5 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Quinn Priester is expected to be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his first major-league start of the year on Friday against the Boston Red Sox, according to a source. The former 18th overall pick in 2019 out of high school struggled in his big-league debut last year by going 3-3 with a 7.74 ERA (6.74 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with 27 walks and 36 strikeouts in 50 innings over 10 appearances (eight starts) for the Bucs. However, the 23-year-old was looking better with a 3.95 ERA, five walks and 20 K's in 13 2/3 innings in his first three starts for Indy this year. Priester could stick in Pittsburgh's starting rotation until left-hander
Marco Gonzales (forearm) is able to return, but at best, he'll be a shaky streaming option in deeper fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Noah Hiles
5 hours agoIt wasn't the major-league debut that Texas Rangers right-hander
Jack Leiter was hoping for on Thursday in Detroit against the Tigers. The former second overall pick in 2021 out of Vanderbilt only made it through 3 2/3 frames in his first big-league start, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three. This one start won't define Leiter's first year in the majors or his career, but he wasn't missing many bats and gave up a lot of hard contact on the day. It remains to be seen if Leiter will get another turn through Texas' rotation after the disappointing performance, but if he does, it should come next week against the Seattle Mariners in a good matchup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoVeteran free-agent offensive tackle Germain Ifedi is signing with the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL.com. The former first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M spent time with five organizations before joining Cleveland's roster. He has 102 games of experience with 83 starts, but he has not seen game action since 2022 or started since 2021. Cleveland recently traded Leroy Watson to the Tennessee Titans for a 2024 seventh-round pick, so Ifedi is likely being brought in to add depth to the tackle room for offseason activities and training camp. He is not guaranteed to make the 53-man roster ahead of Week 1.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
5 hours agoIn an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, NFL insider Peter Schrager said the Indianapolis Colts could be active in moving up for a top wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft. "I think there's a chance the Colts move up for
Marvin Harrisonread more...
5 hours agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers' (knee) MRI exam showed only a bone bruise, and the Red Sox don't expect him to need a trip to the injured list. Devers was pulled from Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians early with left-knee discomfort and served as the club's designated hitter on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before being held out for the series finale on Thursday while he had an MRI exam. There's thankfully nothing structurally wrong with the 27-year-old's knee, but fantasy managers will need to check back on Friday to see if he's back in there for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Devers has started slow in 2024 and is currently hitting just .188 (9-for-48) with two homers and five RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
5 hours agoWashington Commanders general manager Adam Peters said the team is "real close" to finalizing their decision of who they will select on Thursday when the 2024 NFL draft begins and confirmed they will not trade out of the No. 2 overall pick. The Commanders desperately need a franchise quarterback, and they are presumably deciding between LSU's
Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's
Drake Maye. The 21-year-old Maye is viewed as more of a project with a sky-high ceiling, while Daniels, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, is 23 years old and ready to contribute right away. Either quarterback will have plenty of fantasy football intrigue in Washington, as both have plenty of mobility and could be throwing passes to
Terry McLaurin in their rookie season.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
5 hours agoTampa Bay Rays reliever
Colin Poche picked up his second save of the year in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels by tossing a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout. It wasn't perfect, though, as he did allow two hits. The 30-year-old got the save opportunity in the series finale after regular closer
Pete Fairbanks tossed 28 pitches in a save attempt on Wednesday. The left-handed Pache gave up four runs in his first three outings of the 2024 campaign, but since then he hasn't given up a run in five straight appearances out of Tampa's bullpen. As long as Fairbanks and
Jason Adam remain healthy, Poche isn't going to see very many save chances for the Rays.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoThe NFL reinstated Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney and free agents C.J. Moore, Rashod Berry,
Quintez Cephus, and Demetrius Taylor on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The five players were suspended for the entire 2023 campaign for violating the league's gambling policy. Toney is the only player who remained on an NFL roster following the suspension, and it could be tough for the other four players to find landing spots considering their actions from last offseason. With major sports leagues trying to crack down on any suspicious gambling activity, this will be a situation worth monitoring over the next few years.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
5 hours agoThe New York Yankees claimed outfielder
Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. To make room on their 40-man roster, the Yankees designated infielder
Kevin Smith for assignment. The Dodgers dumped Trammell off their 40-man roster earlier this week after going hitless with three strikeouts in six plate appearances with them over five games. The former 35th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 out of high school just has not been able to figure out major-league pitching in 121 games, batting .165 (51-for-310) with 15 home runs, 39 RBI and four stolen bases. For now, he'll ride the pine in the Bronx while providing outfield depth behind
Aaron Judge,
Juan Soto,
Giancarlo Stanton,
Alex Verdugo and
Trent Grisham.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yankees PR Department
5 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Ryan Pepiot shut down the Los Angeles Angels in Thursday's series finale to win his second game of the year. In his six innings of work, Pepiot allowed just one earned run on three hits while walking three and striking out seven to drop his season ERA to 4.37. The 26-year-old needed a good performance after he gave up five runs to the San Francisco Giants his last time on the bump. The lone run that Pepiot allowed on Thursday to the Angels came on a sacrifice fly in his sixth and final inning. He has walked eight and struck out 27 so far in his four starts while posting a 1.01 WHIP. Pepiot will now look for a second straight strong start his next outing in what has so far been an up-and-down year for the former Dodger.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoFree-agent offensive tackle Andre Dillard signed with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Tennessee Titans after four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft struggled mightily with Tennessee, giving up a league-high 12 sacks despite playing the 65th most snaps among tackles (562). Either way, Dillard has exceptional athleticism from the tackle spot, so he'll get another chance to prove he belongs in the league with a third team.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
6 hours agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder
Mike Trout went hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, he still managed to do some damage on the basepaths with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases. Trout is already up to five stolen bases on the season, which ties the amount of steals he had in the previous three seasons combined. This was also his first multi-steal game since May of 2018. As long as he stays healthy, the three-time MVP could once again be a big threat in the stolen-base department for fantasy managers. In addition to his five stolen bases, Trout is now hitting .270 with a 1.019 OPS, a league-leading eight home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored. The 32-year-old appears to be back after a frustrating injury-riddled season in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoBaltimore Ravens wide receiver
Zay Flowers was allegedly involved in a domestic investigation in February, leading to uncertainty surrounding his status on the field in 2024. On Thursday, the NFL announced there was insufficient evidence that Flowers engaged in any activity that violated the league's personal conduct policy. That said, there will be no action taken by the NFL, and Flowers is free to participate in all team activities. The 23-year-old is on track to contribute in 2024 after a 77-catch, 858-yard, five-touchdown rookie campaign. Although he did a lot of his damage with
Mark Andrews (ankle) out of action, the former Boston College star has plenty of ability and should push to compile WR2 numbers in his sophomore campaign.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
6 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is not in the team's starting lineup for the start of a series on Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco Giants on the road. The 30-year-old will take a seat for a day of rest, with outfielder
Jake McCarthy playing left field and batting ninth and
Randal Grichuk in right field and hitting eighth versus Giants right-hander
Logan Webb. McCarthy is hitting .375 with an RBI in 16 career at-bats against Webb but will have limited DFS upside in the nine-hole. Meanwhile, Grichuk has one hit in his 10 career at-bats against Webb. Gurriel has five home runs and 20 RBI already this year in 18 games played, but he has just one hit (a homer) in his last 16 at-bats over four games, so he could use a little breather here.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (thumb) is back behind the plate and is batting sixth in the lineup on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants and right-hander
Logan Webb. Moreno injured his right thumb on a wild pitch on Monday against the Chicago Cubs and was scratched from the starting lineup on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The 24-year-old did appear as a defensive replacement late in Tuesday's extra-inning game, though. Moreno is still looking for his first home run of the year while going 11-for-46 (.239) in his first 16 games of the 2024 season. Webb isn't the greatest of matchups for those setting DFS lineups, but don't ignore the fact that Moreno is currently hitting .444 in nine career at-bats against Webb.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Christopher Morel struggled at the plate after a hitless game with two strikeouts Wednesday. Morel is now 5-for-37 in his last 10 games with one double, one homer, seven RBI, and 11 strikeouts. Like his outfield partner,
Ian Happ, he had a strong start to the season but has also hit a wall. He should be able to get back on track with favorable matchups in the upcoming series versus the Miami Marlins.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
7 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ's hitting struggles continued Wednesday as he went hitless. Happ had five plate appearances with only one walk. This makes it six games out of his last 10 where he has not recorded a hit. After a solid start to the season, the Chicago Cubs outfielder has hit a wall. He is now batting .247 (18-for-73) on the season with 14 runs, 12 RBI, and one homer. Happ will have a favorable matchup on Thursday evening with left-hander
A.J. Puk on the mound for Miami.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
7 hours agoWashington Commanders general manager Adam Peters may not be looking to trade out of the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of next week's NFL draft. "We feel great about staying at No. 2. Don't see a lot of scenarios where we trade down," Peters said. This shouldn't be a big surprise after Washington dealt last year's starter,
Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. As of right now, veteran
Marcus Mariota is atop the QB depth chart in D.C., but the Commanders will most likely take either LSU's
Jayden Daniels or North Carolina's
Drake Maye with the second overall pick next Thursday night if another club like the Minnesota Vikings doesn't made an offer that the Commanders can't refuse to move up into the No. 2 spot.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
7 hours agoLos Angeles Angels left-hander
Reid Detmers put forth another strong effort on Wednesday in a road start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Detmers worked 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and while he yielded seven hits, he also walked just one against four punchouts on the night. With the outing, the 24-year-old improved to a tidy 1.19 ERA and a massive 26.7% K-BB% across his first four starts of the season. Additionally, Detmers has grown his ground-ball rate to 43.8% on the season, a mark well above his 36.6% career mark, aiding him in not allowing a home run through his first 22 2/3 innings in the 2024 campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoThe Minnesota Vikings brass is scheduled to meet with LSU quarterback
Jayden Daniels for dinner on Thursday night in Baton Rouge, according to agent Ron Butler. Daniels is widely expected to come off the board in the top three picks of next week's NFL draft, so if the Vikings are going to land the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, they would need to trade up within the first round. Minnesota acquired the No. 23 overall pick in a trade this spring with the Houston Texans, so they now hold two first-round selections at Nos. 11 and 23. The Vikings are clearly in the market for a signal-caller after
Kirk Cousins left in free agency and signed with the Atlanta Falcons, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the team trade up within the first five picks to select Daniels or another QB prospect.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
7 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Parker Meadows slugged his first homer of the season on Wednesday in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers. It was a welcomed swing for the 24-year-old who has struggled mightily to begin the season. Following a big spring training, Meadows is now hitting just .077 (3-for-39) with a triple, a homer, and eight walks with a hefty 17 strikeouts across 47 trips to the plate. His excellent defense in center field has kept him in the lineup fairly regularly to begin the season but it's tough to see him sticking around in the big leagues if the bat can't turn around. He hit .232 with three homers and eight steals across 37 games in his MLB debut last season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoThe New England Patriots and offensive tackle Calvin Anderson agreed to a renegotiated contract on Thursday that slightly reduces the base value of his deal in 2024 down from $3.35 million. The move creates $990,000 in salary cap space for the Patriots this year. Anderson entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2020 with the Denver Broncos and he played his first three seasons in the NFL in Denver before playing for the Patriots last year. He played in just five games (two starts) for New England last year and has appeared in 46 games (14 starts) in his four years in the league. The 28-year-old also finished the 2023 campaign on the Injured Reserve. When healthy, he'll likely operate as tackle depth for the Pats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Field Yates
8 hours agoBuffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) said he feels very good health-wise after he missed the team's playoff lost against the Kansas City Chiefs due to an ankle injury. All signs point to Bernard being fully ready for training camp this summer and for the start of the 2024 regular season this fall. The 24-year-old was second in overall IDP fantasy points at the linebacker position in 2023, behind only Atlanta Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. In 17 regular-season games, Bernard racked up a career-high 143 tackles (84 solo), a career-high 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, nine QB hits, three interceptions, five passes defended and three fumble recoveries. As long as he's healthy in 2024, Bernard is going to be in play as a weekly starting linebacker in IDP formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: WGR550 - Sal Capaccio
8 hours agoNew York Mets pitching prospect
Calvin Ziegler (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season and likely a good chunk of the 2025 campaign as well. A 2021 second-round pick, Ziegler made just one appearance in the 2023 season due to injury and has pitched all of 53 2/3 innings since making his professional debut in the 2022 season. The 21-year-old owns a 3.96 ERA with 86 strikeouts and 37 walks across those 53 2/3 frames, but injury woes have decimated his young professional career.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
8 hours agoCleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that running back
Nick Chubb (knee) has started running on land within the last week and is progressing appropriately after he suffered a gruesome season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of last year. The next few weeks and months will be big for Chubb's return in 2024. The 28-year-old is entering the third and final season of his current deal in Cleveland, but there remains no timetable for his return after such a significant injury in 2023. Chubb had multiple surgeries last fall to fix ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries to his left knee. We don't know right now if Chubb will be ready for Week 1, but the best guess is that if he is, he'll be eased back in alongside
D'Onta Foreman,
Nyheim Hines and
Jerome Ford.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Scott Petrak
8 hours agoNew England Patriots director of scouting/lead executive Eliot Wolf said, "we are open for business" on trades in next week's NFL draft, whether it be for moving up or down. Wolf said the team's first pick (No. 3 overall) doesn't have to be a quarterback but believes there will be a QB available that will be worth picking at third overall. The Patriots are keeping things open, but it would be a surprise if they didn't stand pat with the third overall pick to take their next franchise signal-caller after trading
Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. New England has already met with
Jayden Daniels,
Drake Maye,
J.J. McCarthy and
Michael Penix Jr. If they stick at No. 3 and take a QB as everyone expects they will, the rookie QB will compete with veteran
Jacoby Brissett for the starting job at training camp this summer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
9 hours agoThe Boston Red Sox on Thursday placed outfielder
Tyler O'Neill (head) on the seven-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) and reinstated outfielder
Rob Refsnyder (toe) from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. O'Neill had cleared the league's concussion protocol after colliding with third baseman
Rafael Devers in the outfield on Monday, but he hadn't played since and required eight stitches to close up a cut on his forehead. It's a bummer for O'Neill's fantasy managers that he wasn't able to return this weekend, but based on the fact that he had cleared concussion protocols this week, his stay on the seven-day IL should be a short one. Keep him stashed everywhere after his hot start to the year. Refsnyder isn't on the fantasy radar in mixed leagues and will serve as outfield depth behind
Jarren Duran,
Ceddanne Rafaela and
Wilyer Abreu.
UPDATE: O'Neill has been diagnosed with a mild concussion.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
9 hours agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates currently have a hole in their starting rotation with lefty
Marco Gonzales (forearm) on the injured list, but MLB Pipeline's No. 3 prospect, right-hander
Paul Skenes, isn't getting called up because he needs to continue to build up for his first full professional season. Skenes has yet to allow a run with Triple-A Indianapolis through his first three outings, striking out 19 with just six baserunners allowed over 9 1/3 innings. However, he was capped at just three innings in his first two outings and has had his pitch count purposefully limited early on. "We don't want to go from zero to 100 right away. Paul's so important to us long term, so we want to be really thoughtful about that," general manager Ben Cherington said. The 21-year-old will almost certainly be with Pittsburgh this year, but fantasy managers in all formats are going to need to be patient.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
9 hours agoCincinnati Reds first baseman
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (illness) was scratched from the team's lineup on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners due to an illness. He was the second Reds starter in as many days to be held out of the lineup with an illness, as
Jeimer Candelario was scratched on Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. Candelario was also out on Wednesday, so it appears there's a bug going around Cincy's clubhouse right now. The good news is that the Reds are off on Thursday, so hopefully Candelario, Encarnacion-Strand and anyone else not feeling well will be feeling good enough on Friday to play against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. CES has two home runs and 12 RBI so far this year, but he's off to a slow start, hitting .192 (14-for-73) in his first 17 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoTexas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that there isn't a firm number of rehab at-bats that first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe (hamstring) needs, but said it could be "about 30, could be more." As of right now, Lowe has only had 16 at-bats on his minor-league rehab assignment for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, so the 28-year-old left-handed slugger may not necessarily be ready to return from the 10-day injured list to make his 2024 debut with the Rangers this weekend. Barring a setback, though, Lowe should be able to make his season debut with Texas at some point next week. When he returns, Lowe will be the team's regular first baseman, pushing
Jared Walsh to a bench role. If he isn't already, Lowe should be rostered in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
RADIO
