cincinnati Reds could place outfielder Red Sox Owner Meets With Rafael Devers
Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry flew to Kansas City to meet with designated hitter Rafael Devers in the wake of Devers publicly chastising team brass on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. Chiefread more...
Brad Keller To Start Bullpen Game For Cubs On Saturday
Brad Keller will serve as the opener in what will be a bullpen game on Saturday against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Counsell would not confirm whether right-handed pitching prospect Cade Horton will follow Keller as the bulk reliever. Keller probably won't last more than an inning or two in this one, so he's not a realistic fantasy streamer against a tough lineup on the road. The 29-year-old has appeared out of Chicago's bullpen 15 times so far this year and has a 3.78 ERA (2.21 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and six walks in 16 2/3 total innings pitched. Keller has gone two innings in relief just twice for the Cubs, including his first appearance of the year back on March 28. If Horton comes into the game after Keller exits, it will be for his major-league debut.Source: Watch Marquee - Taylor McGregor
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Patrick Corbin Has Been Outstanding Of Late
Although he picked up the loss in a 2-1 game in Friday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, Texas Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin continued to pitch well by giving up just two runsread more...
Corey Seager Dealing With Hamstring Injury
MLB.com's Steve Kornacki writes that Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring) was being rested for the second straight day in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the series opener due to a right-hamstring injury.read more...
Jesse Scholtens Begins Rehab Assignment
Jesse Scholtens (elbow) made his first start since the 2023 season on Tuesday with High-A Winston-Salem to start his minor-league rehab assignment and gave up three earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two in three innings of work. Scholtens had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season, but he's now working his way back and pitching in games again. It's possible that he'll be ready around the All-Star break, but even with the lowly White Sox, he won't be guaranteed a starting-rotation spot when he's ready to roll. The 31-year-old veteran worked as a swing man for the Pale Hose when he debuted in 2023 and wasn't very effective, sporting a 5.29 ERA (5.31 FIP), a 1.53 WHIP, one save, 58 strikeouts and 30 walks in 85 innings pitched over 26 outings (11 starts).Source: MLB.com
Chicago White Sox right-hander Korey Lee Starts Rehab Assignment
Korey Lee (ankle) and infielder Gage Workman (hip) both started their minor-league rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. Lee went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk in his first game for Charlotte after missing the previous month due to a sprained left ankle. The 26-year-old backstop is working his way back, though, and could be back in the big leagues by the end of next week as long as he avoids any setbacks. However, with catching prospect Edgar Quero joining the big-league roster recently, Lee is unlikely to see as much playing time when he returns. The former 32nd overall pick in 2019 out of Cal Berkeley had gone 5-for-15 in the early going before getting hurt, but he's hit just .193 (93-for-482) with 13 homers and 45 RBI in 170 big-league games to this point in his career.Source: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
Chicago White Sox catcher Jake Rogers Doing Baseball Activities
Jake Rogers (oblique) is playing catch, hitting batting practice in the cage and completing defensive drills on a daily basis, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Rogers began playing catch in late April and has now increased his baseball activities as he rehabs from a strained left oblique. Barring any setbacks once he starts a minor-league rehab assignment, the 30-year-old veteran backstop is expected to rejoin the big-league squad in late May. In just six games this year before his injury, Rogers had gone 4-for-18 with a triple, three runs scored, four walks and five strikeouts for the Tigers. Rogers had a career-high 21 homers and 49 RBI in 107 games in 2023 but finished with just 10 long balls last year. Like most catchers, he struggles to make contact and isn't going to hit for average, but he should play regularly while splitting time with Dillon Dingler when he returns.Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
Detroit Tigers catcher Wenceel Perez Doing Baseball Activities
Wenceel Perez (back) is completing defensive drills, playing catching, hitting batting practice in the cage and is progressing through a running progression, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Perez is finally doing baseball activities again after receiving two cortisone shots to help his lumbar-spine inflammation. The 25-year-old is currently on the 60-day injured list, so he won't be able to return to the Tigers until at least late May, but if he's able to start a minor-league rehab assignment soon, he could rejoin the big-league club when he's eligible. In his rookie season in 2024, Perez slashed .242/.300/.383 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, nine steals and 51 runs in 112 games played. He is versatile (can play middle infield) and has speed to spare, but he may not see enough playing time when he's ready to return to justify a roster spot in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows Doing Baseball Activities
Parker Meadows (arm) is playing catch daily and is also completing conditioning, defensive drills and his hitting progression daily, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Meadows is recovering from right upper-arm inflammation and was only playing light catch in April. Because of the fact that he's on the 60-day injured list, the earliest the 25-year-old could return would be late May. It sounds like he has made progress since last month, but he will still need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment, so our best guess is that we won't see him make his 2025 season debut until sometime in June. Meadows struggled early in 2024 and then missed time with a hamstring injury, but he hit .296/.340/.500 with six homers and five steals in 47 regular-season games in the second half. When healthy, he could be the starting center fielder in Detroit against right-handed pitching.Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
Detroit Tigers outfielder Sawyer Gipson-Long Starts His Rehab Assignment
Sawyer Gipson-Long (elbow) started his minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Lakeland on Thursday and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings his first time out with three hits allowed, no walks and two strikeouts. Gipson-Long was finally cleared to start pitching in real games again after facing live hitters in late April. The 27-year-old is recovering from right UCL reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) last April and also a left-hip labral repair in early July of 2024, so he still has a ways to go before he'll be an option for the Tigers in the big leagues. Gipson-Long made it to the big leagues in 2023 and looked strong, allowing seven runs (six earned) while walking eight and fanning 26 in four starts (20 innings). It's more than anyone expected for a pitcher that wasn't high on prospect lists entering that season. Gipson-Long could rejoin the minors around the All-Star break when he's cleared.Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
Detroit Tigers right-hander