5 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zach Eflin (back) was seen playing catch on May 26, per MLB.com. Eflin was placed on the injured list on May 20 due to experiencing discomfort on his start on May 18 in Toronto. The 30-year-old compared this injury to similar lower back tightness he dealt with last April that forced him to miss two weeks. Manager Kevin Cash said he expects his ace to return to the mound in "two to four weeks." While it is an excellent sign to see Eflin playing catch and not experiencing any setbacks, he might need to speed up his recovery to meet the projected return date slightly. Eflin looked quite strong in his Tampa Bay debut last summer with a 3.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 186:24 K:BB ratio. However, he did get off to a slow start this spring with a 4.12 ERA, and 1.17 WHIP. Nonetheless, he should remain stashed in all formats as he should return to his 2023 form after he recovers from this minor setback.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox closer
Kenley Jansen shut the door on the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, earning his ninth save in a 2-1 win. Jansen made quick work of the Crew in the ninth inning, setting down all three batters he faced on just 10 pitches while striking out a pair. Although he's had some shaky outings, Jansen is now 9-for-10 in save opportunities and has a solid 3.06 ERA and 1.25 WHIP on the season. The 36-year-old remains a viable fantasy option and should be rostered in any league where saves matter.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds closer
Alexis Diaz picked up his 10th save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Diaz was called upon for the second day in a row in the ninth and once again made quick work of the Dodgers. This time, he came in with a runner on second and struck out both batters he faced. While the 27-year-old fireballer had some struggles for the first half of May, he appears to have settled back in, allowing zero runs in his last four appearances while picking up three saves. He should remain a solid closing option for fantasy managers.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale was magnificent once again on Sunday, throwing seven innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sale allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight. The veteran lefty improved to 8-1, lowering his ERA to 2.12 and his WHIP to 0.85. Those are Cy Young caliber numbers, and the guy was being drafted outside of the top 100. At this point, it seems that the only thing that can hold him back from being an ace for the rest of the season is an injury.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Logan Webb threw seven innings of one-run ball against the New York Mets on Sunday, coming away with a hard-luck no-decision in a 4-3 loss. Webb's only run allowed was unearned, and he left with a 3-1 lead that was blown in the ninth inning. He only gave up three hits and one walk while striking out a season-high eight. He has now allowed two or less earned runs in four straight starts while working at least six innings in each of them. This is the workhorse that fantasy managers expected when they drafted him with a top 50 pick.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish dominated the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, throwing seven no-hit innings and picking up the win in a 4-1 victory. Bradish was firing on all cylinders in this one, striking out a season-high 11. He did walk four, but that can be looked past given the aforementioned zero hits allowed. He was pulled after the seventh, which makes sense given he was at 103 pitches and his season-high was only 90 before this game. For some reason, the righty isn't universally rostered right now, but he ought to be and likely will be after this start. Go get him if he is available.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ went 2-for-3 with two big flies in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night. Happ collected all three of the Cubs RBI's on Sunday and almost single-handedly brought them back after they went down 4-0 early. The 29-year-old doubled his season total with his third and fourth homers, which goes to show how poorly his season has gone to this point. The sorely needed long balls don't mean Happ is for sure back, but it is a good sign and should be a reason for fantasy managers who haven't dropped him to hold on for at least another week.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with two homers on Sunday, leading the Cardinals to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Goldy drove in all four of the Cards' runs with his pair of two-run shots. After a miserable start to his season, the veteran has quietly been turning things around recently, improving his average from .190 to .222 and his OPS from .530 to .643 over the past two weeks. After tonight's performance, Goldschmidt should probably be in most starting lineups next week. If he was dropped in any shallow leagues and is still sitting on waivers, be sure to grab him now.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) has officially been diagnosed with a complete ACL tear in his left knee. He is set to undergo surgery at some point in the future and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. It is a devastating blow for Acuna, the Braves, and fantasy managers alike as it marks the second time he has torn his ACL in the past four seasons. The 26-year-old was in the midst of an inconsistent season as he was slashing .250/.351/.365 with four home runs, 15 RBI and 16 stolen bases at the time of the injury. Nevertheless, he is still one of the brightest stars in all of baseball.
Jarred Kelenic and
Adam Duvall figure to see the bulk of the playing time that is now up for grabs.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
5 days agoColorado Rockies relief pitcher
Tyler Kinley was tasked with holding a three-run lead versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. The right-hander threw a scoreless final frame to earn his second save of the season. He needed only nine pitches to retire the red-hot Phillies lineup. Kinley holds an ugly 7.59 ERA this season but he has looked much better in May. It's worth noting that
Jalen Beeks and
Justin Lawrence both pitched on Saturday. That being said, both pitchers were probably unavailable which is why Kinley got the save chance. He might be working his way into more save chances, but this situation is a mess right now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Cristian Javier (forearm) was unable to throw his scheduled bullpen session on Sunday. This is an interesting development considering Javier is scheduled to start against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. For now, Javier is being considered as day-to-day due to forearm discomfort. The expectation is that the Astros will give an update on Javier's status prior to Monday's game. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Julia Morales
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Blake Walston made his MLB debut against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. The 22-year-old allowed only four hits over 4 2/3 shutout innings in the loss to Miami. The southpaw struck out four batters while allowing only one walk in the contest. It's uncertain if this was a spot start or if Walston is going to stick around in the D-Backs rotation. If he stays, Walston's next outing would be versus the New York Mets. He could have some deep league streaming appeal for that game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
5 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers posted a dominant performance during Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The left-hander racked up seven strikeouts over six scoreless frames in the victory. He allowed only four hits and walked one batter during this stellar performance. He'll take a 3.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 53/20 K/BB into next week's matchup against the Texas Rangers. This is a tough matchup for Weathers, but he has shown the ability to hold his own this season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Ronel Blanco made easy work of the Oakland Athletics lineup during Sunday's game. The right-hander was recently suspended, but clearly didn't miss a beat as seen by his outing on Sunday. Blanco tossed seven innings, allowing only one run on four hits in the win over the A's. He struck out six batters, while walking only one batter during this outing. Blanco now holds a 5-0 record with a 1.99 ERA so far this season. He'll get a tougher matchup against the Minnesota Twins next week.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Craig Kimbrel was tasked with holding a three-run lead against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. The 35-year-old was temporarily removed from the closer role due to struggles in early May. The veteran right-hander has reclaimed his role and has three saves this week. This game marked the seven straight scoreless appearance for Kimbrel. Fantasy managers can go back to trusting Kimbrel as an everyday option in fantasy lineups.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
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