6 days agoChicago Cubs lefthander
Shota Imanaga was excellent once again on Saturday afternoon, going seven innings while scattering four hits and a walk to go with seven strikeouts. He did not surrender a run. Imanaga did not factor into the decision but is 5-0 in eight starts with a .84 ERA, a .94 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 46 innings. Imanaga will start against the St. Louis Cardinals next Friday.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Cubs
6 days agoChicago Cubs third baseman
Christopher Morel walked the Pittsburgh Pirates off with a single to score
Cody Bellinger with the game's only run, sealing a 1-0 victory for the Cubs. Morel has found a home in the cleanup spot in the batting order, hitting .215 with nine home runs, 32 RBI, 22 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Morel has cut his strikeout rate from 31% in 2023 to a manageable 21.5% thus far in 2024. Look for the productive Morel to continue playing third base and batting in the four-spot for the 26-21 Chicago Cubs.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Cubs
6 days agoVeteran lefthander
Garrett Cleavinger earned his third save on Saturday, closing out the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-4 victory. Closer
Pete Fairbanks is back from the IL, but Cleavinger got the call to face the lefty portion of the Toronto lineup. He has been excellent for the Rays this year, going 3-0 with the aforementioned three saves, four holds, a 1.53 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP in 17 innings in 2024. Fairbanks should get the bulk of the save opportunities, but Cleavinger could vulture some when the Rays have to face lefties in the ninth, or when Fairbanks needs a night off.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Rays
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder
Jonny DeLuca hit a go-ahead home run Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays'
Nate Pearson. He also stole a base after getting the start in right field today. DeLuca is hitting .306 through 14 games with two home runs, 12 RBI, and three stolen bases. He has been productive in a small sample size despite a crowded outfield that also includes
Josh Lowe,
Jose Siri, and
Randy Arozarena. DeLuca may be a rosterable outfielder in deeper leagues at this time while he stays hot.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Rays
6 days agoVeteran ace
Kevin Gausman threw six strong innings on Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays. Gausman surrendered three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six, leaving with a 4-3 lead. However,
Nate Pearson gave up a two-run homer to outfielder
Jonny DeLuca to ruin the win for Gausman. Gausman remains at 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, with 43 strikeouts in 42 innings. He only went three innings in his last start, giving up six earned runs. He will make his next start this coming week at Detroit on Thursday.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: MLB news
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies right-hander
Taijuan Walker will throw a "light" bullpen session on Sunday. Walker injured his toe after being hit by a comebacker on Thursday night. Manager Rob Thomson sounded optimistic that Walker would make his next start. The team will see how Walker feels tomorrow after the bullpen session and make any further determinations from there. Walker is 3-0 with a 4.91 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched this season. Walker is currently scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. If he cannot make that start, look for veteran
Spencer Turnbull to make it.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Alex Coffey on X
6 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton crushed a solo shot and went 2-3 with two RBI and a walk in the Yankees 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon. The 382-foot shot was Stanton's 11th HR of the season. Stanton was lackluster, by his standards, during April but has heated up in May, hitting for an .871 OPS during the month with five HR. The slugger now has a HR in three of his last four games and is one of three Yankees who have hit 11 or more HR on the season (Judge, Soto, Stanton). The 34-year-old will look to continue his hot month on Sunday when he faces off against White Sox scheduled starter
Chris Flexen.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto had a monster day on Saturday in the Yankees' 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Soto blasted two home runs, both solo shots off White Sox starter
Brad Keller, and tallied three RBI in the midst of going 4-4 with a walk. The lefty's big day raised his OPS to a team high .975, just a couple ticks above teammate
Aaron Judge. After coming over in a trade from the San Diego Padres in the offseason, Soto is proving the trade package was worth the cost. The 25-year-old stated on Thursday that he would be open to contract talks with the Yankees during the season if they approached his agent Scott Boras. It would likely be a smart decision for the Yankees to do so. Soto will look to continue his MVP-caliber season on Sunday against scheduled White Sox starter
Chris Flexen.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Luis Gil struck out 14 batters in six innings and picked up the win in the Yankees 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. The 14 strikeouts are a career high for Gil, who had struck out 16 batters in his last three starts combined. After giving up just one earned run, the righty lowered his ERA to 2.39 on the season and improved his record to 5-1. Gil has been a pleasant surprise for the Yankees this season, giving the Yankees a much needed boost in their rotation with
Gerrit Cole being sidelined. Gil will look to continue his hot start with a great chance to rack up more strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners in his next scheduled start on Thursday.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Seth Lugo will look to notch his fifth straight quality start on Saturday when the leads the Royals at home against the Oakland A's. Lugo has been one of the bigger surprises this season, posting up a miniscule 1.66 ERA. In his last outing he struck out a career high 12 batters in eight innings against the Los Angeles Angels. Lugo may not be able to replicate that against the Oakland A's, though, as current A's batters have hit him for a .379 wOBA in 25 PA, though they are striking out against him at a 24% clip. Fantasy managers should keep Lugo in their lineups and DFS managers should look to target Lugo against the A's, who are hitting for just a .573 OPS over the last seven days.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
6 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher
Bailey Ober will look to notch back-to-back quality starts when he faces off with the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. This will be Ober's first start against the Guardians in 2024. In 2023 Ober faced Cleveland twice and notched two quality starts, holding them scoreless through 13 IP. Ober has held current Guardians to just a .244 wOBA with a .283 xwOBA in 37 PA. Fantasy managers should aim to have Ober in their lineups on Saturday and DFS managers may want to consider sneaking the 28-year-old into their lineup.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks designated hitter
Joc Pederson is back in Arizona's lineup on Saturday after being scratched yesterday. Pederson has generally been used as a platoon hitter and yesterday's late decision was likely due to the fact the Tigers were facing left-hander
Tarik Skubal. With right-hander
Jack Flaherty on the mound the matchup for Pederson is certainly more favorable. Fantasy managers will want to ensure the lefty slugger is in their lineup as Pederson has posted a .530 wOBA in 14 AB against Flaherty in his career. DFS managers should look to find a way to fit Pederson into their lineups as well.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers shortstop
Mookie Betts is getting the night off for Saturday's tilt against the Cincinnati Reds. This marks the first day off for Betts in the 2024 season.
Miguel Rojas will be starting at shortstop in Betts' place with
Gavin Lux starting at second.
Shohei Ohtani will move up one spot in the lineup and hit leadoff against Reds' starting pitcher
Graham Ashcraft. Betts has been playing phenomenally yet again this season and continues to be at the lead of the NL MVP race. Fantasy managers should not be concerned about Betts' absence today as this just appears to be a day of rest and comes after Betts mentioned how tough it is to play shortstop at a major league level. Expect the 31-year-old back in the lineup on Sunday against Reds starter
Hunter Greene.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has paused his throwing program and is not close to returning, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cobb has been placed on the 60-day injured list since April 20 and has been shut down numerous times in his recovery process. Manager Bob Melvin emphasized that the 36-year-old pitcher still feels discomfort in his shoulder. This is not a good sign, as Cobb could be activated from the injured list later this month. This timetable looks unrealistic, and his absence could extend close to the All-Star Break. Cobb made 28 starts last season and showed excellent command with a 5.7% walk rate and a stellar 57.8% ground-ball rate. Cobb should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues but is worth keeping on an injured reserve spot in NL-only formats if you have room.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Alex Pavlovic
6 days agoColorado Rockies backstop
Elias Diaz (hand) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday. The 33-year-old has been dealing with left-hand soreness and is now sitting in his third straight game. As a result,
Hunter Goodman will serve as the catcher for
Ty Blach and bat in the eight-hole. Goodman enters Saturday with a .095/.208/.381 slash line and two home runs through his first nine games of the season. The 24-year-old is best to fade in DFS as he will face southpaw
Kyle Harrison, who has posted a stellar 1.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 21:12 K:BB ratio in his previous four starts.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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