5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani (back) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani was removed from Saturday's game with back tightness and is likely getting the day off to recuperate. Ohtani has been unbelievable at the plate this season, slashing a robust .352/.423/.667 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 33 runs scored and nine steals. It does not seem to be a significant ailment for the 29-year-old superstar, so hopefully he is back in the lineup on Monday.
Will Smith will take over the DH duties against the Padres while
Austin Barnes starts behind the plate.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is the second game in a row that Mullins has missed, which is likely due to his middling performance at the plate. The veteran speedster is slashing a disappointing .192/.244/.367 with a 33:8 K:BB, but he does have six home runs, 18 RBI and six steals. Managers in deeper leagues can hang onto Mullins a little longer, but he enters droppable territory if playing time becomes a significant concern.
Colton Cowser is starting in centerfield and batting seventh with Mullins out. Cowser is also trying to bust a slump as he is batting .149 with no homers across his last 15 games.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitcher
Matthew Liberatore will start Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Liberatore is primarily used as a reliever, but he has started one other game this season. He went 3 2/3 innings in that outing against the Chicago White Sox, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. The 24-year-old was once a top pitching prospect in the Cardinals season and has a five-pitch mix. His leash may not be overly long in Monday's start, but he is an alright streaming option against a Trout-less Angels offense.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: John Denton
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado is getting his first day off of the season on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. In the first 39 games of the season, Arenado, much like the rest of St. Louis' lineup, has struggled with a career-low .703 OPS. The 33-year-old eight-time All-Star is slashing .270/.331/.372 with two home runs, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored in 166 plate appearances. In the first three games of the series against the Brewers, had one hit in 12 at-bats with three strikeouts. Fantasy managers will be hoping Arenado's first day off of the year can get him going.
Brendan Donovan is starting at third base on Sunday and is hitting seventh against Brewers right-hander
Bryse Wilson. Donovan is hitting .429 with two RBI in seven career at-bats against Wilson.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto (knee) is getting a breather on Sunday in the series finale against the Marlins in Miami after manager Rob Thomson said that Realmuto came to the ballpark and said his knee is a little banged up. Thomson said he's not worried but wanted to give the veteran starter a rest day. With Realmuto out,
Garrett Stubbs will do the catching and will hit ninth of the Phils against Marlins left-hander
Braxton Garrett. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Monday for the series opener against the New York Mets to see if Realmuto is back in there. Those setting DFS lineups should probably ignore Stubbs as a deep sleeper at the catcher position. He's gone 3-for-22 (.136) in 2024 with no home runs and one stolen base.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber (back) is not in the team's starting lineup on Mother's Day on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. Schwarber was pulled from Friday's win over the Marlins early with back soreness and was held out on Saturday. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger said he's hoping to return on either Monday or Tuesday against the New York Mets, so it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Still, fantasy managers won't have him available for the series finale in Miami on Sunday.
Bryce Harper is the DH and will hit third on Sunday, with
Alec Bohm starting at first and batting second against Marlins left-hander
Braxton Garrett.
Whit Merrifield is at the hot corner and is serving as the Phils' leadoff hitter. Schwarber continues to hit for a low average (.217) while providing high-end pop for his fantasy managers when he's in the lineup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros second baseman
Jose Altuve is getting the day off on Mother's Day on Sunday in Detroit against the Tigers. With Altuve on the bench,
Mauricio Dubon will start at second base and hit ninth in the batting order against Tigers right-hander
Jack Flaherty. This will be Altuve's first day off of the season. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star has been great this year so far with a .317/.379/.503 slash line with an .882 OPS, a league-leading 51 hits, seven home runs, 13 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored for the Astros in 39 games played. However, he's slowed down of late, going 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts in his last five games. Dubon is hitting .274 (23-for-84) on the year but with only one home run. The 29-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the nine-hole for Houston in a tough matchup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer (illness) is in right field and is hitting in his usual leadoff spot on Sunday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander
Bailey Ober. However,
Kevin Kiermaier (illness) will miss his third straight game. With Kiermaier still out,
Daulton Varsho is making yet another start in center field and will hit in the two-hole for Toronto. Springer will return to the lineup with a .206/.280/.298 slash line with three home runs, six RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 157 plate appearances over 36 games. The four-time All-Star and the rest of Toronto's offense will hope to get going on Sunday on Mother's Day in Toronto. In eight career at-bats against Ober, Springer is hitting .250.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe Chicago Cubs activated right-hander
Kyle Hendricks (back) from the 15-day injured list on Sunday and optioned pitcher
Jose Cuas to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Hendricks was originally expected to make one more minor-league rehab start on Sunday, but the Cubs have had a change of heart and will bring him back to close out the series against the Bucs with right-hander
Jameson Taillon (back) being pushed back this weekend. The 34-year-old gave up three runs while walking three and striking out 13 in two rehab outings for Iowa in 9 1/3 innings and he will now rejoin Chicago's starting rotation. It's a good matchup against Pittsburgh, but Hendricks hasn't been a very reliable fantasy streamer. He has started the year going 0-3 with a 12.00 ERA and 2.10 WHIP in 21 innings pitched in the majors.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
5 days agoChicago Cubs third baseman
Christopher Morel (knee) is back at third base and is batting cleanup for the Cubbies on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and left-hander
Bailey Falter. Morell was forced to leave Saturday's contest early in the fifth inning with right-knee soreness after sliding into second base on a stolen-base attempt. It was clearly nothing serious, though, so fantasy managers can get the 24-year-old back into their starting lineups for a good matchup against Falter. Morel is hitting just .220 (31-for-141) on the year, but he also has eight home runs, 25 RBI, four stolen bases and 21 runs scored in the middle of Chicago's batting order. He's hit .250 (6-for-24) with two of his home runs against left-handed pitching.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe Boston Red Sox reinstated right-hander
Brayan Bello (lat) from the 15-day injured list on Sunday and optioned right-hander
Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester after Saturday's game in a corresponding move. Bello will return to the mound on Mother's Day to start on Sunday versus the visiting Washington Nationals. The 24-year-old was initially put on the injured list on April 24 with right-lat tightness. In his lone minor-league rehab start for Double-A Portland on Tuesday, Bello gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out five in just 2 2/3 innings. Bello went 3-1 with a solid 3.04 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in his five starts before going on the shelf and he'll have a good matchup against the Nationals, but the fact he only went 2 2/3 frames in his lone rehab start probably makes him a low-upside fantasy play in his first start back on Sunday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Red Sox
5 days agoColorado Rockies third baseman
Ryan McMahon went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Rangers. While all four hits were singles, the 29-year-old is having a fine season so far, slashing .303/.391/.462 with five home runs, 21 RBI, and 16 runs scored. The former second-round MLB draft pick has a strong 14.1% Barrel% and is walking at a good rate (12.9%). A .419 BABIP is unsustainable and suggests his batting average will see a decline, but a solid season like he's seen the prior three years with 20-plus home runs and a .250-.260 range for batting average looks likely again.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder
Kevin Pillar went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Royals. It was the 35-year-old's second three-hit game in his last four, so perhaps things are looking up for the veteran in what has been an otherwise forgetful beginning to the season. Through May 5, Pillar was batting .161 but this four-game stretch has raised his season average to .261 as he's logged just 12 starts in 2024 and has come in as a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner, or defensive replacement 12 times. The recent outburst is nice to see for Pillar, but you're still staying away for fantasy unless he can get more regular at-bats.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
James Paxton pitched six innings of shutout ball in Saturday's 5-0 victory over the Padres, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out four on the way to earning his fifth win of the season. The veteran has an impressive 2.58 ERA on the season and a low HR/FB% of 6.3%, but the 1.41 WHIP and -1.2% K-BB% are a bit concerning. A high 86.3% LOB% with such a low strikeout rate and a FIP of 4.91 indicate things could fall apart quickly for the southpaw. Nevertheless, if he can continue to walk the tightrope, the Dodgers should continue to provide enough run support for the 35-year-old to collect some additional wins.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoOakland Athletics designated hitter
Brent Rooker went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Mariners, extending his hitting streak to five games. It was his fifth multi-hit performance in his last eight games. Rooker is scorching in May, going 15-for-34 (.441) with three doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, and a 6:7 BB:K. The 29-year-old's .284 average may not stick, but coming off a 30-homer campaign in 2023 and with a 17.2% Barrel% in 2024, he looks to be well on his way to 30 again.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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