35 mins agoSan Francisco Giants left-hander
Blake Snell (groin) will throw around 50 pitches in another bullpen session on Saturday, according to manager Bob Melvin. If all goes well, the Giants will make a decision on whether Snell will go on a minor-league rehab assignment or face hitters next. Snell is making progress from his Grade 2 adductor strain, but he still has some boxes to check off and may need to make several starts in the minor leagues before rejoining the big-league rotation. It seems like even more of a good idea after last year's National League Cy Young winner opened the year with an 0-3 record, 11.57 ERA and 1.97 WHIP with five walks and 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings over his first three starts for the Gigantes. Despite the ugly start, Snell must remain stashed in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Susan Slusser
43 mins agoAll of Philadelphia Phillies starting pitchers
Zack Wheeler,
Aaron Nola,
Ranger Suarez,
Cristopher Sanchez and
Taijuan Walker are currently healthy, leaving right-hander
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53 mins agoBoston Red Sox infielder
Vaughn Grissom (hamstring, illness) has been activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and is making his debut with the team against the Minnesota Twins and right-hander
Chris Paddack. Grissom is starting at second base and batting seventh in his season debut. Fantasy managers would like to see Grissom hitting higher in the batting order, but the bottom line is that the middle infielder is finally healthy and ready to take over regular second base duties for the BoSox. The 23-year-old hit a strong .287/.339/.407 the last two years in the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves and should be scooped up immediately off the waiver wire in mixed leagues if he's still available. Grissom has never faced Paddack in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
57 mins agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Brandon Drury (head) is out of the starting lineup again on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. Drury was scratched from the starting lineup on Wednesday due to a migraine and it's obviously something that is still bothering him despite a scheduled day off on Thursday.
Luis Rengifo is handling the keystone for the Halos and will bat second, while
Ehire Adrianza is at third base and is batting seventh against Guardians right-hander
Tanner Bibee. The 31-year-old Drury has gotten off to a dreadful start in his second season with the Angels, slashing .176/.245/.235 with one homer, five RBI, eight runs scored and 18 strikeouts in his first 25 games. Rengifo is hitting .326 (28-for-86) on the year but will be facing a tough matchup in Bibee. He's hitless in two career at-bats against him.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 hour agoThe Texas Rangers placed right-hander
Nathan Eovaldi (groin) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a right-groin strain and recalled right-hander
Yerry Rodriguez from Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move. Eovaldi suffered the groin strain in his win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday and is now going to be out for at least the next two weeks. While the oft-injured 34-year-old starter could miss more than the 15 days on the IL, he needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats after his strong start in 2024. Eovaldi currently has a 2.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 19 walks and 44 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings over his first seven starts. It remains to be seen who will take his rotation spot in Texas, but it's possible it could be top pitching prospect
Jack Leiter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers PR
1 hour agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton (knee) is being placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with right-knee inflammation.
Austin Martin is returning from the minors in a corresponding move. Buxton has once again landed on the IL due to a knee injury, and it's the same knee he's already had surgery on twice. The good news is that no structural damage was found in the right knee that he injured while trying to steal a base on Wednesday, so it's possible that the 30-year-old could be back with the Twins in just over a week. With that said, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the oft-injured Buxton misses more than the 10 days.
Willi Castro, a 27-year-old switch-hitter, is batting .270 (27-for-100) with two homers and three steals and should see regular playing time in center with Buxton sidelined.
Manuel Margot is another candidate to see more playing time.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
1 hour agoBaltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that right-hander
Craig Kimbrel (back) will return to his normal role as closer on Friday for the start of a series against the Cincinnati Reds. Kimbrel will return to the fold at the back end of Baltimore's bullpen after not appearing in a game since injuring his back last Sunday against the Oakland Athletics. The 35-year-old's back injury could explain why he's blown both of his last two save chances while allowing three runs. It's something to keep a close eye on moving forward. Kimbrel is currently sporting a 3.18 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with seven saves, six walks and 17 strikeouts in his 11 1/3 innings pitched. If Kimbrel's back issues return and he's forced to miss more time, a closer committee could form in Baltimore between
Jacob Webb,
Danny Coulombe and
Yennier Cano.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Steve Melewski
2 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (mouth) is back behind the plate and is batting seventh in the lineup on Friday against the San Diego Padres and right-hander
Dylan Cease. Moreno had a dental procedure the other day and was held out of lineup on Wednesday, but he's back in there on Friday and is good to go for the series opener against the division-rival Padres. The 24-year-old backstop will be looking to get going offensively this weekend after starting his second year in Arizona with a disappointing .238/.344/.325 slash line with no home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored in 93 plate appearances and 27 games played. He has hit just .143 (2-for-14) in the last week and is going up against a tough pitcher in his first game back.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton (knee) is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Buxton injured his surgically-repaired right knee on a stolen-base attempt on Wednesday and was sent for an MRI exam, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that he's not in Friday's lineup. Although we don't know the results of the 30-year-old's MRI exam yet, fantasy managers should already be preparing for the oft-injured outfielder to land on the injured list.
Willi Castro, who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late, is starting in center field and batting eighth on Friday against Red Sox right-hander
Tanner Houck. If Buxton lands on the IL, Castro will most likely become the team's regular center fielder.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Access Twins - Brandon Warne
2 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Estevan Florial is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday to begin a series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. With Florial sitting,
Jose Ramirez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting third, while
Gabriel Arias starts at the hot corner and hits eighth against Angels right-hander
Jose Soriano. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting Florial has been due some rest after starting the season with a rough .196/.286/.429 slash line with three home runs, two doubles, a triple, nine RBI, one stolen base, five runs scored and 26 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances and his first 20 games with Cleveland this year. If Florial continues to struggle against right-handers, he could be on the bench more often.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoTampa Bay Rays third baseman
Isaac Paredes is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat second on Friday versus left-hander
Jose Quintana and the visiting New York Mets. Paredes got the day off in the team's last game on Wednesday due to general body soreness, but he's back in there on Friday as the DH.
Curtis Mead is starting at third base and is batting in the nine-hole for the Rays. The 25-year-old Paredes should be returned to all fantasy lineups on Friday, as he's hitting a strong .291/.358/.509 on the year with an .867 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBI and 14 runs scored in 110 at-bats. He's also gone 9-for-27 (.333) in 31 plate appearances against lefties this year and has a hit in his only career at-bat against Quintana.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates are activating veteran catcher
Yasmani Grandal (foot) from the injured list on Friday and have optioned catcher/outfielder
Henry Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move, according to manager Derek Shelton. Grandal is returning from plantar fasciitis in his left foot and will platoon with
Joey Bart being the plate moving forward. The switch-hitting 35-year-old will be making his 2024 debut when he gets into a game, but he'll start on the bench on Friday with Bart getting the start. Davis, the former first overall pick in 2021 out of Louisville, will head to the farm to work on his swing after hitting a miserable .162 (11-for-68) with no home runs, 11 walks and 29 strikeouts in 83 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Kevin Gorman
2 hours agoAs expected, Cincinnati Reds first baseman
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and catcher
Tyler Stephenson (hand) are both back in the lineup on Friday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander
Cole Irvin. Encarnacion-Strand is at first base and batting fifth, while Stephenson is behind the plate and batting cleanup. Both Encarnacion-Strand and Stephenson hadn't played since being hit by pitches last weekend. After hitting 13 homers in 63 games in his rookie season last year, CES has been a disappointment so far in 2024, slashing .196/.222/.314 with two homers and 16 RBI in 25 games. Stephenson will return to a .231/.338/.415 slash line with three homers and 10 RBI. Neither Encarnacion-Strand nor Stephenson have faced Irvin in their careers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jonny DeLuca (hand) will make his team debut on Friday when the team takes on the visiting New York Mets and left-hander
Jose Quintana. The 25-year-old was part of the return in a trade that sent
Tyler Glasnow and
Manuel Margot to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason. He suffered a broken hand on a hit-by-pitch in spring training but raked on his Triple-A rehab assignment, hitting .300 with two homers, six RBI, a stolen base, and a 1.090 OPS across 25 trips to the plate with the Durham Bulls. DeLuca debuted with a solid .262 average with two homers, a stolen base, and a .740 OPS across 24 games with the Dodgers last season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Gavin Stone has a tough matchup on his hands on Friday as he takes the mound for a start against the high-octane Atlanta Braves. The 25-year-old has had an uneven start to this season that includes a 4.68 ERA through five starts but was excellent his last time out when he tossed seven innings of one-run ball with just two hits and two walks allowed in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. However, Stone has just 18 strikeouts and 12 walks surrendered in his 25 innings of work on the season after striking out just 22 across 31 innings in his debut last season. Fantasy managers will continue to look for more punchouts from the righty after posting big-time strikeout totals in his minor-league tenure.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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