3 hours agoChicago Cubs closer
Hector Neris slammed the door on the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, pitching a perfect ninth inning to pick up his ninth save. Neris struck out a pair of Reds and didn't allow a baserunner in this one. Although he's given up his share of baserunners, the 34-year-old has been able to avoid damage for most of the season and has earned saves in 9 of his 11 opportunities. He has also picked up six wins, which may not be sustainable but is nonetheless a huge boon for his fantasy owners. He should maintain his role as the Cubs closer for the foreseeable future.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoNew York Mets reliever
Drew Smith came in for the final two outs of Sunday's game in London against the Philadelphia Phillies and earned himself a save in a 6-5 win. Smith came in with two runners on and promptly put himself in a difficult position by allowing a hit and a walk to let a run in and load the bases. The 30-year-old then got
Nick Castellanos to hit a weak tapper in front of the plate that catcher
Luis Torrens was able to make a terrific play on and turn a double play, ending the game. The Mets bullpen is a mess right now, and with
Edwin Diaz coming back next week it isn't worth picking up anyone in it.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe had a monster game Sunday, leading the Angels to a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros. O'Hoppe went 4-for-5 with three runs, two RBI, a stolen base, and a walk-off two-run homer off
Josh Hader in the ninth. The 24-year-old has maintained a solid pace throughout this season, slashing .269/.322/.446 with 27 runs, eight homers, 28 RBI, and a stolen base. It's not a huge stat line, but for a catcher it's certainly better than average. He is a low-end option in one-catcher leagues but has the upside to become more.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ came up big on Sunday, going 1-for-3 with two walks, three RBI, and two steals in a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Happ also threw out the would-be tying run at second base in the seventh inning to kill a Reds rally. The 29-year-old has been mostly disappointing after a strong 2023, but maybe a big game like this can point him in the right direction. He has just a .222 AVG with 31 runs, six homers, 30 RBI, and five steals on the season, and has become a points-league specialist at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Jarren Duran filled up the stat sheet on Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, and a stolen base in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Duran's hit was a triple, giving him a league-leading 11 on the season. With four swipes in his last three games, Duran has finally provided some much-needed speed to his fantasy owners after going 14 games without a steal. The 27-year-old speedster needs to continue stealing bases to provide good value in category leagues since he isn't much of a power threat. Still, he should be a valuable contributor in runs, stolen bases, and possibly average for the rest of the season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoDetroit Tigers left-handed pitcher
Tarik Skubal continued his dominant season on Sunday, earning his eighth win in a 10-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Skubal went 6 ⅔ innings in this one, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks. His 10 strikeouts mark the second time he's hit double digits this season, and he is now up to 96 K's in 79 ⅔ IP. On top of the elite swing-and-miss stuff, Skubal has a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, making him the clear A.L. Cy Young favorite and a fantasy MVP at this point in the season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman continued his hot June on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a run, a homer, and six RBI. His grand slam in the eighth ended any hopes Tampa had at a comeback, and the O's ended up winning 9-2. Rutschman is now hitting .359 with six runs, three homers, and 12 RBI in nine June games. For the season, the 26-year-old has a .306 AVG with 35 runs, 13 homers, 49 RBI, and a stolen base. He has lived up to his high ADP thus far and should remain a top-tier catcher for the rest of the season, especially in points leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans dominated the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, striking out nine over six innings of one-run ball in a 6-5 extra-innings loss. Ragans did all he could to get a win in this one, allowing just three hits and a walk, but the bullpen let him down. Outside of a couple blow-up starts, the 2023 breakout has lived up to expectations and then some this season. He now owns a 3.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts in 79 IP. He should be treated as a fantasy ace at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoToronto Blue Jays utility player
Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI on Sunday, leading the Jays to a 6-4 extra-innings win over the Oakland Athletics. Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair with a single in the second inning and then cleared the bases with a double in the tenth to put the Jays in front for good. IKF has carved out an everyday role with the Jays, starting 21 straight games and hitting safely in 16 of his last 18 games. Still, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitcher
Andre Pallante was fantastic on the mound during Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Pallante allowed three hits and struck out six batters over five scoreless innings in the win. He has been fairly solid through his three starts with six strikeouts in two of those appearances. The assumption is that Pallante will stick in the rotation a little longer until the Cardinals get healthy.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
8 hours agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Trevor Rogers looked strong on the mound during Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The left-hander allowed one run on two hits over five innings of work. Rogers struck out five batters while walking four in what ended up being a no-decision for him. He should keep the good times rolling in his next start against the Washington Nationals.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
8 hours agoCleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez was hot at the plate during Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins. The slugging corner infielder went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a steal in the win. The 31-year-old is now up to 10 steals and is showing no signs of slowing down. He's currently on pace for 30 home runs and 20 steals which should keep him in elite territory in terms of fantasy baseball.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
9 hours agoToronto Blue Jays pitcher
Bowden Francis did a solid job against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. The right-hander allowed three hits and a walk over four scoreless innings. The 28-year-old struck out three batters while needing only 49 pitches to navigate over four innings. It's unclear if he'll get another chance in the rotation or head back to the bullpen. If he stays in the rotation, Francis will get the Cleveland Guardians next weekend.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
9 hours agoOakland Athletics starting pitcher
Mitch Spence looked sharp on the mound during Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings of work. Spence struck out three batters and didn't walk anyone in what ended up being a no-decision for him. He'll carry a 3.68 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 40/13 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Minnesota Twins. Spence has down a nice job this season and could be a low-end streaming option for fantasy managers in need of pitching help.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
9 hours agoHouston Astros third baseman
Alex Bregman (hand) was removed early during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Bregman was hit in the hand by a 93 mph pitch on the same hand that was hit earlier in the week. He stayed in to run the bases but was ultimately lifted from the contest. The assumption is that Bregman will undergo precautionary X-rays to make sure there is no structural damage.
Mauricio Dubon finished the game for Bregman and he figures to see more action if Bregman is forced to miss time.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Brian McTaggart
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