5 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (6-1) stymied hitters and picked up the win in Tuesday's 7-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The lanky left-hander improved his record to 6-1 on the season with nine strikeouts, two hits, and no walks in seven shutout innings. Sale has had a stellar May, only allowing one run in 18 innings pitched with a 0.83 WHIP and 28 strikeouts. This hot streak has lowered his season ERA to 2.54, which begs the question. Is vintage Chris Sale back? It's hard not to think so, with three straight games of nine or more strikeouts while allowing only one total run. His next start on Monday will be a challenge against a San Diego Padres club that ranks fifth in the league in batting this season.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels right-hander
Jose Cisnero (shoulder) started his throwing progression and played catch last Thursday before progressing to throwing from 60 feet on Monday. Cisnero struggled in his last outing on April 27 against the Minnesota Twins and then complained of shoulder discomfort before being put on the 15-day injured list on April 28. At the time, manager Ron Washington said the injury wasn't considered serious, so the reliever could be back in the Angels' bullpen sooner than later. The 35-year-old Dominican hurler is in his first year with the Halos and had a bloated 7.07 ERA (6.28 FIP) and 1.71 WHIP with seven walks and 16 strikeouts in 14 relief innings at the time of his shoulder injury. Cisnero won't have any real fantasy appeal when he's back.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels right-hander
Guillermo Zuniga (pectoral) was placed on the injured list on April 8 with a right-pectoral strain, although manager Ron Washington said the injury wasn't considered serious. Zuniga had a 7.20 ERA in five innings before he landed on the shelf. He started a throwing progression on April 26, threw from 105 feet on April 29 and threw a live bullpen session last Friday. Zuniga started a minor-league rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday. The 25-year-old gave up one hit and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning on Monday, also hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch. Zuniga will probably need a few more rehab outings before the Angels are comfortable returning him to their major-league bullpen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels infielder/designated hitter
Miguel Sano (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 1 with left-knee inflammation in his surgically repaired knee after leaving games early on April 24 and 26 with left-knee soreness. Sano has been taking ground balls, but his knee continues to bother him when he swings a bat. The 31-year-old is not going to be ready to return from the injured list anytime soon.
Willie Calhoun could continue to see at-bats as the Halos' designated hitter until/if Sano is able to return. The Angels are pretty beat up on the infield, but they could be getting
Luis Rengifo (illness) back this weekend to play third base regularly. Before injuring his surgically repaired knee, Sano was hitting .262 (16-for-61) with a homer and five RBI in his first 21 games with the organization. Sano didn't play at all in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson finished Tuesday night 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, a walk, and a run scored in the Braves 7-0 win against the Chicago Cubs. It was Olson's fifth home run of the season and only his second home run in May. Coming back down to earth in 2024 was expected for the lefty slugger after producing career-high numbers in home runs, RBI, and batting average in 2023. He's currently on pace for only 20 HR and a .218 batting average after hitting 54 HR with a .283 batting average in 2023. It's not quite the encore season fantasy managers were hoping for out of the power-hitting first baseman. Olson has produced two homers in his last five games, which hopefully means he has found the power stroke to turn his season around.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Brandon Drury (hamstring), who went on the injured list on May 9 with a left-hamstring strain that he suffered on May 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been receiving treatment but hasn't progressed to any physical activity as of
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5 days agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Luis Rengifo (illness) was diagnosed with a viral infection in early May that caused him to suffer from painful blisters on his feet. He was ultimately placed on the injured list on May 9. However, Rengifo took ground balls on the field on Monday and could return to the Angels as soon as Friday, May 17. The 27-year-old Venezuelan switch-hitter was fortunate to hit .330 in his first 91 at-bats before going on the injured list, but Rengifo should return to a regular role on the Angels' infield when he comes off the IL with both
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) and
Brandon Drury (hamstring) both out with injuries, which will at least make him useful as middle-infield depth in AL-only leagues. In his first 28 games this year, Rengifo has two homers, 11 RBI, a career-high nine stolen bases and 14 runs scored.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Dane Dunning (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and looks as though he could return quickly from his injured-list stint. This was Dunning's first bullpen session since going on the 15-day injured list on May 8 with a right rotator-cuff strain. If the 29-year-old doesn't have any setbacks after throwing a couple of bullpen sessions, he could be ready to return to the Rangers when he's eligible to return next Monday. Before landing on the shelf, Dunning opened the year 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA (4.88 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP while walking 17 and striking out 43 in 37 1/3 innings over his seven starts. Dunning has been successful with a high whiff rate so far this year, but he's also allowing lots of hard contact, which makes him a volatile fantasy option as a streamer when he's back in Texas' rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
5 days agoThe San Francisco Giants recalled infield prospect
Marco Luciano from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday after they placed catcher
Patrick Bailey (head) on the seven-day concussion list for the second time in the month. Luciano, the club's top prospect
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5 days agoThe San Francisco Giants placed catcher
Patrick Bailey (head) on the seven-day concussion injured list (retroactive to May 12) on Monday and recalled infielder
Marco Luciano from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Bailey suffered a concussion earlier this month but had already returned from his IL stint, but the 24-year-old backstop recently missed two games for the Giants, with the illness apparently related to his head injury. It's nothing to mess around with, so the Giants will play it safe and sideline Bailey again for another week.
Blake Sabol will take over the primary catching duties for the beat-up Giants moving forward. Sabol is 8-for-21 in his first eight games for the Giants this year and is now worth a look in two-catcher leagues, especially since Bailey could be out for an extended amount of time.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Giants
5 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Ronel Blanco was ejected from his start against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday before the start of the fourth inning after umpires checked his glove for foreign substances. As a result, the 30-year-old will be suspended by Major League Baseball for 10 games if it's confirmed that he used an illegal substance on his glove. Before being ejected, Blanco had thrown three scoreless innings while walking one and striking out four to lower his season ERA to 2.09. It's more bad news for an Astros' starting rotation that has really been thinned this year by injuries. Blanco came into Tuesday's solid matchup against Oakland with a 2.23 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 20 walks and 41 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings. Even though he's set to miss his next start while on suspension, fantasy baseball managers are going to want to keep Blanco on their rosters.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
5 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers dazzled in Tuesday's extra-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers, hurling eight scoreless innings on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts for a tough-luck no-decision. Weathers was flawless through five innings on Tuesday before
Wenceel Perez singled to open the sixth frame and break up the perfecto bid, but it was certainly a dominant outing nonetheless. The 24-year-old former San Diego Padre has now logged three consecutive quality starts, putting together a respectable 3.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 38:16 K:BB with two wins over 49 2/3 innings (nine starts) from Miami's injury-ravaged rotation on the season as a whole. His next start is projected to come on Monday in a tough assignment at home against the Milwaukee Brewers, who rank as a top-five offense in most metrics at the quarter mark of the campaign, which makes Weathers a dangerous fantasy bet for that one.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMiami Marlins relief pitcher
A.J. Puk closed out the Detroit Tigers in Tuesday's extra-inning win, tossing a clean 10th inning for his first save of the year. It was actually closer
Tanner Scott who was called upon for the ninth inning in a scoreless game, which indicates he's still the preferred ninth-inning man, but this was certainly an encouraging performance out of Puk. The 29-year-old left-hander pumped in nine of this 13 pitches for strikes in Tuesday's sharp outing and just his second appearance since coming off the injured list with a shoulder issue, lowering his ERA to 8.40 with a 2.40 WHIP and a ghastly 12:17 K:BB across 15 innings for the Marlins this season. Puk is worth keeping an eye on in all fantasy leagues, as he appears to be the next in line for save opportunities out of Miami's bullpen in situations where Scott may be unavailable.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoWashington Nationals closer
Kyle Finnegan secured Tuesday's win on the road over the Chicago White Sox, tossing a scoreless ninth inning for his 13th save of the season during Game 1 of a doubleheader. After getting
Eloy Jimenez to ground out, Finnegan ran into some trouble by allowing two singles to get the tying run to the plate but was able to stymie a potential rally by striking out
Nicky Lopez to end the game. It's been a great first quarter of the year for the hard-throwing 32-year-old right-hander, who now sports a 1.56 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while fanning 17 and walking eight with an MLB-high 13 saves over 17 1/3 innings as Washington's clear-cut closer. Finnegan's been one of fantasy's top value picks to this point, but it might be time to sell high when you consider his .113 BA and .247 xBA, .268 SLG and .464 xSLG, as well as his 1.65 ERA and 4.41 xERA on Baseball Savant entering Tuesday's action.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Savant
5 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole (elbow) threw "about 36 pitches" in a bullpen session on Tuesday at the team's facility in Tampa, Florida. Manager Aaron Boone said Cole would next return to New York and characterized the outlook for Cole as "just onward and upward." That hopefully means Cole is close to facing live hitters in batting practice, considering he's now tossed several successful bullpen sessions. The 33-year-old six-time All-Star remains firmly on course to return to New York's rotation sometime in mid-June, assuming a minor-league rehab assignment begins in late May. Right-hander
Luis Gil has filled in admirably during Cole's absence for the Yankees, boasting a 2.51 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 48:26 K:BB across 43 innings (eight starts) in 2024, and he's gotten himself into must-roster fantasy territory ahead of Saturday's cushy assignment at home versus the last-place Chicago White Sox.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Greg Joyce - New York Post
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