5 days agoAccording to a source, the Detroit Tigers are calling up pitching prospect
Keider Montero from Triple-A Toledo to be the 27th man on Wednesday for their doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nothing is official yet, but it looks like Detroit's No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will make his major-league debut on Wednesday in a spot start in one of the games of a doubleheader after Tuesday's contest in Pittsburgh was rained out. Montero is getting his first major-league call-up after going 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 17 walks and 36 strikeouts over 30 2/3 innings and nine starts for Toledo. The 23-year-old Venezuelan hurler can spin the ball with the best of them, but his struggles to control his secondary pitches and his vulnerability to the long ball will make him a risky fantasy streaming option in his MLB debut. And there's a good chance he'll be sent back to Toledo after Wednesday's game.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit News - Chris McCosky
5 days agoUpdating a previous report, Kansas City Royals first baseman
Vinnie Pasquantino (leg) left Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins early with a lower left-leg contusion. X-rays came back negative and he is considered day-to-day for now. Pasquantino collided with Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton in the third inning and took a knee to the shin that forced him to hit the showers early. Thankfully, the injury doesn't appear to be very serious, although the 26-year-old left-handed-hitting first baseman could get the day off on Wednesday as a precaution. Before leaving the game, Pasquantino struck out in his only plate appearance to drop his season average to .224.
Salvador Perez moved from catcher to first base to replace Pasquantino. He has looked better at the plate in May, but he also hasn't homered since May 9.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman enjoyed a big day at the plate in Tuesday's win over the hosting New York Mets during Game 1 of a doubleheader, belting his sixth home run of the season with three RBI. After an RBI single in the eighth inning off left-hander
Jake Diekman, Freeman buried the Mets with a two-run homer to right off right-hander
Jorge Lopez that extended the Dodgers' lead in the 10th inning. The power hasn't really been there thus far this year for the 34-year-old fantasy sensation, who's still quietly slashing .291/.394/.461 with six long balls, 33 RBI, and one stolen base through 57 games as LA's everyday No. 3 hitter in a stacked lineup. With that said, Freeman remains a set-and-forget fantasy play on a daily basis and should pick things up soon.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Tylor Megill took a tough-luck no-decision in Tuesday's loss to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers during the matinee of a twin bill, throwing seven scoreless innings on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. Megill impressively held down a vaunted Dodgers lineup in Game 1 on Tuesday, delivering one of the best performances of his career. The big 28-year-old right-hander has been limited to three starts for the Mets this year, but he's been very effective when healthy with a 1.69 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 20:6 K:BB over 16 innings. Sunday's series finale at home against the disappointing Arizona Diamondbacks marks Megill's next projected start, and he'll carry a decent level of streaming appeal for fantasy purposes in that one to close the week.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl (thumb) took live batting practice before Tuesday's matchup against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. After taking swings against a high-velocity pitching machine on Monday, Friedl was also scheduled to run the bases and do some throwing on Tuesday. Manager David Bell has previously noted that Friedl could be reinstated from the injured list as soon as Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals, and the outfielder looks to be making good progress from a fractured left thumb. It's been a stop-start season for the 28-year-old left-handed hitter, who missed a large chunk of time to begin the campaign due to injury and has gone just 4-for-22 (.182) with two RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases when healthy in six outings, but Friedl's power/speed potential with the ability to hit for average atop Cincinnati's lineup at a hitter-friendly ballpark offers him plenty of upside as a fantasy stash.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said prior to Tuesday's game against the division-rival Boston Red Sox that starting pitcher
Dean Kremer (triceps) is continuing to improve. Kremer isn't experiencing as much soreness as he recovers from a strained right triceps, and he's expected to play catch "soon." The 28-year-old right-hander is a streaming option in fantasy when healthy, as evidenced by his serviceable 4.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 49:18 K:BB, and a career-best .204 average against over nine starts (50 innings) in 2024, but that doesn't mean he's a must-stash player. Veterans
Albert Suarez and
Cole Irvin will help plug up Baltimore's banged-up rotation in the meantime, and both hurlers will be worth streaming during the upcoming weekend set at home against the Tampa Bay Rays.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jake Rill - MLB.com
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Bobby Miller's (shoulder) next minor-league rehab start will come either on Friday or Saturday. Miller will throw four innings during that outing, and then the Dodgers will evaluate where he's at his in his recovery from inflammation in his right shoulder. After throwing 55 pitches and allowing three runs over three innings in his first rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, Miller will likely need at least one more outing in the minors following this weekend's appearance before he re-enters LA's rotation. Although the 25-year-old fire-balling right-hander has given up seven runs over 11 2/3 innings this season, his 18:6 K:BB and top-notch strikeout upside makes him a must-stash fantasy asset with a mid-June return appearing likely. 2023 top prospect
Gavin Stone will remain worth streaming in favorable matchups until Miller is back in the mix.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jack Harris - Los Angeles Times
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe (oblique) resumed all baseball activities prior to Tuesday's game against the visiting Oakland Athletics, going through a full workout on the field and a full program in the batting cage. Both Lowe and the Rays are pleased with his progress as he works his way through a strained right oblique, and the outfielder said he will now ramp up his activity every day. Lowe still has to hit against a high-velocity pitching machine and throw to bases at game speed, but he expects to be ready to return to Tampa Bay's outfield by the time he's first eligible to return, which would be during the first week of June. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger got a late start to the season due to injury, slashing a mediocre .240/.296/.440 with two home runs, three RBI, and five runs scored through just 50 at-bats (14 games), but his five-category fantasy upside in the top-third of Tampa's lineup makes him a must-stash player in all leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin - Tampa Bay Times
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zach Eflin (back) played catch again ahead of Tuesday's contest against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The plan is for Eflin to throw a bullpen session on Thursday, which would mark his first activity from the mound since the Rays placed the hurler on the injured list on May 20 due to inflammation in his lower back. It's not yet known if Eflin will require a brief minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining Tampa Bay's rotation, but he's on course to return sometime in early-to-mid June if all continues to go smoothly in his throwing progression. While the big 30-year-old right-hander owns a disappointing 4.12 ERA over 59 innings in 2024 following a career season in 2023, his 44:4 K:BB across 10 starts means Eflin needs to be stashed in fantasy leagues of all shapes and sizes.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoKansas City Royals first baseman
Vinnie Pasquantino (leg) exited Tuesday's game against the division-rival Minnesota Twins with an apparent injury to his foot or lower leg. Pasquantino collided with Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton, who was trying to beat out an infield single in the third inning, and he gingerly walked off the field.
Freddy Fermin came into catch, with
Salvador Perez shifting over to first base to replace Pasquantino. The Royals will further evaluate Pasquantino and provide an official diagnosis sometime either during or after Tuesday's contest. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger has put together an up-and-down season, slashing a pedestrian .224/.307/.388 with five home runs, 33 RBI, and 25 runs scored over 53 games (183 at-bats) as KC's everyday No. 3 batter.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Nightengale - Minneapolis Star Tribune
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles catching prospect
Creed Willems has been showcasing his elite raw power once again this season at High-A and could be joining Double-A in the coming months. Through the first 38 games, the 20-year-old is riding a .227/.299/.500 with nine long balls and seven doubles. He is on pace to smash his previous season-high of 17 home runs he set across Single and High-A last summer. While his power is worth paying attention to, he still needs to continue to lower his strikeout rate if he wants to reach Double-A this summer. Last season, he posted a hefty 27.7% K rate at High-A, and this season, it has dropped slightly to a 21.0% K rate. Nonetheless, the young backstop is still several seasons away from a major league debut and should remain on all waiver wires for the foreseeable future.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets outfield prospect
Alex Ramirez is on pace to smash his previous career-high in stolen bases this season. Currently, through 39 games with Double-A, the 21-year-old has already stolen 19 bases. His previous season-high was 21 swiped bags in 2022. In the batter's box he has posted a solid .247/.318/.351 line with two long balls and 22 RBI. MLB Pipeline ranks the outfielder as the number 16 prospect in Queens and projects him to reach the majors sometime next season. Dynasty managers should continue to monitor Ramirez as he is developing into one of the best base stealers in the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitching prospect Spencer Giesting has been nearly unhittable at High-A this season and is nearing a promotion to Double-A. In seven starts (41 innings), he has posted a 0.66 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 10:46 BB:K ratio. This is a significant improvement over his 4.00 ERA and 1.46 WHIP he held across 117 innings at High-A last summer. In his most recent outing, the 22-year-old tallied a season-high 13 punchouts across seven shutout innings. Giesting should be left on all waiver wires for now, but he could be worth stashing towards the end of the summer in dynasty leagues if he carries this momentum into Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians pitching prospect
Andrew Walters is moving up to Triple-A after logging just 20 innings with Double-A. This was his first season in the minor leagues, and he is already fast approaching his major league debut. Walters operated exclusively as a relief pitcher for Double-A Akron this season, posting a stellar 1.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8:38 BB:K ratio, and tallied two saves. The 2023 draft pick allowed just three earned runs this season and posted 15 shutout innings. Walters is ranked as the number 24 prospect in the Cleveland system on MLB Pipeline and could eventually grow into a closer role in the major leagues down the road.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Leah Doherty
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitching prospect Brandon Young was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. Young performed well in his third stint at Double-A this season and will now look to carry the momentum into his Triple-A debut. This season, Young made six starts and logged a 4.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a stellar 4:36 BB:K ratio. The 25-year-old has made significant strides in improving his walk rate over the course of the previous two seasons. In 2021, he posted a 15:54 BB:K ratio at Single-A and even a 6:23 ratio last summer at Double-A. He posted a career-best K-BB% of 36.4% at Double-A through the first month of the season and looks to have taken a large step forward. Dynasty managers should continue to monitor him to see if he continues to show strong command with Norfolk.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bowie Baysox
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