27 mins agoSan Francisco Giants catcher
Patrick Bailey blasted his third home run of the year in Friday's 3-0 win over the Pirates. It was Bailey's only hit in the game but it came at the right time. In a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the ninth, Pirates closer
David Bednar walked the first batter he saw, then gave up a single, bringing Bailey to the plate. The 24-year-old deposited a four-seam fastball over the right field wall for the 3-0 walk-off win. Bailey is having a solid season at the plate thus far, slashing .297/.365/.516 with five doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in 75 plate appearances. For fantasy, however, those numbers don't really move the needle and he can be left to the waiver wire for now.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
44 mins agoSeattle Mariners outfielder
Mitch Haniger smacked a grand slam in Friday's 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks. It was his lone hit on the day, but it was a big one that broke the game open. It came after starter
Zac Gallen left the game and with Mariners up just 2-1. It was the 33-year-old's fourth home run of the year and he's now up to 18 RBI, although the batting average sits at just .244. There was hope the veteran would return to some semblance of his 2021 form with a return to Seattle but it hasn't come to fruition to this point. The good thing is it's a long season and so far he's still healthy. Regardless, until he shows signs of a breakout he's probably only worth a roster spot in deeper leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
59 mins agoMilwaukee Brewers third baseman
Joey Ortiz hit his first career home run in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Yankees, and also drove in the winning run with a walk-off single in the 11th inning. It was all part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate that included a sacrifice fly and four runs batted in. The 25-year-old is now batting .264 on the year with a double, a triple, a HR, seven RBI, and a solid .355 OBP thanks to his eight walks (ten strikeouts). Still, he's probably best left to the waiver wire but can be an interesting value play in DFS depending on the matchup.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect
Jake Eder tallied eight strikeouts across six innings of two-run ball on Friday. Eder allowed just four hits and two free passes. This was the 25-year-old best performance of the season, lowering his ERA to 5.12 and WHIP to 1.66. The southpaw is once again averaging over a strikeout per inning this with 24 in 19 ⅓ innings, as he has done every season of his professional career. Eder struggled in Double-A last season and the early part of this year, but it looks like he is beginning to turn the corner after a strong showing on Friday. The tenth-ranked prospect in the Chicago system will have to continue to post outings like this to reach Triple-A this summer. If he can do so, he could be in contention to reach the major leagues towards the end of the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoCincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect
Rhett Lowder threw six innings, allowed one unearned run, three hits, one free pass, and struck out nine on Friday. The 22-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in the minor leagues this season, and Friday was just another example of that. The number two prospect in the Reds system has posted a dominant 1.86 ERA,0.98 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in 19 ⅓ innings. The 31st overall prospect in baseball should be in Double-A very soon and could push for a late-season call-up to the majors to join the Reds for the stretch run. Lowder should be rostered in all dynasty leagues and could be worth looking at in redraft formats if he reaches Double and Triple-A soon.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoChicago Cubs pitcher
Shota Imanaga picked up his fourth win of the season in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Red Sox. The lefty looked fantastic again, going six-and-a-third innings allowing five hits, walking one, and striking out seven batters. A solo home run to
Tyler O'Neill was the only real blemish in the outing. He's now got a sparkling 0.98 ERA through five starts with a 0.80 WHIP and has struck out 28 batters to just three walks in 27 2/3 IP. The southpaw's next start lines up with the Mets next Wednesday at Citi Field.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoCincinnati Reds shortstop prospect
Carlos Jorge went 3-6 with a home run and four RBI on Friday. This game improves Jorge's stat line to a solid .242/.296/.455. The 20-year-old got things started for Dayton in the first inning with a one-run double. Then, in the sixth, Jorge laced a two-run double, further extending the Dayton lead. The eighth overall prospect in the Cincinnati system capped the game off with a solo shot in the seventh. Jorge could be promoted to Double-A later this summer and could even make a push to Triple-A. However, it is unlikely that he will see time in the majors this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith went 4-for-5 in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays, with two of his four hits going for extra bases including a double and his second home run of the season. The 2023 All-Star also drove in three runs and scored three times. This was the second straight game Smith has recorded four hits, raising his season slashline to .376/.413/.527 and putting himself in position as the third-highest scoring backstop for fantasy thus far. The Dodgers face the Jays' LHP
Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday night. Will Smith is hitting a scorching .520/.581/.680 against LHP so far this season and is 1-for-3 off Kikuchi in his career.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoSeattle Mariners outfield prospect
Lazaro Montes went 3-5 at the plate on Friday and brought in five RBI, including the game-winner. Montes first opened the scoring for Modesto with a one-run single. Then, in the third, Montes laced an RBI double to center field to even the score. The 19-year-old capped off the evening with a walk-off three-run shot in the bottom of the tenth to seal the victory. Montes is sporting a solid .269/.390/.433 line with two home runs and 18 RBI. Montes has shown excellent power potential last season when he hit seven home runs in 33 games at Single-A and is picking up where he left off in 2024. Montes should be closely monitored in dynasty leagues, as he should climb the ranks fairly quickly this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoSan Francisco Giants first base prospect
Bryce Eldridge has been swinging for power to begin the young season. The 19-year-old launched his second home run in eight games on Friday evening and is riding a strong. 533 SLG. Five of his seven hits have gone for extra bases. Last season at Single-A, the former first-round pick only logged one round-tripper across 15 games. This is a good sign, as Eldridge will look to continue the power surge over the summer. He is still a few years away from the major leagues but could see time in High-A later this summer. He is worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoMiami Marlins starting pitching prospect
Thomas White set a new career-high nine strikeouts on Friday evening. The 19-year-old southpaw threw five innings of one-run ball, allowed four hits, one free pass, and struck out nine. This was a big step for the number two prospect in the Miami system, as he has never gone five innings yet this season. This start lowers his ERA to 4.60 and WHIP to 1.91 across 15 ⅔ innings. White is still several years away from the majors, but he is worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues as he has the potential to become one of the top arms in the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9 hours agoX-rays came back negative on Tampa Bay Rays first baseman
Yandy Diaz's hand on Friday night after he was hit by a pitch on his hand in the eighth inning and forced to exit the game early against the Chicago White Sox. It doesn't mean that he won't miss the next few days, though, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if he's absent from the starting lineup. Before getting hit by a pitch, the 32-year-old went 1-for-2 with his fifth double of the season, two walks and a strikeout, and he's now hitting .241 on the year with a .618 OPS.
Niko Goodrum replaced Diaz as a pinch-runner and then at first base to close out the game. If Diaz misses a few games or is forced to the injured list, Goodrum and
Austin Shenton could split time at the cold corner in Tampa.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
9 hours agoMinnesota Twins closer
Jhoan Duran (oblique) will make his next appearance on his rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, with his outing pushed back a day due to rain on Friday. It's a small hitch in the road for Duran on his way back from a strained right oblique, as he still figures to have a chance re-enter Minnesota's bullpen and be activated from the injured list as early as Monday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. Right-hander
Griffin Jax's run as manager Rocco Baldelli's preferred ninth-inning man appears to be nearing a close, but he's submitted a strong 2.53 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 15:3 K:BB in 10 2/3 innings while converting four of his five save chances for the Twins in Duran's stead. Fantasy managers should look to sell high on Jax while his value is still heightened.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Betsy Helfand - St. Paul Pioneer Press
9 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
John Means (forearm) will make another minor-league rehab appearance on Sunday, and he should then join the big-league roster soon after. It's been a lengthy stint with Triple-A Norfolk for Means, who will make his sixth and final start before rejoining Baltimore's rotation to make his 2024 regular-season debut in Week 5 of fantasy baseball. He would appear set to get the ball sometime next weekend during a three-game set on the road with the Cincinnati Reds, which is a far less favorable environment for his first start off the injured list then if he were throwing at home against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Veteran right-hander
Albert Suarez has launched 11 1/3 scoreless frames with nine strikeouts in two starts for the O's and will now take the hill in Sunday's tasty matchup instead, making him a strong pickup to wrap up Week 4.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jacob Calvin Meyer - The Baltimore Sun
9 hours agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Frankie Montas (forearm) is expected to throw off a mound this weekend, according to manager David Bell. Montas is progressing in his recovery from a right forearm contusion and is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on May 7, but it's unknown if he'll need a brief rehab assignment before rejoining Cincy's rotation. The 31-year-old former ace carries an uninspiring 4.19 ERA (5.26 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, and 14:10 K:BB across 19 1/3 innings (five starts), and fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues might be able to find stronger options as a stash. Veteran swingman
Nick Martinez should receive at least two more starts for the Reds until Montas becomes available again, but he has just a 5.48 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 17 punchouts in 23 frames (five appearances) and won't be a convincing streamer in Tuesday's scheduled road start against the San Diego Padres.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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