6 days agoChicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous six games with a hamstring injury and made an immediate impact versus the Atlanta Braves. Despite only having one hit in five at-bats, it was a huge one in the bottom of the 10th inning to walk it off for the Cubbies with a RBI single. Hoerner is a strong middle infield option with ability to help across the board with a .267 batting average accompanied by two homers, 13 RBI and five stolen bases. He will look to keep things going in Game 2 of Chicago's series versus the Atlanta Braves and Max Fried on Wednesday.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz had a big night in Tuesday's victory versus the San Francisco Giants. Cruz went 3-for-5 on the evening with two doubles, one single and a RBI. The 6'7 shortstop brought plenty of thunder with the bat as his three hits were recorded at 121.5 mph, 120.4 mph, and 116.3 mph. Cruz has been hitting the ball hard this season, but has been up and down in the production department. Overall, Cruz has hit .260 with seven homers, 19 RBI and four stolen bases. Cruz has the ability to help across the board and Tuesday's showing is a perfect example of that, he just needs to be more consistent. Regardless, he remains a starting shortstop in most formats moving forward.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb posted his eighth quality start of the season in a no-decision versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The right-hander tossed six frames and allowed six hits, two runs and one walk with six strikeouts. With the strong outing, Webb now has a solid 3.03 ERA. Webb opened the month of May with a hiccup when he allowed five runs (four earned) versus the Philadelphia Phillies, be he has bounced back with four earned runs allowed over his past four starts. As one of the more consistent pitchers in the sport, Webb is worth starting in all matchups moving forward. Next up for the right-hander will be a date with the New York Mets on Sunday.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoKansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. continued his strong season with a big performance in Tuesday's victory against the division-rival Detroit Tigers. Witt went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two homers and six RBI. He also stole his 16th base of the season in the contest. His first home run was a big three-run blast in the bottom of the second inning, and he then followed that up with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning for good measure. The superstar shortstop now has a mini five-game hitting streak going and continues to be one of the top fantasy producers across the board. For the season, Witt is hitting .304 with seven homers and 31 RBI.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (3-3) hurled seven shutout innings, picking up the win, collecting six strikeouts, and allowing three hits and two walks in a 10-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. The seven scoreless innings lowered the right-hander's ERA to 3.15 on the season, giving him five quality starts in his last six outings. Ryan looks like he's breaking out in his age-27 season with career-best 3.15 ERA and 0.98 WHIP totals on the season thus far. He will look to sustain his early season success on Monday against the Kansas City Royals, whom Ryan last faced on Opening Day, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings pitched.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a ground-out, had a runner reach on a throwing error and allowed a single, and ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts. The 29-year-old has pitched well overall this season, converting all of his save opportunities with a 3.54 ERA, an 8.85 K/9 rate, and a 3.10 BB/9 rate in 22 appearances. However, Jeff Hoffman, who pitched in the eighth inning of this game, has also pitched well and has converted three of six save opportunities. Alvarado appears to have more fantasy value of the two, but his overall value may remain in the mid-tier if Hoffman continues to see somewhat frequent save chances.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez continued his outstanding season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. Suarez pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has now won every start except for his first of the season and is 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA, a 9.27 K/9 rate, and a 1.64 BB/9 rate in 66 IP. His performance is reminiscent of when he first came onto the fantasy scene in 2021 after slotting into the Phillies rotation. Suarez may not finish the season with such an elite ERA, but he is still a top fantasy contributor. He will be on the road at the Rockies in his next start, but he has simply been too good to bench, even in Coors Field.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners utilityman Dylan Moore continued his solid month of May in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Yankees. Moore went 3-for-4 with a single, a solo home run, a two-run HR, and four RBI. Known mostly for his multi-position eligibility and speed, the 31-year-old has proven himself to be even more versatile in May, batting .293 with five HR and a stolen base. He bats in the bottom of the Mariners lineup but is rostered in just five percent of leagues and can slot into several positions, making him worth a look in deeper roto leagues for fantasy managers in search of a hot bat.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz continued his strong season in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Yankees, picking up his 10th save of the season. Munoz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first two outs on ground-outs, allowed a single and a walk, and ended the game with a strikeout. The 25-year-old has been handed the closing reins full-time in 2024 and has not disappointed, converting all but one save opportunity with a 1.69 ERA and a 12.23 K/9 rate. The Mariners have played well this season, generating plenty of opportunities for Munoz to provide fantasy value. He should continue to be a higher-end fantasy option.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres continued his short-term offensive upswing in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Mariners. Torres went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout. The 27-year-old has been a fantasy disappointment on the season, slashing just .223/.301/.310 with three HR, 14 RBI, and four stolen bases in 207 plate appearances. However, he has shown some signs of life lately, batting .280 with four extra-base hits in his last seven games. Fantasy managers will want to see more of this before getting excited about him again, but his career track record and strong surrounding lineup are too good to give up on this early in the season.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo continued his streak of encouraging starts in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Yankees. Woo pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. The 24-year-old has now made three starts since returning from the injured list and is 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA, an 8.62 K/9 rate, and a 1.15 BB/9 rate in 15 2/3 IP. He has built up the length of his outings in each of his three starts, and it was nice to see him turn in his best performance yet against his toughest opponent. Woo showed fantasy promise in all formats last season and is following that up. He will have a good chance to continue rolling in his next projected start at the Nationals.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is expected to be recalled from Double-A Somerset on Wednesday, per the Athletic's Chris Kirschner. Left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Tuesday's game in a corresponding move. Kahnle has been out with shoulder inflammation since last season but compiled a solid 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 29.1% strikeout rate with 14 holds in 40 2/3 innings pitched. Given his higher-leverage usage and strong team context, Jahnle will be worth a look in deeper saves-plus-holds leagues.Source: Chris Kirschner - X.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardian relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase continued his dominant campaign, earning the save in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the New York Mets. The 26-year-old allowed a hit over a scoreless inning, notching his 15th save of the season. His ERA now lies at 0.36, with a 0.59 WHIP on the season to accompany his league-leading 15 saves. This is everything a fantasy manager could hope for in a fantasy baseball closer who is one of the first relievers off draft boards. Relievers can be so volatile on a year-to-year basis, but with a career 1.84 ERA, Clase continues to show why he is arguably the best closer in the game. There's not much more to say about Clase except that you can expect to keep reaping the rewards of rostering the top fantasy closer in the game.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that lefty reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) has opted to undergo an elbow operation that will likely end his season. The 35-year-old, who was an anchor for the team's bullpen, was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21. Mendoza said it is unclear if Raley will undergo Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, which carries a shorter recovery timeline but would still likely leave Raley out for the rest of the 2024 season. Jake Diekman is currently the only lefty reliever in the Mets' bullpen, who has posted a respectable 3.86 ERA and 12.67 K/9 rate but has struggled with walks at a 7.71 BB/9 rate.Source: Anthony DiComo - MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos went 2-fo-4 Tuesday night while recording two hits, including a solo home run, and an additional run scored in a 7-6 loss against the Cleveland Guardians. The multi-hit game was his third in five games since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on May 15th. Vientos was promoted due to Joey Wendle being designated for assignment, and the rookie has been productive thus far. Unfortunately, he remains on the short side of a platoon with left-handed hitting Brett Baty and will need more at-bats to be worthy of a roster spot sometime soon. Fantasy managers need to keep an eye out. If more at-bats were to open up at third base or designated hitter, Vientos could be worth a roster spot but is mainly an option in deep-league formats. Source: MLB.com