6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that the team could be without starting pitcher
Merrill Kelly (shoulder) for at least a month. Kelly was placed on the injured list earlier in the day with a right shoulder strain. When asked if the 35-year-old would be back by the All-Star break, Lovullo said, "I don't know. Hard to say." This is a big blow to the Diamondbacks and fantasy managers, as Kelly had a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 22.8% strikeout rate in his first four starts.
Tommy Henry figures to slot into the rotation in Kelly's place, but fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere for immediate replacements.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Theo Mackie - Twitter.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Jon Gray made a surprise relief appearance in Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves, but he's scheduled to take the ball as a starter for Wednesday's game at home versus the division-rival Seattle Mariners. After yielding five runs in his first start of the 2024 regular season, Gray is getting on a roll in April with a 1.10 ERA (2.47 FIP) and 23:7 K:BB over his last 16 1/3 innings (four appearances). The 32-year-old veteran right-hander dominated Seattle a season ago, logging a pristine 0.64 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, and 13:1 K:BB across 14 frames (two starts) against the division foes in 2023. The current M's roster is batting a paltry .159 (14-for-88) against Gray, who looks like a solid streaming option and a worthy pickup during Tuesday night's waiver runs in fantasy ahead of Wednesday's full slate.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Savant
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Blake Treinen (lung) is starting a rehab assignment this week, and he will need three or four outings before he's ready to return to the major-league roster. On the mend from a bruised lung that he sustained on March 9, Treinen should be back to help LA's bullpen by the beginning of May. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander missed most of the 2022 campaign and all of last season following shoulder surgery, and while he'll be in line for the occasional save opportunity based on closer
Evan Phillips' availability, Treinen's fantasy value will be more pronounced in leagues that count holds. With right-handers
Joe Kelly and
Ryan Brasier struggling to begin to 2024 regular season, look for Treinen to become the Dodgers' primary righty setup man before long. In his last full season during 2021, Treinen posted a 1.99 ERA (2.88 FIP), 0.98 WHIP, and 85:25 K:BB over 72 2/3 innings.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya - The Athletic
6 days agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
Cade Cavalli (elbow) threw a 60-pitch bullpen session at the team's spring complex in West Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, and his velocity reached 96 mph. Cavalli is recovering from last year's Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to be available for the Nats until sometime later this summer, but it's encouraging to hear he's progressing in his throwing program. The 25-year-old former first-round pick is Washington's No. 5 prospect for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and figures to eventually pick up starts on a rebuilding club and carry some mixed-league fantasy relevance at some point during the second half of the season, but his time may not come until the late stages of the campaign. Dynasty managers should be keeping a closer eye on his status than those in redraft settings.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Golden - Washington Post
6 days agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Cody Bellinger exited Tuesday's game versus the Houston Astros with an apparent injury after crashing into the wall in center field. Bellinger hit the wall hard tracking down a
Yainer Diaz double in the fourth inning, and the center fielder was later seen holding his right side in the dugout. Bellinger remained in the game all the way up until the seventh frame before he was removed for
Alexander Canario, so his departure could very well be a precautionary measure. The Cubs should provide a clearer picture on the 28-year-old All-Star slugger's health following the contest, and he should be deemed day-to-day ahead of the second game of the series on Wednesday. After clubbing a two-run home run on Tuesday, Bellinger is up to a .226/.320/.440 triple-slash line with five homers, 17 RBI, and 10 runs scored in 84 at-bats (22 games).
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Sahadev Sharma - The Athletic
6 days agoDetroit Tigers third baseman
Gio Urshela (hamstring) was cleared to resume baseball activities on Tuesday. After suffering a Grade 1 right hamstring strain in Friday's win over the Minnesota Twins, Urshela was able to do some straight-line running drills on Tuesday. The fact that the 32-year-old defensive-minded infielder is already progressing from the injury means he should be able to return to the Tigers in early May. Although Urshela was hitting for a .298 batting average (17-for-57) before going down, he has just two extra-base hits and six RBI over 18 games in Detroit's weak lineup and is not a recommended stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. Utility man
Matt Vierling will handle the lion's share of the reps at third base until Urshela is back healthy, but fantasy managers can do better on waiver wires.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Chris McCosky
6 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) underwent surgery to address the injury to the UCL in his left thumb on Tuesday. A typical return to play takes approximately eight weeks, which lines up with the club's original timetable after Alvarez tore a ligament in his left thumb in Friday's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 22-year-old former top prospect should be stashed for fantasy managers who can afford the roster spot in the meantime, considering Alvarez's light-tower power, but he was slashing a lukewarm .236/.288/.364 with one home run, four doubles, eight RBI, and eight runs scored in 59 plate appearances (16 games) before going down. Veteran backstops
Omar Narvaez and
Tomas Nido will form a platoon for at-bats behind the dish while Alvarez is on the shelf, but neither of the two are even viable in deep two-catcher leagues at the moment.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets on X
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that closer
Pete Fairbanks (undisclosed) underwent tests on Tuesday that came back "really clean." Fairbanks was sent for multiple tests, evaluating everything from his neck to his fingertips, but the Rays still haven't provided a specific diagnosis. Cash is "encouraged that nothing is showing up," though. While it's promising to hear no serious setback for Fairbanks has come to light to this point, the hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander's return timetable from a nerve-related issue remains very cloudy. Over Fairbanks' two injured-list stints last season, setup man
Jason Adam collected 10 saves while the closer was sidelined, and he belongs on all mixed-league fantasy rosters until Tampa Bay's bullpen hierarchy becomes clearer. Lefty
Colin Poche should be in the mix for ninth-inning work as well, but he gave up three runs in the eighth inning in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl (wrist) is taking flips and hitting off a tee. Manager David Bell said on Tuesday that Friedl is "much further ahead" than anticipated in his six-week timetable from a fractured right wrist that he sustained back on March 16, so the center fielder's minor-league rehab assignment sounds like it's imminent. If Friedl continues to progress well, fantasy managers should be able to get him back available sometime in early-to-mid May. After breaking out a year ago, the 28-year-old left-handed hitter should serve as Cincy's everyday center fielder upon his eventual activation from the injured list. Fellow lefty-hitter
Will Benson has drawn starts and hit from a favorable spot in the Reds' batting order at times against right-handed pitching this season, but he's barely on the radar in 12-team leagues with a .186/.288/.400 triple-slash line, two home runs, six RBI, and five stolen bases in 70 at-bats (20 games).
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mike Petraglia
6 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Lane Thomas (leg) exited Tuesday's game versus the Los Angeles Dodgers with an apparent left leg injury. Thomas appeared to twist his left leg on a slide while attempting a stolen base in the fifth inning and was able to
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6 days agoThe New York Yankees have announced that third baseman
DJ LeMahieu (foot) left Tuesday's minor-league game with Double-A Somerset due to soreness in his right foot, and the infielder will return to New York for examination on Wednesday. The Yankees' plan was for LeMahieu to make four rehab appearances before potentially being activated from the injured list on Sunday, but this development is likely to delay the veteran's 2024 regular-season debut a bit longer. LeMahieu is working his way back from a non-displaced fracture of his right foot that he sustained on March 16, and the severity of his setback should be revealed sometime in the coming days. Switch-hitting utility man
Oswaldo Cabrera is batting .290 (20-for-69) with three home runs, 14 RBI, and 11 runs scored in 19 games this year, and he should continue manning the hot corner regularly until LeMahieu is finally ready to play.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
6 days agoChicago Cubs catching prospect
Moises Ballesteros has launched two home runs in his first 10 games of the 2024 season at Double-A. The 20-year-old launched 14 long balls across Low- and High-A last season. This is a promising sign for the young backstop, as he has hit double-digit home runs every season in his professional career and is on pace to do it once again in 2024. Overall, he is riding a .226/.368/.452 slash line with five RBI and an impressive 4:6 K:BB. Ballesteros remains a potential catcher of the future in Wrigley and should remain on the radar of dynasty fantasy managers for the next few seasons, as he is not projected to make his major-league debut until 2026.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoKansas Royals pitching prospect
Steven Zobac was named High-A Pitcher of the Week, credited to his performance on April 19, where he threw six shutout innings and only surrendered one hit. He struck out six. Zobac has been stellar to open the season, posting a 1.20 ERA and 0.67 WHIP across 15 innings. Zobac, who is currently ranked as the 24th prospect in the Kansas City system, according to MLB Pipeline, is making quite a case for an early promotion to Double-A. Zobac is someone to keep an eye on in dynasty leagues, as he could quickly rise up the pitching ranks during the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitching prospect
Carson Whisenhunt tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings with three hits, two free passes, and seven punchouts in Tuesday's victory for Triple-A Sacramento. This was a big bounce-back performance for the No. 2 prospect in the San Francisco system, as he has allowed 14 earned runs in his past three starts. The southpaw now sits with an 8.79 ERA and 2.09 WHIP across 14 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts to begin the season. The 23-year-old has flashed at times but has struggled just as much, which will delay his eventual MLB debut. Nonetheless, Whisenhunt is projected to be promoted later in the season as the Giants look to compete for the National League West.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants shortstop prospect
Marco Luciano tallied three RBI en route to Tuesday's victory, increasing his season total to 13. After getting a small taste of the major leagues last season, the Giants sent down the 22-year-old to continue his development in Triple-A. Luciano has performed well early in the season, posting a .303/.419/.382 slash line with six extra-base hits and three stolen bases. Luciano is expected to return to the major leagues later in the summer and is worth keeping an eye on in deeper re-draft formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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