5 days agoThe Toronto Blue Jays optioned third baseman/outfielder
Addison Barger to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and recalled outfielder
Nathan Lukes in a corresponding move. Barger, the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, didn't fare well in his first taste of big-league pitching, so he'll go back to the minors and work on his craft before potentially helping the Blue Jays as a utility option later in the year. In his first 18 major-league at-bats, the 24-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2018 had just one hit, a run scored, no walks and six strikeouts in five games played. Barger certainly has the look of a major-leaguer and is a physical specimen at 6-foot, 210 pounds, but he has some work to do before he's an option for fantasy managers outside of dynasty/keeper formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that outfielder
Alek Thomas (hamstring) is expected to come off the injured list and be back with the team at the start of the team's road trip to Cincinnati against the Reds that starts on Tuesday. Thomas is serving as the designated hitter on a minor-league rehab assignment for Triple-A Reno on Friday, so as long as he doesn't have a setback with his strained left hamstring over the weekend, he'll be back with the Snakes next week. The 24-year-old is more valuable to Arizona on defense in center field than he's been with his bat, as he's hit just .230/.273/.362 with 18 home runs, 82 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 242 games at the big-league level since debuting in 2022. When Thomas returns, it will mean less playing time for the likes of
Pavin Smith and
Jake McCarthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports - John Gambadoro
5 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Joey Gallo (shoulder) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Fredericksburg on Saturday. Gallo will return to live games after recently landing on the injured list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. If the 30-year-old left-handed slugger can avoid a setback with his shoulder, he could be off the injured list and back with the Nationals by early next week. Gallo still has plenty of power and is a lineup regular for the Nats when healthy, but it's hard to ignore his low batting average and swings and misses. Before going on the shelf, Gallo was sporting a .122/.286/.311 slash line with three home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and eight runs scored in 74 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
5 days agoNew York Mets pitching prospect
Joander Suarez tossed 6 1/3 perfect innings of relief en route to his first victory of the season for Double-A Binghamton. Saurez relieved starter
Tylor Megill and proceeded to remain on the mound for the rest of the game and retire every batter consecutively. This amazing outing brings the 24-year-old to a 2.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 24 punchouts in 27 2/3 innings. After not allowing a run across 18 innings at Double-A last season, Suarez is picking up right where he left off this season. The 28th-ranked prospect in the New York system should be expected to reach Triple-A fairly soon and could push for a late-season promotion to the majors.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoWashington Nationals right-hander
Josiah Gray (elbow) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. It will be the first time that Gray has thrown off a mound since going on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow almost a month ago. It's good to see the 26-year-old making progress, but he still has a ways to go and will likely need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before the Nationals clear him to rejoin their big-league starting rotation. Gray, the former second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2018 out of Le Moyne College, had an absolute disastrous start to 2024 by giving up 13 earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking five and striking out nine in 8 1/3 innings in his first two starts before landing on the IL. When healthy, Gray should be able to bounce back and will have a spot waiting for him in Washington's rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman
Brandon Lowe (oblique) is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. Lowe is finally going to resume playing in live games after straining his right oblique on April 7. Once the Rays deem him healthy enough to come off the injured list, the 29-year-old should at least be on the strong side of a platoon at second base against right-handed pitching. In the meantime,
Amed Rosario and
Curtis Mead will continue to share playing time at the keystone in Tampa. There's a lot to like about Lowe in most fantasy leagues because of his pop from the second base position, but he has trouble staying on the field and has only played in 100-plus games in two of his six big-league seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
5 days agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Luis Baez launched his third long ball of the season on Thursday. At just 20 years old, Baez currently has a .263/.314/.425 stat line with three swiped bags and 14 RBI through his first 19 games at High-A. Considered the number two prospect in the Houston system on MLB Pipeline, Baez has begun to show high upside power that he did not show at Single-A last year. He tallied just four round-trippers in 41 games and is already just one short of matching that total this season. In addition, Baez is currently riding a three-game RBI streak suggesting he has raw situational hitting ability. While he is not projected to reach the major leagues for several years, he could become a top prospect in the sport over time.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that relief pitcher
Pete Fairbanks (arm), who is dealing with a nerve issue in his arm, is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. We don't know all the details on the exact nature of Fairbanks' injury, but he's obviously doing well and is getting close to a return to the major-league roster. The 30-year-old right-hander could be eased into high-leverage situations at the back of Tampa's bullpen when he returns, but when fully healthy, Fairbanks is this team's primary closer. In the meantime,
Jason Adam and
Garrett Cleavinger will split the save opportunities with the Rays. Fairbanks' injury could help explain his current 9.00 ERA and 2.29 WHIP in just seven innings pitched before he went on the injured list.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that an MRI exam showed a "protruding disc" in left-hander
Steven Matz's lower back. He received a pain-killing injection and will be re-evaluated early next week after being placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday. Matz was pitching through lower-back pain in his outing on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers and is now most certainly going to miss more than two weeks. On top of it, the 32-year-old veteran southpaw has opened his third year in St. Louis with a 1-2 record, a bloated 6.18 ERA (4.73 FIP), 1.73 WHIP, 11 walks and 17 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings over his first six starts. In shallow mixed leagues, Matz isn't a must-hold, especially given the nature of his injury, if you have bigger needs on your roster.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitching prospect Yilber Diaz posted his best start of the season on Thursday evening when he threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and tallying eleven punchouts. This outing raises Diaz's strikeout total to an eye-catching 42 in just 25 innings. The 23-year-old sits with a 3.96 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in his first full taste of Double-A after making just three starts last season. Diaz is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2025 but could make a push for a late-season promotion, especially if he can reach Triple-A quickly. With his elite strikeout potential, dynasty managers should closely monitor his development this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Masataka Yoshida (thumb) will get a second opinion on his injured left thumb, according to manager Alex Cora. Yoshida strained his left thumb last Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, and the club isn't ruling out surgery. There's no clear timetable for when the 30-year-old left-handed hitter will be able to return, but obviously he'll be facing an extended absence if he's forced to go under the knife. For now, fantasy managers must stash Yoshida in an IL spot until we know more. Before the injury, he was slashing .275/.348/.388 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 89 plate appearances. In the short term,
Garrett Cooper,
Bobby Dalbec and
Dominic Smith could all see time as the team's designated hitter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect
Peyton Pallette earned his first victory of the season by tossing five scoreless innings and tallying seven punchouts. The 22-year-old gave up just four hits and no walks. This start lowers his ratios to a 6.46 ERA and 1.63 WHIP through 15 ⅓ innings at High-A. Palette struggled in his first few starts at High-A this season, but it looks like he has begun to figure things out. MLB Pipeline ranks the former second-round pick as the 12th-best prospect in the Chicago system and projects him to reach the majors in 2026. Pallette should be monitored in deeper dynasty leagues, especially if he can continue to succeed at High-A and if he can carry that momentum into Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that right-hander
Nick Pivetta (elbow) will not need another minor-league rehab start. It's a bit of a surprise after Pivetta gave up four runs in three-plus innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday. The deciding factor is probably the fact that the Red Sox could really use Pivetta back in their rotation sooner than later. The 31-year-old should be rostered in most fantasy leagues after allowing just one earned run with 13 strikeouts and one walk in 11 innings in his first two starts in 2024 before injuring his elbow. However, you'll want to avoid him in his first start back with Boston, especially since it's likely to come early next week against the Atlanta Braves and their dangerous lineup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
5 days agoThe Oakland Athletics reinstated infielder
J.D. Davis (thigh) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder
Nick Allen to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The A's also selected the contract of infielder
Brett Harris from Vegas and moved right-hander
Freddy Tarnok (hip) to the 60-day IL. Davis is playing first base on Friday night and hitting fifth in his return against Miami Marlins left-hander
Ryan Weathers. The 31-year-old corner infielder will return to a weak .196/.255/.373 slash line with two home runs and two RBI, but he's worth rostering in AL-only leagues as he should be a regular for the A's at either corner infield spot. Davis went 3-for-15 in four minor-league rehab games with Vegas.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Oakland A's
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitching prospect
Tink Hence was named Texas League Pitcher of the Month for April. Throughout April, Hence has pitched 25 ⅔ innings to the tune of a strong 2.10 ERA and stellar 0.74 WHIP. He struck out 31 batters and only surrendered six free passes. The 21-year-old has taken a significant step forward at Double-A this season, as he struggled last year with a 5.47 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. MLB Pipeline ranks Hence as the top prospect in the St. Louis system. He should be rostered in most dynasty leagues, as he could very well push for a late-season promotion, thanks to his dominant opening month.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
RADIO
