6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Walker Buehler's (elbow) third minor-league rehab start on Friday was cut short after he was struck in the right hand by a comebacker. Buehler threw only two innings before departing, but it sounds like his exit was a precautionary measure. This could have been Buehler's last rehab start on his way back from Tommy John surgery, but the Dodgers may now want him to get one final tune-up appearance before rejoining the rotation following such a long layoff. The 29-year-old All-Star right-hander should still be able to return by late April and obviously needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues at this point. Who comes out of LA's rotation upon Buehler's comeback remains a question mark, but
Ryan Yarbrough's 3.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through four starts may give him the upper hand over
Gavin Stone's 9.00 ERA and 2.13 WHIP over his two appearances.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mike DiGiovanna - Los Angeles Times
6 days agoMinnesota Twins shortstop
Carlos Correa (oblique) exited early in Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers with a right oblique strain. Correa grabbed his right side after striking out during his second at-bat in the top of the third inning. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting. The severity of Correa's injury is unknown at this time, and he is considered day-to-day.
Willi Castro replaced him in Friday's game. Considering Correa is dealing with an oblique injury, the veteran shortstop could likely land on the injured list.
Kyle Farmer should see an uptick in playing time while Correa is sidelined. Farmer is off to a slow start this season and has yet to collect a hit over 18 plate appearances in seven games in 2024. The 33-year-old is a speculative add in deep-league formats if Correa is forced to miss any time.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Dan Hayes
6 days agoCincinnati Reds center fielder
TJ Friedl (wrist) underwent an MRI on Thursday and was determined to need another seven-to-ten days of lighter activity before ramping up his rehab process. The hope was that Friedl's injury would be a little more cleared up at this point and the delay is a bit of a setback for the 28-year-old. The lefty had a solid year in 2023, slashing .279/.352/.467, and was looking to catapult a young Reds roster into playoff contention before injuring his wrist a month ago in spring training.
Will Benson has taken over center field responsibilities in Friedl's absence, hitting .213 with 2 HR on the short season. Friedl should be expected to take over as the starter once he returns, but without a clear timetable for him to come back fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to keep Benson on their radar.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals center fielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) and shortstop
Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin hitting activities on Monday. Per Cardinals' manager Oli Marmol, the two will begin to ramp up their rehab process on Monday by hitting off a tee and taking soft toss. Edman had previously been cleared for baseball activities while Carlson had not, so this is a positive sign for Carlson's progress. No return timeline has been established for either player. In Carlson's absence,
Victor Scott II's takeover in center field has not gone well with Scott hitting for just a .091 batting average.
Masyn Winn has filled in for Edman at shortstop much more admirably, hitting .379 to start this season. Edman will hold more value to fantasy managers than Carlson upon their returns.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: John Denton
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays relievers
Jordan Romano (elbow) and
Erik Swanson (forearm) are slated to pitch in Triple-A Buffalo's doubleheader tomorrow. Both pitchers struggled some in their most recent rehab appearance on Thursday and will look to improve on those outings. Should the outings go well, both relievers have a chance to join the Blue Jays roster and be taken off the injured list. Swanson's value as a setup man may carry more value to the Blue Jays than to fantasy managers. However, Romano should be rostered in all leagues with his return being close.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks closer
Paul Sewald (oblique) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. This will be Sewald's first bullpen session since he suffered his Grade 2 oblique strain. It may still be some time before Sewald is able to come off the injured list, but being able to progress to a bullpen session is a good sign for the 33-year-old. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on the closer's progress and keep him stashed on their rosters until he is able to be activated. In the meantime, expect
Kevin Ginkel to continue to get save opportunities for Arizona until Sewald is back.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Theo Mackie
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Alek Manoah (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in Saturday's doubleheader in Triple-A Buffalo. Manoah will look to avoid the issues he saw in his prior minor league start on Sunday in Single-A Dunedin where he gave up seven runs on five hits in just 1 2/3 innings pitched. Manoah has been dealing with shoulder fatigue since early in spring training. The 26-year-old is in desperate need of a bounce-back season. After finishing third in the AL Cy Young award voting in 2022, Manoah's 2023 was disastrous with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. The Blue Jays are expected to compete for a playoff spot this season and anything solid Manoah can provide them when he comes back will be beneficial.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
6 days agoChicago White Sox shortstop prospect
Colson Montgomery currently has a .239/.314/.283 throughout his small taste of Triple-A. The number two ranked shortstop prospect on MLB Pipeline quickly progressed through the minors last season as he never saw his on-base percentage dip below .400 across three levels. It is promising to see Montgomery continue to put up solid numbers as he is nearing his major league debut. Montgomery is considered a top prospect in baseball and should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats. If he continues to succeed at Triple-A, he could be worth stashing in redraft and be a solid middle infield option down the stretch, as he should be in contention to receive a late-season call-up.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (shoulder) is scheduled for a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday. Cabrera is slated for six innings, or about 90 pitches, in the start. This will be the 25-year-old's third rehab start and, if all goes well, it's likely he will be taken off the injured list and added to the Marlins active roster. "I anticipate him being back in the rotation at some point soon," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. The struggling Marlins will surely welcome him back with open arms as their starters currently hold a 4.75 ERA and need as much help as possible to turn around their 2-11 start.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Jordan McPherson
6 days agoChicago Cubs first base prospect
Matt Mervis is off to an excellent start to his 2024 season. He is hitting .325/.420/.525 with one home run and five RBI. Mervis got a small taste of the majors last season but struggled, so the Cubs felt it was better for him to continue his development at Triple-A. While he has only hit one long ball so far, Mervis hit 22 in Triple-A last season, so expect more on the way. Mervis should see time in Wrigley later this summer and could very well be one of the first of many exciting bats from the Chicago system to be promoted.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo is hitting .185/.265/.333 to open the young season at Triple-A. He has just one long ball and one double. Manzardo showcased excellent on-base skills in Triple-A last season with a .343 across 94 games and tallied 17 home runs, which suggests that the 23-year-old could turn things around rather quickly. While Manzardo looks to get out of this slump, he is still considered one of the top first-base prospects in the sport and should make his way to the majors later this summer. The Guardians have a logjam with
Josh Naylor at first base, so his major league debut may be delayed. Nonetheless, Manzardo is a must-roster player in dynasty leagues and is worth stashing in keeper formats, if not already.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter is off to a slow start to begin his 2024 campaign. The top overall prospect in the Cleveland pipeline is hitting a disappointing .118/.318/.176 across his first five games. He has only tallied two hits, and only one of them went for extra bases. DeLauter was in contention to make the Opening Day Roster but fell just short. If the 22-year-old can begin to perform well, he could receive a late-season promotion. The former first-round pick remains a top stash in dynasty leagues and deeper keeper formats but should not be considered in redraft formats for now.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles catcher prospect
Samuel Basallo is picking up right where he left off in Double-A. Basallo has tallied six hits across his first five games with one double and two RBI. Last season, Basallo knocked seven hits in four games with one double and one triple in his small taste of Double-A. Basallo is ranked as the second overall catching prospect in baseball and the number two overall prospect in the Baltimore pipeline, according to MLB Pipeline. If Basallo continues to succeed at Double-A, he should be promoted to Triple-A rather quickly and could even make a case for a late-season call-up to join the Orioles in their playoff push. Basallo remains a coveted player in dynasty formats but could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and keeper leagues if he is promoted to Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) was pulled from Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning. He left Friday's game with lower back discomfort. He went 1-for-1 with a single before being replaced in the bottom of the second inning. The 32-year-old has dealt with back issues in the past, and it's unclear how severe the latest injury is for Yelich. He is considered day-to-day. Yelich has been swinging a hot bat during the young season, hitting .316/.409/.737 with five home runs and two swiped bags. If Yelich were to miss time,
Blake Perkins could be a candidate to handle left field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Curt Hogg
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Joc Pederson (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This appears to be a routine rest day for Pederson against a left-handed starting pitcher. The D-Backs will play matchups here and go with
Blaze Alexander at designated hitter versus
Steven Matz. There's not a ton of value here with Alexander, so most fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option. The expectation is that Pederson should return to the lineup following this game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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