1 week agoAfter an injury scare on Monday in which Toronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (toe) went for mid-game X-rays at Rogers Centre after fouling a ball off his left toe, he's back at first base on Tuesday and is hitting third against the visiting New York Mets and left-hander
David Peterson. Obviously, X-rays came back negative, and the four-time All-Star slugger is back in there to face a left-handed hurler in the second game of the series. The 25-year-old has been Toronto's most consistent hitter all season long and needs to remain in all starting fantasy lineups. He has gone hitless in his last two contests, but Vladdy is still hitting .280 (7-for-25) in six games so far in September with a homer, two doubles and five RBI. Only six of his 28 long balls on the year have been against lefties, but he's also hit .327 (33-for-101) against them.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoAtlanta Braves infielder/outfielder
Whit Merrifield (foot) remains out of action for the team's contest on Tuesday against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Merrifield, who has dealt with some bad injury luck this year, will sit out for the fourth straight game after fracturing his foot recently when he fouled a ball off of it. The 35-year-old is hoping to make it back for the team's three-game series this weekend versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there's also a chance Merrifield lands on the injured list. With
Ozzie Albies (wrist) still recovering from a fractured wrist, Atlanta is forced to roll with
Luke Williams for another start at the keystone. Williams is hitting ninth against Nationals left-hander
MacKenzie Gore and should be avoided as a sleeper in DFS lineups for Tuesday's slate of games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
1 week agoMiami Marlins rookie infielder
Connor Norby (undisclosed) has been scratched from the team's starting lineup on Tuesday at PNC Park against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates for undisclosed reasons. Fantasy managers will want to check back for further updates on why Norby was scratched. The 24-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now.
Jake Burger is starting at third and batting third, while
David Hensley will start at first and bat eighth against Pirates right-hander
Carmen Mlodzinski. Norby, who came over from the Baltimore Orioles in the trade that sent lefty
Trevor Rogers to the O's in late July, has looked like the high-end prospect he is in his first 19 games for Miami this year, going 24-for-77 (.312) with six home runs, seven doubles and 13 RBI in 82 plate appearances. He has a bright future in the big leagues and already deserves love in mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Miami Marlins
1 week agoCleveland Guardians left-handed reliever
Sam Hentges (shoulder) will have shoulder surgery next week and is expected to miss 12 to 14 months. More specifically, Hentges will go under the knife on Sept. 18 to have the capsule and labrum in his left shoulder repaired. The former fourth-round pick in 2014 was moved to a full-time relief role two seasons ago and has been solid out of the bullpen for the Guardians ever since. In 25 appearances in relief this year before injuring his shoulder, he had a 3.04 ERA (3.18 FIP), a 0.97 WHIP and a 27:5 K:BB in 23 2/3 frames. The 28-year-old also missed the first five weeks of the 2023 season due to shoulder issues, so hopefully he'll be able to return to Cleveland's bullpen fully healthy in 2026 after most likely sitting out all of next season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
1 week agoSt. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder
Brendan Donovan (foot) is starting at second base and is batting leadoff on Tuesday at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and rookie right-hander
Rhett Lowder. Donovan will return to the top of the Red Birds' batting order against the Reds after missing the previous two games due to a foot infection. There was some worry that the 27-year-old utility man might need a stint on the injured list, but he appears fine for now and will have some DFS appeal as a low-cost sleeper on Tuesday at the top of the lineup. Shortstop
Masyn Winn is getting a day off, which has allowed Donovan to hit leadoff for the first time in a month. The left-handed-hitting German lacks notable speed or pop, but he's gone 7-for-20 (.350) with two doubles in five games so far in the month of September.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
1 week agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Brenton Doyle (finger) is in center field and is batting third for the Rockies on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers and rookie right-hander
Keider Montero at Comerica Park. A minor injury to his pinkie kept Doyle out of the team's last game, but he's back in there now and should be returned to starting lineups in all fantasy leagues. Doyle has gone only 3-for-21 (.143) with a walk and nine strikeouts in six games so far in September, but he's quickly proven to be the most impressive fantasy bat the last-place Rockies have to offer. In 136 games in just his second big-league season in 2024, Doyle has slashed .268/.328/.465 with a .793 OPS, 22 home runs, 66 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 553 plate appearances. His power/speed combination plays in all formats. Doyle has never faced Montero in his young career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoWashington National rookie third baseman
Jose Tena is batting fifth in Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Tena is hitting .293/.330/.380 with two homers, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored in 97 plate appearances since his Nationals debut on June 28. Although overshadowed by the likes of
Dylan Crews and
James Wood, Tena is one of the young bats the Nationals are counting on to help them return to playoff contention in 2025. Tena continues to fly under the radar in dynasty leagues, but if he is available, find the roster space to stash him away.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Grand Slam Picks on X
1 week agoThe Baltimore Orioles will have
Adley Rutschman as their designed hitter for Tuesday's game at the Boston Red Sox, giving the All-Star catcher a night off behind the plate while
James McCann gets the start. Rutschman is hitting .255/.323/.400 with 18 homers, 72 RBI, 62 runs scored, and a stolen base in 132 games. He has struggled over the past month, hitting .195/.269/.256 with a homer, four RBI and four runs scored. Rutschman and the Orioles will face Red Sox hurler
Kutter Crawford, against whom Rutschman is 3-for-10 with two homers and three RBI. This is a matchup that daily fantasy players should exploit.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Grand Slam Picks on X
1 week agoNewly-acquired infielder
Eddy Alvarez is in the New York Mets' lineup for Tuesday's game at the Toronto Blue Jays and will bat ninth as he faces Blue Jays starter
Chris Bassitt. The infielder/outfielder was traded by the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on Monday and was added to the active roster before Monday's game, where he scored as a pinch-runner. Alvarez was hitting .247/.348/.463 with 18 homers, 77 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases for Triple-A Worcester, offering enough pop for fantasy managers in deeper leagues to consider while making for a low-end option in daily fantasy play.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Grand Slam Picks on X
1 week agoThe Houston Astros are promoting shortstop/third baseman
Brice Matthews to Triple-A Sugar Land. Matthews is Houston's third-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline and is hitting .286/.405/.531 with 15 homers, 39 RBI, 49 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases in three minor league stops. Drafted 28th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Matthews' fast rise gives the Astros a near-major league-ready prospect, something the franchise has lacked in recent years. A strong finish in Triple-A will give Matthews an early jump on making a bid to crack the Opening Day roster next year, making him a player to watch in dynasty formats.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Mlib Central on X
1 week agoChicago Cubs first baseman
Michael Busch had a day at the plate in Monday's 10-4 win over his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, at Dodger Stadium. Busch finished 4-for-5 with a home run, double, three RBI and three runs scored in the series opener on the road. For Busch, his home run was his first since Aug. 7. He got off to a hot start early in his first season with the Cubs but hasn't been as good since, and he's also hitting just .217 (5-for-23) with his home run last night, a double, four RBI, three walks and three strikeouts in seven games since the calendar flipped to September. Since the All-Star break in mid-July, Busch is slashing .216/.298/.373 with five home runs, seven doubles, a triple, 19 RBI, 18 walks, 43 strikeouts and one stolen base in 171 trips to the plate over 44 games played. He has certainly not been as good for fantasy managers in deeper leagues in the second half in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoSan Francisco Giants rookie right-hander
Landen Roupp will toe the rubber for his first major-league start on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Roupp has made 19 appearances out of the bullpen for the Giants in his first season in the majors in 2024 and has pitched to a 3.41 ERA (3.40 FIP) with a 1.36 WHIP, 33 strikeouts and 19 walks in 31 2/3 innings pitched. The 26-year-old went a season-high four innings out of the bullpen his last time out on Sept. 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing no runs while walking two and striking out five. Roupp hasn't gone more than four innings in any of his outings with San Fran or at Triple-A Sacramento before his call-up, so fantasy managers should be looking to avoid the rookie as a streamer on Tuesday, especially against the first-place Brew Crew.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Shayna Rubin
1 week agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on his weekly appearance on 93.7 The Fan that as of right now, offseason back surgery is not on the table for third baseman
Ke'Bryan Hayes (back). The current focus is on strengthening Hayes' back. He has yet to resume baseball activities since landing on the injured list three-plus weeks ago. The 27-year-old tanked offensively in 2024, but most of his issues could stem from back issues that have plagued him all year. Hayes is not going to return in 2024, and his and the Pirates primary focus this offseason will be to get his back issues sorted out so that he can try to get back to form in 2025. The former first-rounder in 2015 struggled to a .233/.283/.290 slash line with a terrible .573 OPS, four homers, 25 RBI and 11 steals in 365 at-bats this year.
Jared Triolo has been the primary beneficiary at third in Pittsburgh with Hayes on the IL.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Andrew Destin
1 week agoThe St. Louis Cardinals are calling up infield prospect
Thomas Saggese from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, according to sources. Saggese, the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was acquired by the Cardinals from the Texas Rangers in the trade that involved left-hander
Jordan Montgomery being shipped to Texas last year. Saggese could be replacing the injured
Brendan Donovan (foot) on the active roster and could see regular playing time at the keystone in St. Louis to close out the year. The 22-year-old former fifth-rounder by Texas in 2020 gets his first big-league call after slashing .253/.313/.438 with a .752 OPS, 20 home runs, 67 RBI and nine stolen bases in 125 games for Memphis this year. Saggese came up as a shortstop but can also play second or third base in a pinch. None of his tools jump off the page exactly, but Saggese does have 15-plus-homer power as a middle-infielder.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FanSided - Robert Murray
1 week agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Ben Lively is getting the starting nod on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Rookie
Joey Cantillo got the start in Lively's place for the series opener against Chicago and was lights-out in seven innings of work. The Guardians were looking to give Lively an extra day of rest, and he'll now be even more attractive in the best matchup a pitcher could ask for. The 32-year-old has struggled of late, giving up 10 runs in his last two starts, but he now has the perfect bounce-back opportunity against the worst team in baseball. You better believe Lively will be a popular fantasy streamer on Tuesday. Since the All-Star break, Lively has struggled to a 4.98 ERA (5.33 FIP) with 18 walks and 30 strikeouts in his nine starts. In his two starts against Chicago in 2024, he's allowed six earned runs while walking four and fanning eight in 11 2/3 frames.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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