5 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler delivered another strong performance in Thursday's victory over the visiting Texas Rangers, striking out five batters and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings for his sixth win of the campaign. Wheeler has been a quality-start machine in 2024, with Thursday's showing already being his eighth out of 11 appearances this year. The early favorite to bring home his first National League Cy Young Award, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 76:21 K:BB over 67 2/3 frames as Philly's ace this season. Wheeler's next act is slated to arrive during Tuesday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, where he'll once again be one of the top fantasy plays on the slate.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman shined in Thursday's victory on the road over the Detroit Tigers, fanning a season-high 10 batters while throwing six innings of one-run ball on three hits and two walks for his third win of the campaign. It was almost certainly Gausman's finest effort of the season, as it was his first double-digit strikeout performance this year. The 33-year-old strikeout machine missed some time during spring training due to injury, and while he has work to do to improve on his lackluster 4.47 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 10 starts, Gausman's superb 53:13 K:BB is a reason for optimism. Tuesday's matchup against the last-place Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field marks Gausman's next projected start, a prime opportunity for Toronto's ace to right the ship further.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoChicago White Sox manager Chris Getz said during Thursday's game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles that designated hitter
Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) is expected to miss "a month or so." It specifies Jimenez's return timetable after manager Pedro Grifol stated earlier on Thursday that an extended absence was in store for the outfielder as he recovers from a strained left hamstring, which he sustained in Monday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. The oft-injured 27-year-old slugger may have stolen a career-high three bases across 36 games as Chicago's everyday DH before going down, but he was slashing a career-worst .231/.288/.381 with five home runs, five doubles, and 12 RBI through 134 at-bats. Jimenez isn't the strongest stash in most fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Scott Merkin - MLB.com
5 hours agoSan Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin says it's unlikely that outfielder
Michael Conforto (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for the club's series that starts on Friday against the New York Mets. After hitting the IL back on May 12, Conforto has ramped up his running progression but likely hasn't progressed quickly enough in his rehab from a strained right hamstring to return to the Giants when first eligible this weekend. The 31-year-old former New York Met was slashing a respectable .280/.331/.490 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI in 38 games (143 at-bats) as San Fran's everyday left fielder before getting hurt, and he's a decent stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. In Conforto's absence, former first-rounder
Heliot Ramos is worth a look in NL-only formats while hitting .296 (16-for-54) with two homers, nine RBI, and one stolen base over 14 outings this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
James Wood (lower body) left Thursday's Triple-A Rochester game due to lower-body soreness. There was some hope amongst fantasy managers that Wood's exit in the fifth inning was call-up related, but the outfielder's departure unfortunately came due to an injury. Not much else is known about the setback at the moment, and more information should become available sometime following Thursday's contest. It sounds like an issue that leaves Wood day-to-day, though. The speedy 21-year-old slugger is Washington's No. 1 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and he's tearing up the minor-league competition while slashing .355/.465/.596 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 31 RBI, and 10 stolen bases through 202 plate appearances (45 games) this season.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Golden - Washington Post
6 hours agoThe Texas Rangers transferred starting pitcher
Cody Bradford (back/rib) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Not much of a surprise here, as Bradford said on Sunday that he was shut down from throwing again because he wasn't recovering quickly enough between sessions. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander had gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.62 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking just two over three starts (19 1/3 innings) out of Texas' rotation before going down, ranking among the American League's leaders in wins, opponent average, and ERA at the time of his injury, but he's becoming a tougher stash in fantasy without a clear timeline for a return. With six starters now sitting on the shelf, the Rangers will have to dig into their bullpen as well as their farm system for pitching help until they get healthier.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers Communications
6 hours agoSan Diego Padres starting pitching prospect
Robby Snelling has tossed six innings in consecutive outings for the first time in his professional career. Snelling has done well in Double-A this season with a 3.44 ERA and 1.29 WHIP but has flashed at times by allowing just one run in four out of his seven starts. The 20-year-old southpaw showcased his elite strikeout potential with a 118:34 K:BB ratio last season across Single, High, and Double-A but has fallen a bit short through the young part of this season with a 30:14 K:BB ratio. Snelling is considered the top left-handed pitching prospect on MLB Pipeline and is projected to reach the majors next season. Despite his drop in strikeouts, he remains one of the best prospects in baseball and a valuable asset in all dynasty formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers starting pitching prospect
Jacob Misiorowski has begun to find his footing at Double-A after posting a 3.44 ERA through the first month. Since May, the top prospect in Milwaukee is riding a near-perfect 0.71 ERA with 16 punchouts through 12 ⅔ innings. While he has only allowed six hits, he has given up 12 free passes, which has raised his WHIP to 1.42. The 22-year-old has elite strikeout potential but still has to significantly lower the 8.5 BB/9 he has had since May 1 if he wants to reach Triple-A this summer. Misiorowski is projected to reach the majors in 2025, according to MLB Pipeline, but remains a coveted asset in dynasty leagues as a top-five right-handed pitching prospect.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoChicago White Sox infield prospect
Jacob Gonzalez launched his first home run at Double-A on Wednesday in his second game at that level. The 21-year-old has looked quite comfortable in his first two games with Double-A Birmingham, tallying six hits and three RBI. Gonzalez began the season by debuting with High-A after spending all of last year with the Rookie league and in Single-A. It took him only 36 games at High-A to prove he was ready for Double-A. The No. 7 seven prospect in the Chicago system is progressing through the minor leagues very quickly and could even be able to reach the major leagues sometime next season. Dynasty managers should continue to monitor his performance at Double-A, and he could even be worth stashing if he reaches Triple-A at the end of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoSeattle Mariners outfield prospect
Lazaro Montes has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues this season and is currently entering Thursday evening with an eight-game hitting streak. Since the start of May, the 19-year-old has a stellar .403/.506/.672 slash line with four home runs and a 14:14 BB:K ratio. Overall through 38 games with Single-A Modesto, Montes has a .336/.441/.557 line with seven home runs and a 27:29 BB:K ratio. With his impressive production in only his second professional season, Montes should be moving up to High-A fairly soon. Even though he is still several seasons away from the major leagues, dynasty managers should monitor him closely as he is developing into one of the game's most talented prospects.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoSeattle Mariners shortstop prospect
Cole Young has begun to find his footing at Double-A this month after getting out to a slow start in April. Since May 1, the top prospect in Seattle is riding a strong .283/.368/.483 slash line with three home runs, three stolen bases, and a 7:10 K:BB ratio. In April, he hit for a poor .235 AVG with zero home runs. The 20-year-old spent all of the last season with Single and High-A and posted an overall .277/.399/.448 line and should be expected to continue to progress through the Seattle system fairly quickly. The former first-round selection is projected to reach the majors in 2025 but is worth stashing in dynasty leagues as he should finish the season with Triple-A Tacoma.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
8 hours agoSan Diego Padres third baseman
Manny Machado went 1-for-5 with two RBI during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old has not had the best year at the plate in 2024 and has not hit a home run since May 3. Machado owns a .230/.279/.361 slash line with five homers, 27 RBI and two stolen bases across 48 games. We may be watching Machado's decline happen in real time as he is on pace for some of the worst numbers of his career. Despite the slow start, he is still a top-10 fantasy option at third base due to the lack of depth at the position.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Tyler Wells (elbow) has been cleared to resume throwing. Wells has been sidelined since the middle of April after experiencing right elbow inflammation. The 29-year-old may be on the road to recovery, but his return is still likely several weeks away. He produced a solid season in 2023 with a 7-6 record, 3.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 117:34 K:BB across 25 appearances. He is not worth stashing in the majority of fantasy leagues but could offer some value to fantasy managers later in the season when he is back on the mound.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Rock Kubatko
9 hours agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday. The talented 26-year-old recently started appearing in game action again in the Arizona Complex League. Robert has been out since April 6 with a hip-flexor strain and has dealt with injuries in the past. He is still worthy of a stash in all fantasy formats as he possesses significant upside even with the unappealing team around him. Robert will surely need a few rehab appearances to get back into the swing of things, but the expectation is that he will return to the team in early June.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: James Fegan
9 hours agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect
AJ Smith-Shawver looked good in his season debut on Thursday as he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. He struck out four batters while walking two. The 21-year-old is the Braves' top prospect and has a legitimate chance at sticking in the team's starting rotation. Despite the impressive outing, Smith-Shawver has struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett this season to the tune of a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across eight starts. He tentatively lines up to face the Washington Nationals in his next start and would be a solid streaming option for that contest. Nevertheless, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations a little bit as there are sure to be some growing pains in store.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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