4 days agoArizona Diamondbacks rookie infielder
Blaze Alexander is serving as the designated hitter and will bat leadoff on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander
James Paxton. Alexander will serve as the club's DH instead of
Joc Pederson with the veteran left-hander on the mound in the series opener in Arizona. The 24-year-old former 11th-round pick in 2018 has been great for the Snakes so far in 2024, hitting .322 (19-for-59) with three home runs, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 20 major-league contests. In his last seven games, he's gone 9-for-24 (.375) with a homer, five doubles, nine RBI and four runs scored. Against left-handers, he's gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two home runs and six RBI, so it's easy to see why he's hitting leadoff against Paxton on Monday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports - Alex Weiner
4 days agoThe contest between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers on Monday in Detroit has been postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on Tuesday, starting at 3:40 pm CT. The Cardinals were scheduled to send left-hander
Steven Matz to the mound on Monday, while right-hander
Kenta Maeda was Detroit's scheduled starter. Both pitchers will most likely be pushed back to Game 1 of the doubleheader on Tuesday. Fantasy managers will obviously want to remove any players from these two teams that they might have had in their starting lineups for Monday's slate of action.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLive - Evan Woodbery
4 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge is playing left field for the first time this season on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez. Judge is in his customary No. 3 spot in the batting order with
Trent Grisham getting the start in center field and batting ninth. It's the 32-year-old Judge's first start in left field since 2016 with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. The move comes with normal left fielder
Alex Verdugo being placed on the paternity list on Monday, so don't be surprised if Judge is in left field a couple more times this week. In his first 109 at-bats of the 2024 season, Judge is hitting just .211 (23-for-109) but with six home runs and 18 RBI in 133 plate appearances. He's gone hitless in his lone career at-bat against Rodriguez.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoMinnesota Twins closer
Jhoan Duran (oblique) is with the team in Chicago, but there hasn't been immediate news about him being officially activated from the 15-day injured list. However, that move should be imminent during the team's series against the White Sox early this week. Duran should be activated from the IL after recovering from a right-oblique strain that kept him from being ready for the start of the 2024 season. The 26-year-old made two appearances on a minor-league rehab assignment, but it's possible the Twins choose to ease him into high-leverage, late-inning situations at first. Still, Duran should be returned to starting fantasy lineups once he's activated, as he has proven in recent seasons he's a high-end closer when he's healthy.
UPDATE: Manager Rocco Baldelli said Duran will likely be activated on Tuesday.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
4 days agoThe Minnesota Twins reinstated shortstop
Carlos Correa (intercostal) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and optioned utility man
Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Correa is right back in Minnesota's starting lineup, playing shortstop and hitting in the two-hole on Monday versus the Chicago White Sox and left-hander
Garrett Crochet. The 29-year-old is back from a right-intercostal strain. He didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for him right away. Plus, he's never faced Crochet in his career. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the two-time All-Star can pick up where he left off before his injury, as Correa was slashing .306/.432/.444 with an .876 OPS, a homer and four RBI in 11 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
4 days agoWith Chicago White Sox left-hander
Garrett Crochet opposing them on Monday in the series opener, the Minnesota Twins are resting second baseman
Edouard Julien and outfielders
Alex Kirilloff,
Trevor Larnach and
Max Kepler, who all hit from the left side. As a result,
Ryan Jeffers is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff,
Kyle Farmer is playing second base and hitting ninth,
Manuel Margot is in right field and is batting fifth, and
Willi Castro is in left field and is hitting seventh against Crochet. Castro notably has a homer and three RBI against Crochet in his career, albeit in just four at-bats. Jeffers will be a sneaky DFS play out of the leadoff spot, as he's gotten off to a .305 average (25-for-82) with five home runs and 17 RBI in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
4 days agoNew York Mets right-hander
Kodai Senga (shoulder) faced live hitters on Monday for the first time since February, when he was diagnosed with a strained right shoulder capsule. Senga said he'll need to throw to live hitters two more times before going on a minor-league rehab assignment. "As long as things keep going well, I think I'll be back right around [May 27]," Senga said through an interpreter. It's something to look forward to for fantasy managers that have been stashing the 31-year-old hurler since drafting him this spring. When healthy, Senga will be New York's ace after the Japanese pitcher went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA (3.63 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP with 77 walks and 202 strikeouts in 29 starts in his first MLB season last year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
4 days agoNew York Mets third baseman
Brett Baty is on the bench on Monday against the visiting Chicago Cubs. Baty will take a seat against Cubs right-hander
Jameson Taillon in favor of
Mark Vientos, who hit a walk-off home run to help the club beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Vientos is hitting seventh for the Mets on Monday. Baty is also slumping, going 3-for-25 in his last nine games to drop his season line to .256/.322/.317 in his first 82 at-bats. The 24-year-old has added just one home run, nine RBI and nine runs scored. Vientos, who made his season debut with the Mets over the weekend, went 3-for-4 with the game-winning home run and two RBI in his first two games played. It's been a nice start, but playing time is going to be hard to come by for Vientos as long as
J.D. Martinez stays healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoToronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette is getting a day off on Monday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. With Bichette getting a blow,
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is starting at shortstop and is hitting eighth against Royals right-hander
Jonathan Bowlan. Rookie
Addison Barger will play third base and bat in the nine-hole for Toronto. It's a good time for the 26-year-old Bichette to take a day off, as he has just one hit in 18 at-bats in his last five games to drop his season slash line to .210/.263/.305 with just one home run and 10 RBI in 105 at-bats. Kiner-Falefa will be a pretty mediocre, low-upside DFS option on Monday against the Royals. The 29-year-old has never faced Bowlan and is hitting .240 (18-for-75) on the year with a homer, six RBI and two stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
4 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfield prospect
Heston Kjerstad is not in the starting lineup yet again on Monday as the team takes on the visiting New York Yankees at Camden Yards. This will be the fifth straight game that Kjerstad is not in the O's starting lineup after he started the first two contests following his promotion from Triple-A Norfolk. If this continues to be the case, don't be surprised if the Orioles send the 25-year-old left-handed hitter back to the minors so that he can play every day. The former second overall pick in 2020 out of Arkansas has gone hitless in his first five major-league at-bats with three strikeouts. It's been hard for manager Brandon Hyde to find Kjerstad consistent playing time with
Colton Cowser playing so well.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoBaltimore Orioles infielder
Jordan Westburg (illness) is back in the starting lineup on Monday against the visiting New York Yankees after missing the series finale on Sunday against the Oakland Athletics with a stomach illness. Westburg is starting at second base and batting seventh against Yankees right-hander
Clarke Schmidt. Fantasy managers will want to get the 25-year-old back into all starting fantasy lineups, as he's hit a strong .304/.360/.543 on the year with a .903 OPS, five home runs, 19 RBI and four stolen bases in 92 at-bats over his first 25 games played. Westburg isn't as attractive in DFS formats in the seven-hole. He has one hit in his two career at-bats against Schmidt.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera will not start in the team's series opener against the Detroit Tigers. With
Willson Contreras starting behind the plate and
Paul Goldschmidt starting as the designated hitter, Herrera will take a sit for the second time in three days. The young catcher was off to a hot start at the plate but has since cooled down. He is hitless over his last 15 at-bats with six strikeouts. The 23-year-old doesn't have much fantasy value right now, considering he is behind Contreras on the depth chart. So, he is likely only a fantasy option in extremely deep formats.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez will return to the lineup and hit fourth on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. After coming off the bench in Sunday's 4-2 extra-innings win and flying out in a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth inning, the veteran will start in the Mets' series opener. Martinez got a late start to the season after signing with New York in late March and dealing with a back issue a couple of weeks ago. However, he officially made his season debut on Friday, where he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one double. Expect the 36-year-old to take some days off here and there over the next few weeks since he didn't have a spring training. Nonetheless, he's a player whom fantasy managers should be looking to pick up in fantasy, given his potential to hit 25-30 home runs atop the Mets' lineup.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Nolan Jones (back) is likely headed to the 10-day injured list, according to Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. Jones has been dealing with a back issue for a couple of days now but played through it on Saturday and Sunday in Mexico City. However, the 25-year-old exited Sunday's game early due to back stiffness and appears to be headed to the IL. The young outfielder is off to a rough start in 2024, hitting just .170 at the plate with one home run, seven RBI, and two stolen bases. In his place, the Rockies are expected to call up their No. 4 prospect, outfielder
Jordan Beck.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Luke Zahlmann
4 days agoSan Francisco Giants designated hitter
Jorge Soler had a rough go Sunday in the 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soler couldn't connect at the plate, striking out all three times. He continues to struggle at the plate, hitting .171 (6-for-35) with four runs, three RBI, two homers, three walks, and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games. He's slashing .216/.314/.402 with four doubles, 14 RBI, 14 runs, five homers, 14 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 29 games this season. Fantasy managers should continue to bench Soler until he can turn things around at the plate.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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