5 days agoThe Kansas City Royals promoted Dan Altavilla from Triple-A on Monday. It was the first time he pitched in the majors since 2021 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery that season. The 31-year-old pitched an inning of relief in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees, facing three batters and not giving up a hit while striking out two. It was a welcome sight for the righty who was drafted in 2014, spent last season in Boston's minor league system, and made 24 appearances this season at Triple-A for the Royals. Over 27 1/3 IP, the former fifth-round draft pick posted a 2.63 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 30:14 K:BB. As far as fantasy is concerned, he will only hold value in leagues where holds are counted.Source: ESPN
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames was 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI and a stolen base during Monday's 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first home run since May 29 for Adames and his first stolen base since May 17. Adames has been productive this season despite those two droughts as he is slashing .248/.328/.433 with 10 homers, 45 RBI, 34 runs and nine stolen bases. He continues to see everyday at-bats in the heart of the Brewers lineup. Adames is not necessarily a fantasy stalwart, but there are certainly worse options to have at shortstop.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers right-hander Colin Rea allowed one run on three hits across seven strong innings during Monday's 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He struck out four batters without issuing a walk. It was one of the best starts of the season for the 33-year-old and improved his record to 5-2. Despite the success, Rea looks like a prime regression candidate. His 3.31 ERA is a long way off from his 5.56 xERA and he only has a 15.8 K% across 70 2/3 innings. He is best suited to be a streaming option in most leagues as he heads into a matchup with the Cincinnati Reds on the weekend.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his power surge on Monday against the Colorado Rockies. He was 1-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run and two runs scored in the 5-0 win. Lewis has now gone deep in three of the past six games since returning from a strained quadriceps muscle. There is no denying the power potential in the 25-year-old's bat, but staying healthy has eluded Lewis for the past few seasons. He is slashing .333/.375/.952 across seven games in 2024 and should be started with confidence while he has a clean bill of health.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoRintaro Sasaki, the top power-hitting prospect from Japan, will take part in the MLB Draft League as a member of the Trenton Thunder and make his debut on Tuesday. Sasaki set the Japanese high school record for most home runs in a career with 140 (previous record was 111) but chose to forego the NPB Draft, deciding to attend Stanford instead and, hopefully, taking a quicker path to the MLB. Had he gone to the NPB, he would have been under team control for nine years. The "Japanese Prince Fielder" is known to have a terrific eye as well, having collected twice as many walks than strikeouts during his high school career. Many players use the MLB Draft League to enhance their potential draft stock, so he'll look to put his power on display. If he lives up to the hype, the left-handed slugger could be a power-hitting star in the MLB, so dynasty managers would be wise to keep an eye on his performance, which will conclude in mid-July.Source: MLB.com - Michael Clair
5 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack was sharp during Monday's 5-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. He scattered six hits across 6 1/3 scoreless innings without issuing a walk. He also struck out six batters. It was a nice bounce-back performance for the 28-year-old after he was shelled for seven runs in his previous start. He now owns a 4.79 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 67:14 K:BB across 13 starts in 2024. Paddack is a fine streaming option in the right matchups, but he is prone to the occasional disastrous outing. That being said, he is a worthwhile streamer in his next projected start this weekend at home against the Oakland Athletics.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Pepiot surrendered four runs on nine hits across six innings during Monday's 5-2 loss against the Baltimore Orioles. He did not issue a walk and struck out nine batters. The main damage against Pepiot was two solo home runs, but he continued to generate whiffs at a high rate. The 26-year-old's 4.17 ERA is a far cry from his 2.88 xERA, but his 1.01 WHIP and 68:16 K:BB help tell the full story. Pepiot has pitched quite well in 2024 and can be a useful fantasy asset for the rest of the season, although he has another tough matchup on deck against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes allowed two runs (none earned) on five hits across seven innings of work during Monday's 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Burnes struck out six batters while issuing one walk. It was the ninth straight quality start for Burnes and his seventh win of the season. The 29-year-old has posted a stingy 2.08 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 82:22 K:BB across 14 starts during his first season in Baltimore. He is lined up for a tough test against the Philadelphia Phillies in his next start, but there is no reason to doubt Burnes against any lineup at this point.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson was 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs scored in Monday's 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The 22-year-old took the first pitch of the game over the center field wall for his 21st home run of the season. Henderson is putting together a dynamic fantasy campaign in his sophomore year. He is slashing .274/.375/.599 with 46 RBI, 55 runs scored, eight stolen bases and a .974 OPS. Henderson can be started with confidence on a nightly basis.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics rookie shortstop Darell Hernaiz (ankle) is out of his walking boot and will begin a strength and fitness program this week. The next step in Hernaiz's rehab process will be to resume baseball activity, which the A's will determine at a later date. The A's moved the 22-year-old infielder to the 60-day injured list on May 15. Hernaiz is listed on MLB Pipeline as Oakland's No. 4 prospect, but a severe left ankle sprain has kept him sidelined since May 7. He's mostly a candidate to keep stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues, as it remains to be seen how much playing time he'll see in Oakland when he's healthy enough to return. Hernaiz received his first major-league promotion earlier this year and went 12-for-66 (.182) with no home runs, six RBI and a stolen base in his first 29 big-league contests before injuring his ankle.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics right-hander Paul Blackburn (foot) is out of his walking boot and is expected to begin a throwing program this week. However, there is no timetable for his return to the A's starting rotation at this time after he landed on the injured list with a right-foot stress reaction. Blackburn is making notable progress, but he still has a ways to go before being reinstated from the injured list, and he won't be an option for fantasy managers again until the second half of the season. The 30-year-old former first-rounder of the Chicago Cubs in 2012 will require at least a handful of minor-league rehab starts before the A's eventually return him to their rotation. Blackburn went 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA (4.19 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP with a 36:13 K:BB in 46 innings and eight starts for the A's before injuring his foot.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics left-hander Alex Wood (shoulder) increased his throwing distance up to 90 feet during the week of June 3, but he experienced a setback and is currently shut down from throwing with no timetable to resume that program at this time. Wood was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 9 and will not be able to make it back to the big leagues before the All-Star break in mid-July now. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw was initially placed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with left rotator-cuff tendonitis. Wood hasn't been much of a fantasy option for a while, and that hasn't changed in 2024 in his first year in Oakland. Before being put on the IL, he had gone 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and 19 walks in 39 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can continue to ignore Wood for now.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (elbow) is scheduled to begin a throwing program on Tuesday, June 11, and he will gradually increase his throwing distance until the A's determine that he's ready to throw off a mound. Stripling has been shut down from throwing since May 29 due to a right elbow flexor strain, but the team feels he's finally ready to start building his arm back up. Given how long Stripling has been out, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to come off the injured list to rejoin Oakland's starting rotation before the All-Star break in mid-July. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should have better options at this point. Before landing on the shelf, Stripling went 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with only 35 strikeouts and 12 walks in 55 2/3 innings over his 11 starts.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics left-hander Kyle Muller (shoulder) started a throwing program last Thursday, and the next step in his rehab process from left-shoulder tendonitis is to throw off a mound, although there is no timetable for when that will happen at this time. Muller was solid for the A's in a relief role this year before his injury, as he has allowed 16 runs (13 earned) on 33 hits (five home runs) while walking only seven and striking out 24 in 33 2/3 innings in his 13 appearances out of the A's bullpen. If the 26-year-old southpaw avoids a setback with his shoulder, he should be able to return to the big-league bullpen before the end of June. Before the 2024 campaign, 24 of Muller's 33 MLB appearances with the Atlanta Braves and A's came in a starting role.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoOakland Athletics right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (forearm) felt healthy after a 20-pitch bullpen session on Sunday and is expected to be activated from the injured list at some point during the team's road trip through San Diego and Minnesota that begins on Monday. Erceg is eligible to come off the IL on Wednesday. The 29-year-old has been a great setup man for the A's in front of electric closer Mason Miller this year, posting a 2.86 ERA in 21 relief appearances while striking out 27 in 22 innings of work. Erceg also has the first two saves of his career in his second season in the big leagues. Miller is the team's unquestioned closer, but he'll be a popular trade candidate this summer, and if Miller is dealt or gets injured, Erceg could be first in line for saves in Oakland.Source: MLB.com