May 7, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) had another successful rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Nashville. Woodruff pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits (including a solo home run) and a walk with six strikeouts over 83 pitches. The 32-year-old has now made two starts with High-A Wisconsin and three with Nashville, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 22 hits, seven walks, and 22 strikeouts in 23 1/3 IP. Woodruff missed all of the 2024 season due to right shoulder surgery, but he has been trending in the right direction to making his 2025 debut. While he has been a fantasy ace in the past, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations even though he has pitched well in his rehab assignment.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 7, 2025
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale strung together his third consecutive solid start in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the Reds. Sale pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Braves weren't able to get on the board until the ninth inning, sticking him with a no-decision. The 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner had a slow start to the season but has picked things up lately, including back-to-back 10-strikeout performances. He is now 1-3 with a 4.07 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 12.00 K/9 rate in eight starts and 42 IP. He should have a good chance to keep things rolling in his next start, which will be a great matchup at the Pirates.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 7, 2025
Kansas City Royals catching prospect
Blake Mitchell (wrist) began a rehab assignment on Monday with the team's Arizona Complex League affiliate, going 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases. The Royals' second-ranked prospect is recovering from a broken hamate bone and will likely be assigned to High-A once he's done rehabbing, which is where he finished last season. The former eighth-overall draft pick spent most of 2024 at Single-A, slashing .238/.376/.439 with 18 home runs and a 17.0 percent walk rate. Look for the 6-foot-1 backstop to make a push towards Double-A by season's end, but the left-handed hitter is still a couple of years away from the majors. Still, at just 20 years old and a first-round pedigree, he's a name to keep an eye on in dynasty leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 7, 2025
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Pablo Lopez carved up the Orioles in Tuesday's 9-1 win. Lopez pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with a season-high 11 strikeouts. The 29-year-old has verged on being a fantasy ace throughout his career. He has looked like one to start the season, going 3-2 with a 2.18 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a 10.09 K/9 rate in six starts and 33 IP. He will look to keep things going in his next scheduled start, which will be a middling matchup against the Giants.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 7, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers catcher
William Contreras (finger) has been playing through a finger injury so painful that the team conducted X-rays on it Tuesday, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Contreras started in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Astros, going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. He also threw out
Jose Altuve trying to steal a base. The injury hasn't negatively impacted his defensive performance, as he leads baseball in throwing runners out. His offensive performance has been down, though, as he's slashing .242/.358/.331 with three home runs, 19 RBI, and four stolen bases. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for any updates related to his finger, but it seems he may be able to play through it for now.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Adam McCalvy - X.com
May 7, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect
Rece Hinds kept on hitting on Tuesday for Triple-A Louisville, going 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run, and scoring twice. That makes three consecutive games with a homer for the former second-rounder, now boasting a .281 AVG with an .897 OPS through 33 games. Hinds was not the one to get the call to replace injured
Tyler Callihan (forearm); rather, it was
Jacob Hurtubise, but make no mistake, Hinds and his power will be back in the big leagues at some point this season. Together with his ability to steal bases, Hinds is a name to monitor in redraft leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 6, 2025
Kansas City Royals first base prospect
Jac Caglianone continued to demolish baseballs on Tuesday, homering twice in a 3-for-4 day at the plate for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, collecting four RBI and scoring a pair of runs in the process. It was the third consecutive game that the former sixth-overall pick homered in, now with eight home runs on the season in 28 games (109 AB). With a .330 AVG and 1.012 OPS, a promotion to Triple-A in the near future feels prudent. At this rate, a major league debut later in the year is certainly within reach, and redraft managers may want to consider stashing the 6-foot-5 slugger in the coming weeks.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 6, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect
Owen Caissie went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. It was his fifth home run of the season and third straight game with an extra-base hit. The average doesn't jump off the page at .230, but the ability to draw walks continues to keep his OBP afloat, now sitting at a robust .343 for the year. With the Cubs' outfielders rolling at the plate, there is no path to at-bats for Caissie, so it looks like the former second-round draft pick remain in the minors until there is a need, and he'll likely need to show some improvement upon his 35.3 percent strikeout rate he's posted thus far. The 22-year-old left the game early on Tuesday due to muscle cramps, but isn't expected to miss time. Nevertheless, expect a debut later this year, but he is not a stash candidate at this time.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 6, 2025
Athletics infield prospect
Max Muncy stayed hot on Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored for Triple-A Las Vegas. Since his return to the minors on April 24, the 22-year-old has gone 18-for-47 (.383) with seven doubles and a home run.
Luis Urias has taken over at second base and has been hitting well, but Muncy can play third and short as well, so there are multiple paths for him to get back to the majors this season. The A's may let him get some more run at Triple-A before calling him back up, unless an injury forces their hand, but expect to see him back with the big league club later this year. Fantasy managers may want to hold off on adding him until he proves he's worthy of a roster spot, though, after he hit .176 with a 29.6 percent strikeout in his first 21 games in the majors earlier this season.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 6, 2025
The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that the team hired former major-league infielder Bret Boone as the major-league hitting coach. Boone was set to join the club for their series opener at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. The 56-year-old is the older brother of New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, and this will be the first time that the three-time All-Star is on a big-league coaching staff. The move comes a day after the Rangers fired offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker. President of baseball operations
Chris Young said Boone would work with hitting coach Justin Viele and assistant hitting coach Seth Conner. Boone hit .266 with 252 home runs and 1,021 RBI in 1,780 career games from 1992 to 2005 with five teams. Texas as a team was hitting .228 and hadn't scored more than two runs in nine of their last 12 games going into Monday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers PR
May 6, 2025
New York Yankees right-handed reliever
Scott Effross (hamstring) started his minor-league rehab assignment at the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday. It's been a long time coming for Effross, who hasn't pitched in any game action since spring training late in February due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The 31-year-old injury-prone reliever is probably going to require a lengthy rehab assignment because of all his time missed, but he should be ready to make his 2025 season debut by late May, barring a setback. Effross missed all of 2023 due to injury and only made three relief appearances in the Bronx last year, allowing two earned runs while walking two and striking out two in 3 1/3 innings. He's unlikely to become a fantasy asset.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yankees PR Department
May 6, 2025
Athletics outfield prospect
Colby Thomas is the latest A's prospect hurtling towards the major leagues after he registered two home runs and a double in a 3-for-6 day at the plate on Tuesday for Triple-A Las Vegas. The 24-year-old also collected two RBI and three runs scored in the contest. Over the last seven games, the Athletics' second-ranked prospect has tallied five multi-hit efforts, pushing his season-long slash line to .305/.370/.557 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 27 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The former third-round draft pick hasn't hit less than .272 at any level since his ascension from Single-A back in 2023, and last season he belted 31 home runs in 132 games between Double and Triple-A. The right-handed slugger looks to be on track for a mid-season call-up, and those looking for a power boost should consider him as he'll be playing in a formidable A's lineup in addition to calling hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park home when not on the road.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 6, 2025
Texas Rangers right-handed reliever
Hunter Strickland, who had been pitching at Triple-A Round Rock on a minor-league deal, was granted his release on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Rangers signed left-hander
Ty Blach and right-hander
Robert Dugger to minor-league deals, and they will both report to Round Rock. Strickland appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen for Round Rock and was just not good, allowing 20 hits (three homers) and 14 earned runs while walking nine and striking out 15 in 15 1/3 innings pitched. The 36-year-old veteran has 29 career saves in 10 big-league seasons and was decent last year with the Los Angeles Angels with a 3.31 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and one save, though, so he could get another chance to prove himself on a minor-league contract now that he's on the open market.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
May 6, 2025
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that right-hander
Michael Soroka (biceps) will come off the injured list and start on Wednesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. The plan is to move rookie right-hander
Brad Lord back to the bullpen. The move comes after Soroka threw a successful bullpen session on Monday. The 27-year-old Canadian has been out since early April due to a strained biceps that he suffered in his lone start of the season on March 31 against the Toronto Blue Jays, when he allowed four earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking one and fanning three in five innings for a loss. In his three minor-league rehab starts with Double-A Harrisburg (two starts) and Triple-A Rochester, Soroka allowed five earned runs while walking five and punching out 18 in 12 innings. Soroka is still young, but he has limited upside and has been injury-prone in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
May 6, 2025
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that right-handed reliever
Derek Law (forearm) threw from 60 feet on flat ground on Monday and felt good. Law has been dealing with a right-forearm injury since late in the 2024 season and has been on the injured list for the first month-plus of the 2025 campaign as a result. The 34-year-old veteran is starting to ramp up his throwing program, but he still has a ways to go before being activated from the 15-day injured list and will probably require a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Law might not make his season debut for the Nats until late-May or early June. Last year for the Nationals he was a solid contributor in a career-high 75 relief outings, posting a 2.60 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with one save, a career-high 76 strikeouts and 24 walks in 90 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
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