5 days agoChicago White Sox pitching prospect Drew Thorpe is reportedly getting called up and starting Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old is the team's No. 3 prospect and led the minors in strikeouts last season with 182. He has continued to show serious upside in 2024 with a 7-1 record, 1.35 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 56:17 K:BB at Double-A Birmingham. Given the state of the White Sox rotation, Thorpe will likely stick in the majors if he pitches well. This makes him an interesting fantasy option in the majority of formats. While he may not have a great chance at picking up wins, he possesses a solid arsenal that should allow him to stack up some strikeouts as he gets accustomed to major league hitters.Source: Scott Merkin
5 days agoWashington Nationals starter Patrick Corbin will see his next start skipped due to Monday's off day. Mitchell Parker, Jake Irvin and MacKenzie Gore will take the mound against the Detroit Tigers to start the week. It is not all that surprising as Corbin has endured a dismal season to this point. He is carrying an unsightly 6.15 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 44:27 K:BB and 1-7 record across 71 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old will now make his next start on nine days rest and it will likely come against the Miami Marlins. Even against the cushiest matchups, Corbin is tough to trust.Source: Mark Zuckerman
5 days agoNew York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole (elbow) allowed one run on two hits across 4 1/3 innings of work during Sunday's rehab start with Double-A Somerset. He struck out four batters and did not issue a walk. Cole only tossed 57 pitches in the contest, which suggests he will need at least one more rehab appearance, but it was a positive outcome overall. The six-time All-Star is inching closer to a return from the elbow injury he suffered during spring training. Cole will be a top-tier fantasy starter for the rest of the season whenever he is able to rejoin the Yankees. He should be immediately scooped up if he is somehow available in any fantasy leagues.Source: Conor Foley
5 days agoNew York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rizzo has struggled mightily as of late with just one hit and zero RBI across 29 at-bats in June. The 34-year-old has also not hit a home run in his last 25 games. At this point, Rizzo has reached droppable territory in the majority of fantasy formats. DJ LeMahieu is starting at first base and batting seventh against the Dodgers while Oswaldo Cabrera will play third base and bat eighth. This may be a more common lineup over the coming days with Rizzo in such a funk.Source: New York Yankees
5 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (forearm) is still absent from the team's starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Soto was pulled from Thursday's game early due to forearm discomfort, but further testing showed it was just inflammation. The 25-year-old has not returned to the lineup since the injury. The Yankees have been hopeful that Soto will not need a stint on the injured list and can hopefully play in the coming days. It would be a much welcomed return for fantasy managers as the star slugger has been fantastic during his first season in the Bronx. Trent Grisham will start in center field and bat fifth against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow on Sunday.Source: New York Yankees
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles infielder Jorge Mateo (concussion) was seen fielding grounders at second base prior to Sunday's game. Mateo is eligible to come off the 7-day injured list on Monday. This is a great sign for the 28-year-old, as he could be nearing his return to the starting lineup. While he was sidelined, Baltimore turned to 24-year-old rookie Connor Norby to occupy the keystone. Norby tallied three hits with one long ball and two RBI across his first four major league starts. If Mateo does return sometime this upcoming week, Norby could be optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Baltimore lineup ahead of their game against their division rival, Tampa Bays, on Monday evening.Source: Jake Rill
5 days agoCincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (wrist) visited a specialist for a second opinion on June 8 and was advised to rest for an additional five days. The 24-year-old was originally scheduled to begin the next step in his rehab progression on June 5 but opted to go for a second opinion. In addition, Encarnacion-Strand is hopeful to resume his current progression after the newly established rest period and should begin swinging a bat in the next couple of weeks, as per manager David Bell. The Oklahoma State product has been on the 10-day injured list since May 8 with a right ulnar styloid fracture. With this recent news, fantasy managers should not expect Encarnacion-Strand back on the field until the end of June or potentially early July. He should remain stashed in standard leagues as he should provide a solid amount of power and RBI in a hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark during the second half of the season.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray is scheduled to make his first start since May 21 on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gray was activated from the 15-day injured list on Saturday, June 8, after recovering from a groin injury. The right-hander tossed two ⅓ innings of relief in that game and allowed just one hit, one free pass, and struck out four. This is a great sign, as Gray looked quite sharp in his first outing in over two weeks. In his 10 starts this season, Gray has posted a strong 2.28 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 17:52 BB:K ratio. While the 32-year-old does have a tough task ahead of him in his first start off the injured list, he should remain rostered in all leagues and will continue to produce strong ratios throughout the summer.Source: Shawn McFarland
5 days agoSeattle Mariners first base prospect Tyler Locklear was promoted to the majors on Saturday evening and is already starting in his first major league game on Sunday. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported that Locklear is expected to play daily and will not be in a platoon role with Luke Raley. Locklear was promoted to the majors to fill in for Ty France (heel), who was placed on the ten-day injured list with a hairline fracture in his right heel. France could miss an extended period of time as he was seen wearing a walking boot on Saturday. Locklear began the 2024 campaign in Double-A and posted a strong .291/.401/.532 line with eight home runs and 26 RBI. The 23-year-old then made his Triple-A debut on May 28. Locklear is worth adding in standard leagues knowing that he should be penciled in as the everyday first baseman in Seattle for the foreseeable future.Source: Ryan Divish
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (knee) will remain out of the lineup on Sunday and could return on Tuesday. O'Neill was removed early from Friday's game with a knee injury and has remained sidelined throughout the entire weekend. The Red Sox are off on Monday and will open a three-game set on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, which is the earliest the 28-year-old could return to the diamond. The former third-round pick recently recovered from right knee inflammation but, unfortunately, has hit another roadblock in his debut season in Boston. However, when on the field, O'Neill has performed very well with a solid .250/.354/.500 line with 11 home runs and one stolen base. His stellar 17.7% barrel rate and 47.9% hard-hit rate suggest that he could be in for a big summer and should be viewed as a must-start outfielder in all leagues for the remainder of the season.Source: Associated Press
5 days agoBoston Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales (elbow) left Saturday's start with Double-A Portland in the third inning and has been diagnosed with elbow inflammation. He was shaking his throwing arm and looked to be in discomfort while exiting the field. The 21-year-old had been enjoying a fantastic year and is arguably the best pitching prospect in the Red Sox system. Perales has posted a 2.94 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 56:12 K:BB across 33 2/3 innings in the minors this season. He will most likely be headed to the injured list at some point and there is no current timetable for his return.Source: Alex Speier
5 days agoDetroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith (knee) reportedly has no structural damage in his knee and is hoping to avoid a trip to the injured list. He is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, but there is a chance he returns in the coming days. Keith hurt himself on Saturday after a collision with Akil Baddoo in the outfield. It is a positive outcome for fantasy managers as it looked like it could have been a lot worse. Andy Ibanez is getting the start at second base on Sunday and batting eighth against Brewers right-hander Bryse Wilson.Source: Jason Beck
5 days agoSan Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (hip) is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Machado has not started for the Padres since injuring himself while trying to beat out a double-play on Wednesday, but he did make a pinch-hit appearance on Thursday. It seems like it is not an overly serious ailment for Machado, but there is still no word on when he will return. The 31-year-old was starting to swing the bat better at the time of the injury and is slashing .248/.311/.374 on the year. Donovan Solano will draw another start at third base and bat fifth in Machado's absence.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty (back) will have his next start pushed back to Friday or Saturday, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Flaherty was pulled from his most recent outing after 60 pitches due to back stiffness and the team wants to give him more time to recover. The Tigers are being as careful as possible with the 28-year-old, but it is encouraging that he has not been placed on the injured list. Flaherty has been solid in 2024, logging a 3.22 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 94:10 K:BB across 72 1/3 innings. Kenta Maeda, Reese Olson and Casey Mize will take the mound for the upcoming series against the Washington Nationals with Flaherty hopefully getting back in action against the Houston Astros on the weekend.Source: Jason Beck
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (back) is in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. Marte was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a stiff lower back, but he seems to be feeling better. The 30-year-old is enjoying another fine season in Arizona as he is slashing .282/.340/.508 with 13 home runs, 35 RBI, 41 runs and a stolen base. Marte is a top-five second base option for the remainder of the season, assuming this back stiffness does not linger.Source: MLB.com