5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) wasted little time in his return from the injured list. In his 2024 debut with Triple-A Reno, the talented shortstop homered, doubled, and drove in three runs, coming up a triple short of hitting for the cycle. He was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday after being on the shelf all season with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Lawlar is the No. 8 overall prospect in baseball and the top-ranked shortstop prospect. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, the 21-year-old showed off his power-speed potential with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases to go with aa.874 OPS. An elite prospect, Lawlar should force his way to the Diamondbacks' big-league roster this season. Not many players are ahead of him on the stash list for minor leaguers, as he should be an impact waiver wire add when he gets the call to the show.Source: MLB Pipeline
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez continued his strong season with another home run in Tuesday's victory versus the Texas Rangers. Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a walk and two-run homer on the evening. The home run would be his 17th of the year to go along with his 50th RBI and a solid .266 batting average. The 31-year-old was a huge bargain for the Dodgers this offseason as he signed a one-year contract. Hernandez hit a career-high 32 homers in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays and he could surpass that with the way he his hitting this season. Entrenched in the No. 5 spot of the order, Hernandez remains a great option for managers moving forward.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoJeff Passan of ESPN.com has reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired superutilityman Cavan Biggio from the Toronto Blue Jays. Biggio, 29, was designated for assignment last week after spending over five years with the franchise. Biggio struggled this season offensively and was hitting .200 with two homers and nine RBI over 110 at-bats this season. His addition to the Dodgers could mean that utilitymen, Enrique Hernandez or Chris Taylor could be replaced with Biggio. Regardless, none of the three hold value and can be left on the waiver wire for now.Source: Jeff Passan
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith put together a dominant day at the plate in the teams 15-2 victory against the Texas Rangers. Smith started his day with a three-run homer off Dane Dunning in the bottom of the first inning and that alone would be enough for the Dodgers to earn their 42nd victory of the season. Smith would finish the day with three hits in four at-bats with a walk and two runs scored to go along with his three-run homer. Smith was in a mini slump entering the contest, but has continued to put together a strong season behind the dish with a .296 batting average to go along with 10 homers and 42 RBI. Smith remains one of the best catchers in the league and a must-start when he is starting.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani put together a big performance in Tuesday's 13-run victory against the Texas Rangers. Ohtani went 1-for-2 on the evening with two walks, one stolen base and a two-run homer. Ohtani's homer was blasted with an exit velocity of 114.2 MPH that landed 433 feet from home plate. The two-way superstar has only swung the bat with his new club, but he hasn't missed a beat since signing with the Dodgers this offseason. On the year, Ohtani is now hitting .312 with 16 homers, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He remains one of the best options in all formats moving forward.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco put together another strong outing to earn his sixth victory of the season on Tuesday versus the San Francisco Giants. Blanco earned a quality start with six innings of one-run ball, in which he allowed three hits, one walk and struck out eight on the evening. After allowing eight runs in his first two starts off his suspension for an illegal use of a substance, Blanco put together his best outing since his return. Despite his suspension, Blanco has come out of nowhere this season and will carry a cool 2.67 ERA into his next outing in a very favorable matchup against the Chicago White Sox.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoDespite pitching well in his big-league debut, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Drew Thorpe earned a tough luck no-decision. Thorpe threw five scoreless innings before being pulled and allowed three hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and recorded four strikeouts versus the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old looked impressive, but poor defense and a bad performance out of the bullpen spoiled his chance at a victory. Thorpe was one of the pieces the White Sox received back from the San Diego Padres for Dylan Cease this offseason and with the White Sox appearing to be committed to throwing in the towel on this season, it stands to reason that Thorpe should remain in the rotation for the immediate future, which makes him worth a look in deeper mixed leagues. Thorpe is lined up to face a middle of the pact Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and is worthy of consideration in that matchup.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly earned his second save of the season in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants. Pressly entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with two strikeouts. Closer Josh Hader had pitched each of the last two days for the Astros, so Pressly was called upon to reprise his old role. The 25-year-old has had an uncharacteristically poor season, converting just two of seven save opportunities with seven holds, a 5.19 ERA, and a 12.12 K/9 rate in 26 innings pitched. While Hader was the team's big off-season signing, he has only seen three more save opportunities than Pressly, who served as the team's lockdown closer from 2021-23. He is still worth a roster spot in deeper roto leagues given his history and role as next-in-line, but his ERA will need to continue to improve before he returns to a true fantasy option.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoAfter blowing his last save opportunity in London, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his 12th save of the season in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox. Alvarado entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a ground-out, allowed a single, and got the final two outs on a pop-out and strikeout. The 29-year-old has seen the most save opportunities of the team this season and has pitched well overall, converting all but two opportunities with a 3.41 ERA, a 9.93 K/9 rate, and a 3.72 BB/9 rate. Jeff Hoffman has seen eight save opportunities and has also pitched very well this season. Both players are worth a look in roto leagues, but Alvarado has provided more universal fantasy value.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler continued his stellar season in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox. Wheeler pitched seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The 34-year-old has rebounded after a relatively pedestrian 2023 season and is now 8-3 with a 2.16 ERA, a 9.75 K/9 rate, and a 2.77 BB/9 rate in 14 starts and 87 2/3 IP. Wheeler's ability to pitch deep into games and rack up strikeouts has made him a top fantasy option once again while being backed by one of baseball's best offenses. He will face a tough matchup in his next projected start at the Orioles but continues to be a must-start fantasy option.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton continued his improved offensive June in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Royals. Stanton went 2-for-4 with a single, a solo home run, two RBI, and a strikeout. He was also hit by a pitch. The 34-year-old veteran's season batting average sits at a disappointing .229, but he has put together his best month of the season to this point. Stanton is slashing .250/.341/.528 with three HR and nine RBI in 36 June at-bats. He is still hitting the ball extremely hard despite his age and now has 16 HR and 38 RBI on the season. He may not be the fantasy contributor he once was, but Stanton is worth a roster spot in at least roto leagues where he should provide HR, runs, and RBI hitting in the middle of a strong Yankees lineup.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees catcher Austin Wells got in on the offensive action in Tuesday's 10-1 drubbing of the Royals. Wells went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, and a strikeout. The 24-year-old hit a fourth-inning Brady Singer fastball just over the center-field wall. Wells has been disappointing from a fantasy perspective this season, slashing just .211/.295/.325 with two HR and 10 RBI in 132 plate appearances. He showed power promise last season in limited action, but that has not carried over into 2024. He is also getting out-hit by his batterymate, Jose Trevino. Wells has plenty of time in dynasty leagues to develop further as a hitter, but he currently offers little fantasy value in re-draft leagues.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies relief pitcher Tyler Kinley escaped with his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Twins. Kinley entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff double, got the first two outs on a line-out and a strikeout, allowed a two-run home run, and ended the game with another strikeout. The 33-year-old has picked up a save in each of his last three appearances. However, his 8.10 ERA, 4.73 BB/9 rate, and 2.36 HR/9 rate do not instill confidence. It seems like Kinley may be the preferred late-inning arm for the Rockies at the moment, but his other numbers make it difficult for fantasy managers to roster him except perhaps in the deepest of roto leagues.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Yimi Garcia put the effort in to earn his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Brewers. Garcia entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning up by two with two outs and runners on first and second. He got the third out with a strikeout and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. The 33-year-old has served as the team's interim closer throughout the season while Jordan Romano (elbow) has served stints on the injured list. Garcia has now converted five of six save opportunities with a 1.98 ERA and a 12.18 K/9 rate in 27 1/3 innings of work. Garcia is the fantasy arm to roster from the Blue Jays' bullpen while Romano is on the IL.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana was 2-for-2 with a two-run home run after entering Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. The veteran slugger has been out of the starting lineup a few times over the past couple weeks. Santana endured a pretty underwhelming start to the season, but he is hitting .308 with two homers and six RBI over his past seven games. His season slash line still sits at an unsightly .221/.302/.404 to go along with 10 homers and 29 RBI. The 38-year-old can provide the occasional spark in the power department, but it seems like Santana's best fantasy days are behind him.Source: MLB.com