5 days agoHouston Astros shortstop
Jeremy Pena belted his fifth home run of the season on Friday in a 5-4 win over the Brewers. It was Pena's only hit of the ballgame, but it was a big one as it came off of Brewers starter
Freddy Peralta and put the Astros ahead 5-4, which would go on to be the final score. After a disappointing year in the power department where he tallied just 10 home runs, Pena's power stroke is back. So far on the season, the 26-year-old is slashing .326/.364/.459 with a .363 wOBA and 138 wRC+. The former third-round draft pick has also chipped in six stolen bases and is on pace to set a new career high.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays closer
Pete Fairbanks earned his fourth save of the season on Friday after tossing a scoreless ninth inning in a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays. Fairbanks needed just six pitches to dispatch of the heart of the Jays' order. Fantasy managers are surely delighted after the 30-year-old pitched the eighth inning Wednesday, recording a hold and losing out on a save opportunity in the ninth. There may still be some situational pitching going forward, however, where Fairbanks is used in higher-leverage situations and not necessarily the ninth inning. On the season, the righty has a 5.73 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 16.7% K-BB% to go along with his four saves.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Sean Murphy (oblique) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday, according to manager Brian Snitker. Murphy has been on the injured list since Opening Day when he suffered an oblique injury. The 29-year-old may require a little extra time to get back into game shape, but the Braves should have their primary backstop with the big-league club within the next couple weeks. Murphy was coming off an All-Star campaign in 2023, and with
Travis d'Arnaud suffering a head contusion Friday night, the Braves may need him back sooner rather than later, depending on the results of some additional evaluation of d'Arnaud on Saturday. In the meantime,
Chadwick Tromp may have to serve as Atlanta's primary backstop.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Justin Toscano - Atlanta Journal Constitution
5 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud (head) took a foul ball off his face mask in the sixth inning of Friday's 3-1 loss to the Padres and reported feeling dizzy afterward. The 35-year-old was checked for a concussion and passed the initial tests, so for now, it is being labeled as a head contusion. He'll be reevaluated Saturday and then they'll determine next steps, but it sounds like he'll avoid a stint on the IL. The veteran was replaced in the game by backup catcher
Chadwick Tromp who could see additional action if d'Arnaud were to miss any time. The starting catcher to open the regular season,
Sean Murphy, is on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment as well, so the Braves should be getting him back in the next couple weeks.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: David O'Brien - The Athletic
5 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitching prospect
Ian Mejia tossed a seven-inning no-hitter on Friday with just two free passes. He struck out a season-high of 11 batters. This outstanding performance brings him to a clean 4-0 record with a 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 54:17 K:BB through 42 2/3 innings. After allowing four earned runs in his first start of the season, Mejia has only allowed four total runs in his past 41 innings pitched. The former 11th-round selection has logged 121 innings at High-A to the tune of a 4.68 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, which has halted his progression through the Atlanta pipeline, but he is now showing strong development and looks to be back on track. Dynasty managers should expect the Braves to remain cautious with Mejia, but he is worth monitoring, as he could debut in Triple-A later this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers infield prospect
Jace Jung launched his seventh home run of the season to power Triple-A Toledo to a victory on Friday. Across his first 38 games at Triple-A, the 23-year-old has posted an impressive .272/.383/.515 slash line. The former 12th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft has progressed through the Detroit system very quickly as he finished the 2022 season with High-A and was able to open this season with Triple-A. Jung is ranked as the 48th overall prospect and third-best prospect in the Tigers' system on MLB Pipeline. With how well Jung is performing against Triple-A pitching, he should push for a major league debut later this summer. He is worth stashing in AL-only formats for now and should already be rostered in all keeper and dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfield prospect
Dylan Beavers went 2-for-4 on Friday evening with his fourth home run of the season. Through 31 games with Double-A Bowie, the 22-year-old has posted an excellent .302/.406/.481 slash line with eight stolen bases. However, through a combined 65 games at Double-A, Beavers has a .313/.412/.479 slash line, suggesting that he is well adjusted to this level and could see time in Triple-A later this summer. Beavers is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Baltimore system and is expected to reach the major leagues sometime next season. The outfielder seems to be on track and should finish the season with Triple-A, which could open the door for an early-season major-league debut next year. Dynasty managers should consider stashing him if he carries this momentum into Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants first base prospect
Bryce Eldridge extended his hit streak to nine games with a two-hit performance, including a home run. Through his first extended look at Single-A ball, the former 16th overall pick has settled in quite nicely with a .253/.317/.452 slash line with four long balls. Since he began his incredible nine-game hit streak. The 19-year-old is riding a .368/.405/.605 line with two home runs. In this stretch, Eldridge has tallied multiple hits in four games and an extra-base hit in five of them. Eldridge is ranked as the number three prospect in the San Francisco system on MLB Pipeline and is projected to reach the major leagues in 2026. Dynasty managers should watch Eldridge closely as he could reach High-A fairly soon, which can open the door for a late-season stint at Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect
Druw Jones posted his first four-hit night of the season and launched his second home run of the campaign on Friday. This great performance brings the 20-year-old to a strong .275/.372/.412 slash line with two swiped bags through 29 games at Single-A. The number three prospect in the Arizona system has been on a nice run since the start of May, hitting an outstanding .326/.400/.465 line. Jones got a small taste of Single-A ball last season but posted a pedestrian .252/.366/.351 line, which shows that Jones has been taking significant strides forward this season. MLB Pipeline projects the former number two overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft to not reach the majors until 2026, but he could see time in High-A later this summer. He is worth monitoring closely in all dynasty and keeper leagues as he could develop into one of baseball's top prospects.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
Davis Schneider went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Schneider provided most of the offense for the Blue Jays with a two-run shot off left-hander
Tyler Alexander in the eighth inning. Schneider is hitting .260 with five homers, 17 runs, 17 RBI, and two steals across 100 at-bats this season. He has two homers and five RBI over his last seven games as he looks to stay hot for the Jays moving forward.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays left-hander
Tyler Alexander picked up a quality start in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Alexander allowed three runs on three hits over 7 1/3 innings while striking out four on the way to earning the win. The veteran southpaw kept the Toronto lineup off balance for most of the game, with most of the damage coming via a two-run homer by
Davis Schneider in the eighth inning. Alexander now has a 2-2 record, 5.17 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts over 47 innings of work this season. Alexander isn't a must-start in fantasy but he's worth a look as a streaming option in deeper leagues.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Diego Padres right-hander
Matt Waldron turned in a dominant performance in a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Waldron allowed just one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out 10 and walking two. The veteran did well in limiting a dangerous Atlanta offense to just one run while racking up double-digit strikeouts for the first time in his MLB career. Overall, Waldron has a 2-5 record, 5.00 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts over 45 innings of work. Waldron is worth a look in deeper leagues moving forward as he gears up for his next start.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays infielder
Richie Palacios went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Palacios launched a two-run shot off of Toronto starter
Chris Bassitt in the sixth inning as part of a three-run frame for the Rays. The veteran infielder has been productive for the Rays this season, hitting .259 with four homers, 19 runs, 11 RBI, and six steals across 112 at-bats. Palacios has been scuffling a bit at the plate of late, hitting just .185 over his past seven games, so hopefully his homer on Friday night will get him going.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees left-hander
Nestor Cortes turned in an excellent outing in a 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Cortes allowed just one unearned run on five hits over seven innings while striking out six and walking one in the start. The veteran southpaw looked excellent on the mound while bouncing back from an uneven performance in his last outing. Overall, Cortes has a 2-4 record, 3.56 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings of work in 2024. He will look to keep it going in his next start, which is scheduled to come against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Tommy Pham went 3-for-5 with a double, a run, and a stolen base in a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Friday. Pham was one of the few bright spots on offense as the White Sox were held to just two runs in the loss. The veteran outfielder has been swinging a hot bat since having his contract selected from Triple-A back on April 26. On the year, Pham is hitting .338 with two homers, 11 runs, 10 RBI, and two steals across 74 at-bats. Pham brings a productive blend of power and speed to the table in fantasy, making him a quality option as a reserve outfielder in most leagues. Hitting .385 over his last seven games, Pham should be locked into fantasy lineups while he's on a hot streak.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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