5 days agoTo make room on the roster for infielder
Luis Guillorme on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels transferred third baseman
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list. It means that Rendon won't be eligible to come off the IL until June 21. The 33-year-old oft-injured veteran is on the shelf yet again with the Halos after suffering a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring almost three weeks ago. We'll know more about a specific timetable for Rendon's potential return in another few weeks, but he's unlikely to be ready to come back when he's eligible to come off the IL on June 21.
Luis Rengifo,
Brandon Drury,
Ehire Adrianza and
Cole Tucker have all been options at third base for the Angels since Rendon's injury, and now Guillorme could get his shot after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks left-hander
Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) got good news from his MRI exam on Wednesday. His tests showed healing, and it appears that he's close to starting a throwing program, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Rodriguez is probably still a month or so away from a potential return, though. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw was shut down in mid-April with left-shoulder tightness and has yet to make his 2024 debut with the Diamondbacks at this point. E-Rod is making some progress, but he still has a ways to go and can be left to the waiver wire in standard 12-team fantasy leagues for the time being. He had a career-best 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his final season with the Detroit Tigers last year, but the underlying numbers show that Rodriguez was a bit fortunate. Along with his injury concerns, Rodriguez is a streamer, at best, in deep-mixed leagues when he returns.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
5 days agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
James Wood is currently slashing a ridiculous .339/.444/.529 with a .973 OPS, 11 doubles, 14 RBI, 23 walks, 30 strikeouts, eight stolen bases and four home runs with Triple-A Rochester. The club's No. 2 prospect and No. 12 in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, hit two of his four homers on Wednesday. It's looking like Wood has nothing left to prove in the minors, but Washington has a plan for him and they plan on sticking to it. Despite his electric start this year, the Nats have more boxes for the 21-year-old to check before he makes his big-league debut. "He needs to get a bunch of at-bats," Martinez said. "He needs to learn some different things." The team's active 26-man roster is in a bit of a crunch at the major-league level right now, too. Wood is going to get his chance eventually this year, though, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues if you have the room.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) has resumed throwing from flat ground at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., and it could be a couple more weeks until he's back throwing off a mound. It's good news for the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. However, fantasy managers that are stashing Tiedemann in single-year leagues may never get to use him in 2024. There's no timeline for the 21-year-old left-hander's return to game action in the minors, and given the fact that he also dealt with an arm issue in 2023, Toronto certainly is going to slow-play their best pitching prospect. Before his elbow injury, Tiedemann was struggling to the tune of a 5.63 ERA with nine walks and 10 strikeouts in his three starts for Triple-A Buffalo.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
5 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton hit his eighth home run of the season in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Astros, the second straight game with a home run for the slugger. The solo blast traveled 447 feet off of Astros starter
Spencer Arrighetti but was Stanton's only hit in the game, finishing 1-for-4. This season has been a bit of a mixed bag as evidenced by his last 15 games, where he's hit safely in 12 of the 15, but with a batting average of just .228 during that stretch. He's got the same exact BA on the season (.228) along with 20 RBI and 18 runs scored, but an ugly 10:45 BB:K. The BA so far is actually an improvement over the last two seasons, but managers who drafted him did so for the power production, which has not been disappointing to this point.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoTexas Rangers first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe went 2-for-4 with two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-11 victory over the Athletics in Game 2 of their doubleheader. Lowe now has a six-game hit streak going, during which time he is 11-for-25 (.440) with three doubles, eight RBI, five runs scored, and a 6:5 BB:K. It appears he's fully recovered after missing the first couple weeks of the season with an oblique injury. The 28-year-old gets a mouthwatering matchup in his next game on Friday in Colorado against LHP
Austin Gomber, whom he is 4-for-7 off of lifetime, including a double and a home run.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoAtlanta Braves shortstop
Orlando Arcia homered and doubled, both off
Nick Pivetta, in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Red Sox. The home run was Arcia's third of the year while the double was his eleventh which tied him for fourth-most in baseball and just three behind the leader (
Shohei Ohtani, 14). Arcia got off to a hot start, hitting .309 through April 27, but has since cooled off, going 5-for-32 (.156) over his last nine games. The 29-year-old is hitting .270 on the season with 13 RBI and 14 runs scored, but due to his ultra-low walk rate (3.0%), his OBP is just .291. Hopefully the two-hit day is the beginning of another hot streak for the 2023 All-Star.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish threw five innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's 7-6 12-inning victory over the Nationals, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out nine, but did not factor into the decision. Bradish has now had two solid outings since coming off the IL, now boasting a 1.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 4:14 BB:K over nine-and-two-thirds IP. Fantasy managers who stashed him in an IL spot for the first month of the season should feel confident using him again, if they hadn't already, although his innings may be somewhat limited as he returns to full strength. The former fourth-round MLB draft pick's next start lines up next Tuesday at home against Toronto.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher
Chris Paddack struck out 10 batters in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mariners, picking up his fourth win of the season. It wasn't all smooth sailing, however, as he also allowed eight hits and one walk in just five-and-a-third innings pitched. The outing marked the fourth straight start in which the righty has picked up a victory and it was the second time this season he's struck out 10 batters. It seems he's walking a tightrope, though, as the 28-year-old has given up 48 hits and eight walks in 37 1/3 innings (1.50 WHIP), along with six home runs (1.45 HR/9, 14.0% HR/FB%) through seven starts, so use him in season-long fantasy at your own risk. The former eighth-round draft pick can be useful in DFS depending on the matchup, however, as exhibited Wednesday. His next start lines up with the Yankees at home next Tuesday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Chris Flexen threw six innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Rays. Flexen allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out eight. The 29-year-old's previous high-water mark for strikeouts this season was four. The win brings his record to 2-3 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Over his last five appearances (three starts), Flexen has pitched well, posting a 1.61 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 7:18 BB:K over 22 1/3 IP. While that is commendable, you likely aren't trusting him for fantasy with a career ERA of 4.90 and 1.47 while pitching for the second-worst team in baseball.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoAtlanta Braves designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna halted a mini slump with two more home runs in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox, adding a walk in the shutout victory. Entering the day just 4-for-28 with one homer over his last eight outings, Ozuna got right back to his dominant ways first with a three-run jack in the first inning and later with a solo shot in the third frame. Over 144 trips to the dish (34 games), the 33-year-old star slugger is slashing a phenomenal .315/.396/.646 with 12 round-trippers, six doubles, an MLB-leading 38 RBI, and 23 runs scored and should continue piling up counting stats as the everyday No. 5 hitter in Atlanta's loaded lineup. A three-game weekend series with the division-rival New York Mets commences on Friday, which fantasy managers should be looking forward to. In 13 games against the Mets since 2023, Ozuna is batting a torrid .396 with six long balls, seven doubles, and 18 RBI.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon turned in a quality start in Wednesday's 9-4 victory over the visiting Houston Astros, tossing 6 1/3 two-run innings on seven hits (one home run) with seven strikeouts on the way to his third win of the season. Rodon got plenty of run support on Wednesday, and it was a strong bounce-back performance after he gave up six earned runs in his last start against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star holds a steady 3.56 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 43:14 K:BB across 43 innings (eight starts) for the Yankees this season, a major upgrade thus far over his disastrous debut season in the Bronx a year ago. Tuesday's stiff matchup against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field marks Rodon's next scheduled appearance, so fantasy managers may want to tread lightly for that one. Over their last 16 contests, the Twins are scoring 6.3 runs per game.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Jordan Montgomery fired seven strong innings in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, surrendering just two runs on seven hits and two walks with two punchouts in his second win of the season. It was arguably Montgomery's best start as a D-back to this point, though his first start back on April 19 may have been just as impressive. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw will still want to improve on his disappointing 4.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 10:6 K:BB over 23 frames (four starts) for Arizona when he takes the ball in his next scheduled appearance at home in a soft matchup against these same Reds on Monday. Cincinnati is now batting .209 as a team through 36 games, which is the worst mark in all of baseball.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale produced his first double-digit strikeout effort of the season in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox, throwing six scoreless innings on six hits and one walk en route to his fifth win of the year. Staked to an early four-run lead, Sale cruised through his former club with relative ease on Wednesday. After giving up five runs to the last-place Miami Marlins back on April 19, the 35-year-old seven-time All-Star has gone 4-0 with a pristine 1.50 ERA and 32:3 K:BB over his past four starts (23 innings) for the Braves. Up next, Sale sets up for a manageable home start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Over their last 12 outings, the Cubs are scoring just 2.8 runs per game.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoKansas City Royals closer
James McArthur tallied his eighth save of the season in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, recording the final two outs of the contest. It was veteran
Tyler Duffey who was called upon to protect a four-run lead in the ninth inning on Wednesday, but it became a save situation for McArthur after Duffey coughed up two runs. McArthur put out the fire via two groundouts. The big 27-year-old right-hander badly needed a bounce-back outing after giving up four runs with two blown saves over his past three innings, still carrying a mediocre 4.15 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while fanning 18 and walking only three across 17 1/3 frames on the campaign. McArthur remains the favorite for saves out of KC's bullpen, and he should be rostered in most competitive fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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