RADIO
Miguel Cabrera Is Hot At The Dish Despite Lack Of Power
3 hours agoDetroit Tigers first baseman and designated hitter Miguel Cabrera has been hot for the last week, slashing .438/.500/.563 with two doubles and three RBI in 16 at-bats. Miggy has just one home run on the season, which he has attributed to lack of lineup protection, but despite his lack of power he's still finding ways to get the job done. Cabrera could still heat up in the summer months as he has more homers in June than any other month for his career and he remains in the top 3% of all players in terms of Hard Hit %, but he's only managed a 5.8% barrel rate thus far, ranking him 187th overall.Source: MLB
Jackie Bradley Jr. Homers In Second Consecutive Game
4 hours agoBoston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. finished 2-for-4 on Tuesday, including an eighth-inning, solo home run, his second in as many days. His first four-bagger didn't come until May 20, but in just the following day he has two on the year. There is definitely some power potential in Bradley's bat, after hitting 13, 17, and 26 homers, respectively, over the past three seasons. However, the outlying numbers don't point to anything positive. An expected batting average of .215 and expected slugging percentage of .301 hint that his .157 AVG and .231 SLG aren't due for a significant jump anytime soon. He deserves to stay on waivers in all formats until he brings that average well north of .200.Source: MLB.com
Jordy Mercer Expected To Begin Rehab Assignment
4 hours agoDetroit Tigers shortstop Jordy Mercer (quad) is expected to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday or Thursday, according to the team's injury update on May 21st. Mercer did running drills on Tuesday, and apparently felt comfortable enough that he's ready for game action. The glove-first shortstop has been a liability at the plate, batting just .210/.265/.371 with one home run on the year. In his absence, Ronny Rodriguez has been tearing the cover off the ball, hitting six homers and driving in 18 RBI over his first 100 AB. It's unclear how the Tigers will use Mercer once he returns, which isn't so much a statement about Mercer's limited fantasy value, but about how Rodriguez's value will be affected. For now, it's a wait-and-see situation.Source: Detroit Tigers
Eduardo Rodriguez Gets Shelled Tuesday
4 hours agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was able to last just five innings after allowing six runs, on six hits, while fanning five, and walking three in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to Toronto. It was relatively smooth sailing for Rodriguez, through the first threeread more...
Raisel Iglesias Picks Up 10th Save
5 hours agoCincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Tuesday to preserve a 3-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Iglesias worked around one hit to pick up his 10th save in 12 chances. The fireballer got off to a rough start this season but has turned it around of late, having allowed just three runs over 9 2/3 innings in the month of May. Iglesias has as much strikeout upside as any closer in the league and could become an elite fantasy closer if the Reds start giving him more save chances.Source: www.MLB.com
Sonny Gray Wins First Game Of The Season
6 hours agoCincinnati Reds right-hander Sonny Gray pitched well in his Thursday start against the Milwaukee Brewers. Gray spun six shutout innings, striking out nine and walking four. He picked up his first win of the season in the contest, improving his record to 1-4 with a 3.78 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 50 innings of work. Gray has shown great improvement on the mound this season, it just hasn't shown up in his record. He is owned in just 33% of Yahoo leagues and is worth a look in deeper leagues if you need to add a quality starting pitcher. He will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in his next start.Source: www.MLB.com
Michael Pineda Picks Up Fourth Win
6 hours agoMinnesota Twins right-hander Michael Pineda turned in a quality start against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Pineda allowed three runs in six innings of work, striking out three and walking two. He improved his record to 4-4 with a 5.43 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 53 innings of work. Pineda has struggled to keep the ball in the yard this season, as he's allowing 2.38 homers per nine innings. He also hasn't shown enough strikeout upside to be considered a safe fantasy option. At this point of the season, he needs to be treated as just a streamer in plus matchups. He will take on the Milwaukee Brewers next.Source: www.MLB.com
Marwin Gonzalez Stays Hots
7 hours agoMinnesota Twins utility man Marwin Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs, and three RBI in an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Gonzalez has been red-hot at the plate lately, hitting .367 with three homers, 13 runs, and nine RBI over his past 15 games. His hot hitting recently got him promoted to the No. 3 spot in the lineup. With the way the Twins have been hitting the ball this season, Gonzalez has the chance to pile up the counting stats going forward. He is still available in 39% of Yahoo leagues and is worth a waiver add wherever he's available.Source: www.MLB.com
Kawhi Leonard Scores 19 Points To Help Even The Series
8 hours agoToronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Kawhi Leonard got to take a bit of a backseat on Tuesday with five other Raptors' scoring 13-plus points in the 120-102 win over the Bucks. Leonard managed just five points by the half and finished the night with 19 points while adding seven rebounds with four steals and two blocks. The positive was that he played just 34 minutes after a career-high 52 minutes in Game 3. The negative was that he was regularly limping and favoring both his left and right leg and applied heat packs on every timeout to his quads. It is not clear with what he is dealing with, but the lesser minutes tonight can only mean he will be ready to go in Game 5.Source: ESPN
Kyle Lowry Leads The Raptors With 25 Points In Game 4
8 hours agoToronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry dropped 15 of his 25 points in the game's opening five minutes that led to a 120-102 win over the Bucks to even the series at two games apiece. Lowry was efficient on the night as he made 6-for-11 from the floor and made all ten of his shots at the line with six dimes and five rebounds across 34 minutes of action. Lowry continues his run of inconsistencies as he scored just 26 points in Game 3 and 4 combined after putting up 30 in Game 1. We can assume Lowry will come out firing in Game 5 on Thursday, so keep him on your radar as he is probably the better play with much of the Bucks' backcourt struggling on this night.Source: ESPN
Serge Ibaka Brings It In The Game 4 Win On Tuesday
8 hours agoToronto Raptors power forward/center Serge Ibaka brought some serious energy with him on Tuesday as he recorded a huge double-double in 24 minutes of action in the Game 4 win. Ibaka did his work on the glass with four of his 13 rebounds coming on the offensive end and he scored 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting of some nice pick and pops and putbacks at the rim. The Raptors are 7-0 this postseason when Ibaka scores 10-plus points and Raptors fans can only hope this version of Ibaka shows up for the crucial Game 5 that is in Milwaukee on Thursday nightSource: ESPN
Norman Powell Nets 18 Points In Game 4
8 hours agoToronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Norman Powell provided another solid line in this series on Tuesday when he scored 18 points to help secure the 18-point victory to even the series. Powell was extremely aggressive as he took 18 shots but actually only connected on six of them with four coming from three and he added five rebounds with three assists while being a game-high plus-29 across 32 minutes of action. Powell has stepped things up for the Raptors in his last three games where he is averaging 17.0 points in those games and is still worth a play for Game 5 if his price tag is still fair.Source: ESPN
Fred VanVleet Provides Big Boost Off The Bench
9 hours agoToronto Raptors guard Fred Vanvleet managed to score in double digits for the first time since Game 1 in his club's series with the Magic as he contributed 13 points on Tuesday in the win. VanVleet did not stop there as he added six assists with a rebound and a steal in 25 minutes of action. VanVleet has recorded just 10 points in the series' previous three games on 20 shots, so this was a massive boost for the young guard. The newfound confidence could have been from him becoming a new father on Monday, but whatever the reason may be, he is worth an add to your roster's for Game 5 with his user-friendly price tag.Source: ESPN
Giannis Antetokounmpo Bounces Back With 25 Points
9 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks guard/forward Giannis Antetokounmpo bounced back offensively in Game 4 as he made nine of 17 shots to score 25 points in the 120-102 loss to the Raptors. Antetokounmpo filled out his line with 10 rebounds and five assists with three blocks and a steal while making just 6-for-10 from the line. Antetokounmpo was once again continually swarmed by outreached arms from the Raptors' defense but was more aggressive at taking the ball to the rim then he was in the previous game. If he hasn't been scoring, he has been doing other things, so he is never a bad play in your lineups.Source: ESPN
Khris Middleton's 30 Points Not Enough In Game 4
9 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks shooting guard/small forward Khris Middleton poured in 30 points on Tuesday, but it was not enough in the 120-102 loss to the Raptors. Middleton missed his first shot of the night, but then connected on eight straight field goals and made some big shots for his club when the rest of his squad was struggling. Middleton finished the night by adding seven assists and six rebounds while connecting on a sizzling 11-for-15 shooting overall. Middleton will look to continue to keep things going in Game 5, but with a combination of Raptors' adjustments and his consistency issues, it is hard to know which Middleton will show up for the crucial Game 5.Source: ESPN
Malcolm Brogdon Scores Just Four Points Off The Bench
9 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon struggled to get his shot to fall on Tuesday in the 18-point Game 4 loss to the Raptors. Brogdon managed to hit just 2-for-11 from the floor for four points and added five rebounds with three assists across 28 minutes of action. Brogdon came into the night's contest averaging 14.8 points in his prior four games and he did not make his first field goal on this night until there was one minute left on the clock in the third quarter. The Bucks are going to need either Malcolm Brogdon or Eric Bledsoe to get back to form in Game 5, with Brogdon looking to be the better bet.Source: ESPN
Eric Bledsoe Struggles On Tuesday In Loss
9 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe could not find any rhythm in the 120-102 Game 4 loss in Toronto. Bledsoe has become a non-factor in this series as he played just 20 minutes and provided just five points on 2-for-7 shooting from the floor. The Raptors are sagging off of Bledsoe, daring him to shoot and he is averaging just 8.3 points a game in the series' four games. There is a chance that the Bucks shuffle their lineup for Game 5 and this could mean George Hill or Malcolm Brogdon entering the starting lineup for Bledsoe. Bledsoe is someone to avoid in DFS until he can show a glimpse of confidence.Source: ESPN
Kevan Smith In Concussion Protocol
11 hours agoUpdating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels catcher Kevan Smith (head) is in the concussion protocol after leaving the game early on Tuesday with a foul tip to his mask, according to manager Brad Ausmus. There's a chance he'll need to go on the seven-day concussion injured list as a result. The 30-year-old is hitting a nice .290 on the season, but he has only 73 plate appearances and one homer in a backup role to Jonathan Lucroy. Smith has very little fantasy appeal.Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
Gio Gonzalez Takes Loss Tuesday
11 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez gave up three runs on three hits and three walks over five innings in Tuesday's loss to the Reds. Gonzalez pitched decent enough to win, but the Brewers failed to score a run and thus, he took the loss. Though he has yet to post a quality start, Gonzalez has been pretty mediocre all season and currently boasts a 2.39 ERA. That being said, Gonzalez doesn't offer a whole lot of upside and should mostly be left on the waiver wire.Source: MLB
Hanser Alberto Picks Up Two Hits, RBI Tuesday
11 hours agoBaltimore Orioles second/third baseman Hanser Alberto continued to be productive at the plate in Tuesday's 11-4 loss to the Yankees, going 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI. The 26-year-old has been solid at the plate for the O's this season, hitting .297 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and two stolen bases in 123 plate appearances. Alberto doesn't strike out much (11.4%) but also doesn't walk much (1.6%) or hit for much power (.390 slugging percentage). Given his empty batting average and the overall weak offense he hits in, Alberto is not fantasy relevant at this time.Source: MLB.com
David Hess Gets Knocked Around In Tuesday's Start
11 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher David Hess turned in an ugly outing in Tuesday's 11-4 blowout to the Yankees. Hess pitched five innings, allowing nine earned runs on eight hits (including three home runs) and four walks with five strikeouts. The 25-year-old started the season strong but has gone downhill since and now owns a bloated 6.75 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 45 1/3 IP. Hess should not be owned anywhere at this point. He is slated to make his next start against the Rockies in Colorado and it is very possible he could put up a similarly ugly outing.Source: MLB.com
Steve Wilkerson Lines Three-Run Home Run Tuesday
12 hours agoBaltimore Orioles second baseman/outfielder Steve Wilkerson provided most of his team's runs with one swing in Tuesday's 11-4 loss to the Yankees, going 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and two strikeouts. Wilkerson lined a fifth-inning Domingo German fastball over the right-field wall for his fifth HR of the season. Wilkerson has been productive at the plate, posting a .264/.289/.494 slash line with 13 RBI in 90 plate appearances. However, his 2.2% walk rate and 31.1% strikeout rate are not a good sign. Fantasy players should wait to see better plate discipline before buying into Wilkerson.Source: MLB.com
David Peralta Day-To-Day With Shoulder Soreness
12 hours agoUpdating a previous report, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta (shoulder) was removed from the game early on Tuesday with right shoulder soreness. He is listed as day-to-day. Peralta struck out in both his plate appearances but is still hitting a nice .309/.357/.524 with seven home runs and 30 RBI on the season. This injury could be related to the trapezius issue he had last week, but hopefully he won't need a stint on the injured list. If he misses additional time, Blake Swihart could see more playing time in Arizona's outfield.Source: The Athletic - Zach Buchanan
David Peralta Leaves Game With Apparent Injury
13 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta departed Tuesday night's game against the Padres with an apparent injury. He was struggling with a trapezius muscle issue last week, but there is no word yet if this was the issue again. He was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts when he was replaced in the field in the bottom of the fifth.Source: Zach Buchanan
Jesse Chavez To Serve As Opener Wednesday
13 hours agoTexas Rangers relief pitcher Jesse Chavez will serve as the opener in front of Adrian Sampson on Wednesday against the Mariners. Chavez has been a lot better in the month of May than in April, but he still carries no fantasy significance in the opener role. Sampson is 1-3 with a 4.79 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and just 24 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings in his 10 appearances (five starts), so he should also be avoided for those looking to stream someone on Wednesday.Source: MLB.com - John Blake
Kevan Smith Injured Tuesday Night
13 hours agoLos Angeles Angels catcher Kevan Smith (head) left the game early in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday after taking a foul tip off his mask. Smith, the backup to Jonathan Lucroy in Anaheim, was hitless in his two plate appearances before leaving the game. The 30-year-old has been good in limited time in 2019, though, batting .290 with a homer and five RBI in 73 plate appearances. He'll likely be checked for a concussion.Source: Los Angeles Daily News - J.P. Hoornstra
X-Rays Negative On Pedro Baez
14 hours agoX-rays on Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Pedro Baez (knee) were negative after he left the game early on Tuesday after being hit by a line drive, according to manager Dave Roberts. Baez won't pitch on Wednesday, but the team doesn't expect him to be out for long. The right-hander sports a 3.38 ERA on the season with 22 strikeouts and only four walks in his 21 1/3 innings. Baez doesn't really have any fantasy value as the setup man to closer Kenley Jansen, though.Source: The Athletic - Pedro Moura
Jose Abreu Goes Deep Tuesday
14 hours agoChicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu broke up Justin Verlander’s no-hit bid with a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning Tuesday night. It would be the White Sox only hit on the evening and Abreu’s 11th home run. Abreu is now hitting .259 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI.Source: MLB.com
Brandon Nimmo To Undergo MRI
14 hours agoNew York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (neck), who was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday, will undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday. He said he hasn't recovered from the neck injury that cost him two games in April, and it has bothered him ever since. Nimmo hasn't really been good all year and is hitting .136 (6-for-44) with no homers and five RBI in the month of May. He's right at the Mendoza Line (.200) for the season with three long balls, 14 RBI and one steal in 161 plate appearances. It's likely he's been dropped already in most mixed leagues.Source: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
Dylan Covey Gives Up Four Runs
14 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Covey only lasted four innings in a tough matchup versus the Houston Astros Tuesday night. Covey allowed four hits, four runs, four walks and struck out one. Covey now owns a 5.31 ERA and is scheduled to face the Twins in a tough matchup Sunday. The right-hander can be left on waivers in all formats.Source: MLB.com
