37 seconds agoNew York Yankees starting pitching prospect Cade Smith pitched a season-high seven innings on Thursday en route to his second victory of the campaign. He did not allow a run and surrendered just two hits and two free passes. He struck out five. This was a big bounce-back outing for the young right-hander, as he has allowed multiple runs in his previous two starts. Through his first seven starts of professional ball at Single-A (37 ⅓ innings), he holds a 2.41 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and an 18:46 BB:K ratio. Smith is still several seasons away from the major leagues but with the strong start that he has had, he could develop into one of New York's top pitching arms. The 22-year-old remains a name to monitor in dynasty leagues, especially if he reaches High-A by the end of the summer.Source: MiLB.com
14 mins agoCincinnati Reds infield prospect Ricardo Cabrera has been performing quite well in his first extended look at Single-A ball and could be approaching his promotion to High-A. In his past six games the 19-year-old is riding a .391/.462/.565 slash line with three extra-base hits and one stolen base. Overall, through 35 total games this season, he has posted a .285/.363/.454 line with three long balls and four swiped bags. The number nine ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline in Cincinnati, hit for a strong .300 AVG in the Rookie League and is looking just as producing in Single-A. He remains several seasons away from his major league debut but is worth a follow in dynasty leagues.Source: MiLB.com
24 mins agoMiami Marlins outfield prospect Victor Mesa Jr. went 3-4 at the dish on Thursday with his eighth long ball of the season. The 22-year-old has looked quite comfortable through his first 39 games at Triple-A with a .289/.360/.484 slash line this season. In the past week, Mesa Jr. has been especially outstanding with a .357/.455/.571 with two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 5:5 BB:K ratio. Mesa Jr. spent all of last season with Double-A Pensacola and posted a modest .242/.308/.412 line with 18 home runs. This is a great sign, as the number four prospect in Miami has been playing his best against harder competition this season. MLB Pipeline projects him to reach the majors in 2025 but with the way he is performing, that promotion could come this summer.Source: MiLB.com
2 hours agoLos Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (elbow) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old was removed early during Wednesday's game due to soreness in his elbow. Neto underwent an MRI that showed inflammation, which means Neto hopefully avoided a more serious injury. The plan is for Neto to throw during warmups to test out his elbow. He hasn't been placed on the injured list yet, so hopefully he's able to avoid the stint.Source: Jeff Fletcher
2 hours agoColorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) has been transferred to the 60-day injured list on Friday. The left-hander hasn't made much progress in his recovery efforts lately. Freeland was able to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. However, the 31-year-old is still a month or two away from returning. He was shifted to the 60-day injured list in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Freeland back until around the All-Star break.Source: Patrick Lyons
2 hours agoThe San Francisco Giants have signed relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz to a one-year deal. The veteran southpaw was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Pomeranz struggled to the tune of a 6.00 ERA in eight appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 35-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021 due to multiple injuries. This is a low-risk signing for the Giants to see if Pomeranz has anything left in the tank.Source: San Francisco Giants
3 hours agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (shoulder) is set to resume a throwing program during the weekend. The 36-year-old suffered a setback in his recovery process roughly a week ago. Now, the Giants are ramping up Cobb's activities again in hopes that he can join the Giants rotation. However, Cobb is not close to being ready to pitch in the MLB again. It's good to see him throwing again, which is a step in the right direction.Source: Alex Pavlovic
3 hours agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Wilmer Flores (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. The 23-year-old is working his way back from a AC joint issue in his shoulder. Before going down, Flores was struggling to the tune of a 6.04 ERA in 13 relief appearances in Triple-A. The Tigers still have high hopes for Flores despite his recent struggles. He came into the league as a starting pitcher, but is transitioning into a relief role this season.Source: Jason Beck
3 hours agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Jackson Jobe (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. The right-hander hasn't pitched since being removed from his start in Double-A in the beginning of May. The Tigers are obviously going to take it slowly with one of their top pitching prospects. The fact Jobe is getting back on the mound is a good sign. Hopefully he'll be able to get back to pitching in Double-A within the next few weeks.Source: Jason Beck
3 hours agoSan Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) will face live hitters on Saturday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year. It's a pretty major development for the veteran southpaw. The 32-year-old began throwing bullpen sessions for the Giants during spring training but still isn't expected to be an option for their starting rotation until around the All-Star break in the middle of July. For a pitcher that has had issue with control in the past, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Ray for the second half of the 2024 campaign. On the flip side, the American League Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays has plenty of strikeout upside with a 28.9% strikeout rate in 10 big-league seasons.Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Susan Slusser
4 hours agoAtlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (intercostal) is unlikely to play until Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals. Riley is taking batting practice on Friday, and the Braves are just being extra cautious in keeping the right-handed-hitting slugger out for his 11th straight game. Manager Brian Snitker said he isn't surprised if Riley ends up missing two weeks, and if the team needed somebody to ride the bench, they would have already put him on the injured list. The 27-year-old suffered a left-intercostal strain on May 12 against the New York Mets and hasn't played since, although it still sounds like he won't go on the IL. Until Riley returns, Zack Short should continue to play the hot corner in Atlanta, although new signee Joey Wendle could also be an option there. Riley was hitting .245/.319/.388 with three homers, eight doubles and 18 RBI in 163 plate appearances before his injury.Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
4 hours agoBoston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (ribs) will take ground balls on Friday, according to manager Alex Cora. Casas said that he recently started a running program and has been lifting weights as well, so he's clearly making good progress as he recovers from a tricky rib injury. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter is currently on the 60-day injured list and won't be able to return to Boston until June 21, though, so fantasy managers are going to need to stay patient and keep him stashed until then. The last step of his rehab will likely be throwing before he's cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Until Casas is able to return to Beantown, expect the BoSox to continue rotating players like Garrett Cooper, Dominic Smith and Romy Gonzalez in at first base.Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
4 hours agoMinnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) got through his workout well on Friday and will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday as the designated hitter. Lewis will return to game action for the first time since straining his right quadriceps on Opening Day back on March 28. It's great news for the Twins and the 24-year-old, but he's probably going to need at least a handful of minor-league games before he's reinstated from the injured list. When he's back in Minnesota, Lewis will return to starting duties at the hot corner and needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues. He's been injury-prone early in his career, but Lewis' power/speed upside cannot be ignored. Jose Miranda will most likely revert to a bench role when Lewis is back, although the Twins could choose to ease Lewis back into the fold.Source: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park
4 hours agoThe Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Dean Kremer (triceps) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 21) on Friday with a right-triceps strain and recalled pitchers Dillon Tate and Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk in corresponding moves. Additionally, pitcher Jonathan Heasley was optioned to Norfolk. The Orioles placed lefty John Means (forearm) on the IL on Thursday, so Baltimore's rotation depth has taken a big hit this week. It is unclear if the 28-year-old Kremer will be able to return to the rotation when he's eligible in early June. Kremer has been serviceable in his nine starts this year, going 3-4 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 18 walks over 50 innings pitched. It's unclear who might take Kremer's spot in the big-league rotation, but Albert Suarez feels like the best bet.Source: MLB.com - Jake Rill
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and rookie outfielder Colton Cowser are both out of the lineup on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. James McCann will do the catching and bat ninth, whileread more...