5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect
Nick Nastrini threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Thursday and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. Nastrini made his major-league debut earlier in April but logged only two starts before being sent down. Since then, the 24-year-old has been pitching very well with Triple-A and could be back up with the major-league team very soon. In May, he has a 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP through 12 2/3 innings. The White Sox do not have strong options in their rotation after
Garrett Crochet and
Erick Fedde, which makes Nastrini a worthy stash in deeper AL-only formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers third base prospect
Eric Bitonti posted his first career multi-hit game and launched his first professional home run on Thursday. The 18-year-old went 3-5 at the plate with one long ball and two singles. Through four games at the Arizona Complex League, the former third-round selection has a .222/.263/.389 line. MLB Pipeline ranks Bitonti as the 13th overall prospect in the Milwaukee system. Bitonti is still several seasons away from a major league debut; however, he could become a name to monitor in deeper dynasty leagues down the road if he can reach Single-A before the end of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies outfield prospect
Zac Veen went 4-for-5 at the plate and launched his fifth long ball of the season, and second in as many days, on Thursday. He also swiped his eighth bag of the season. Overall, Veen has a .342/.441/.633 slash line through 23 games at Double-A this season. Veen has been in Double-A for the past three seasons but has finally been able to turn things around. In 2022, he posted a .177/.262/.234 line, and last season, he had a slightly improved .209/.303/.308 line. The former ninth overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft should be promoted to Triple-A fairly soon, which can potentially set him up for a late-season major-league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitching prospect
Caden Dana threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out five en route to his second victory of the season on Thursday. Dana allowed just four hits and one free pass. This outing brings the 20-year-old to a dominant 1.69 ERA and 0.72 WHIP through 37 ⅓ innings in his first taste of Double-A. He has tallied 32 total strikeouts. After posting a modest 4.22 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 53 ⅓ innings at High-A last season, Dana looks to have found a second gear that has allowed him to succeed against stronger competition. The second-ranked prospect in the Angels system on MLB Pipeline is not projected to reach the majors until 2026, but seeing how well he is performing at Double-A, he could force his way to Triple-A by the end of the summer, which opens the door for a 2025 debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays first base prospect
Xavier Isaac launched two long balls in the nightcap of Thursday's doubleheader. Isaac tallied just one hit in the first game but hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the season in the second game to power Bowling Green to a victory. On the season, the 20-year-old has a .250/.346/.478 line with five swiped bags, 27 RBI through 25 games at High-A. The former first-round selection of the 2022 MLB Draft played in Single-A primarily but did see time at the end of the summer with High-A. With his strong start to the season, Isaac could very well be moved up to Double-A fairly soon. Dynasty managers should monitor Isaac for now, as he is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2026.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks closer
Paul Sewald notched his first save of the season on Thursday, closing the door on the Cincinnati Reds in a 5-4 win. Sewald struck out a pair and didn't allow a baserunner in his inning of work. The 33-year-old veteran was making just his second appearance of the season after recovering from an oblique strain that put him out of action for all of April and the first week of May. After being used in a non-save situation in his first appearance on Tuesday, Sewald was put right back into the fire on Thursday and looked great, putting fantasy manager's worries at ease. He should continue to be the D-backs primary closer if he can stay healthy.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox relief pitcher
Michael Kopech picked up his fourth save of the season on Thursday, shutting down the Cleveland Guardians in a 3-2 win. Kopech got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. Although the White Sox aren't likely to get many save chances, it appears Kopech is the go-to guy when the opportunity arises. He now has four of the team's seven saves and has saves in back-to-back games as well. It might be time to consider picking him up in leagues where saves are sparse.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Erick Fedde had a solid outing against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, tossing six innings of shutout ball and earning the win in a 3-2 victory. Fedde allowed six hits while walking none and striking out three. Although the whiffs weren't there for the righty in this one, he was able to control his pitches much better than last outing, where he walked five. It was a step in the right direction for Fedde, but he will have to continue to have these strong performances to become a must-start fantasy option.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Brenton Doyle went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer on Thursday, helping the team pick up a 9-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Doyle added two runs scored and three RBI to round out his stat line. The 25-year-old got off to a hot start at the dish and was a popular waiver wire add in fantasy, but coming into this game since May 1, he was slashing a dismal .111/.143/.185 with just one extra-base hit. He still has solid season numbers, but he is much less appealing in fantasy outside of deeper leagues, especially since he has moved down in the Rockies lineup.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoKansas City Royals outfielder
Dairon Blanco showed up big on Thursday, leading his team to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Blanco went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI, a homer, and two stolen bases. It was a full stat line for Blanco, but unfortunately the 31-year-old hasn't done much to warrant being rostered in fantasy outside of this game. He will steal the occasional base, with 10 on the season, but he hardly starts games and is usually used as a late-game pinch-runner. He might see more at-bats now, but he shouldn't be rostered unless steals are at a premium.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in a 7-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich scored on a
Rhys Hoskins homer in the first inning and later tripled in
William Contreras. It was the lefty's second game back from a lower back strain that caused him to miss about a month of action and he looked much better in this game after an 0-for-5 in his first game back. Yelich and his fantasy owners are hoping he can pick right back up from where he was before his injury, as he was torching the ball with a .333/.407/.708 triple-slash line.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMLB teams are already calling the Oakland Athletics with trade interest in flamethrowing closer
Mason Miller, and naturally, the A's are asking for a ton in return. No team has come close to meeting the A's price, according to a team source, and
read more...
5 days agoThe Los Angeles Angels placed infielder
Brandon Drury (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left-hamstring strain. With infielder
Luis Rengifo (illness) also going on the 10-day IL and
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) out for the long term, the Angels infield depth has really been tested. The Halos acquired veteran infielder
Luis Guillorme from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, and he immediately got the start at second base while hitting eighth in his Angels debut. With both Rengifo and Drury now out, Guillorme,
Cole Tucker and
Ehire Adrianza could see decent playing time to warrant a look in AL-only leagues. In addition to his hamstring injury, Drury was hitting a terrible .173/.230/.240 with a homer, six RBI and nine runs scored in his first 104 at-bats this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Angels PR
5 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge walloped his ninth home run of the year in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the visiting Houston Astros, leaving the yard for the second time in as many days and the third time in the past four outings. Judge's gargantuan 473-foot blast to center field made it a one-run ballgame in the eighth inning, but the Yankees ultimately couldn't rally against All-Star closer
Josh Hader. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar's bat has certainly woken up following a slow start to the campaign, now batting .372 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored, and one stolen base over his last 12 games. Judge looks to keep his foot on the gas during a three-game set against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays beginning on Friday, but in 13 games against the Rays since 2023, he's hitting just .146 with two blasts and five RBI.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe Los Angeles Angels placed infielder
Luis Rengifo (illness) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, retroactive to May 6. Rengifo hasn't appeared since last Friday's win over the Cleveland Guardians due to a viral infection, and his absence leaves a considerable void in the Angels' infield. The versatile 27-year-old righty-hitter was slashing a strong .330/.378/.462 with two home runs, six doubles, 11 RBI, and a career-high nine stolen bases through just 91 at-bats (28 games) for the Halos in 2024. The club is hopeful it'll be a short stint for Rengifo. Veteran
Luis Guillorme was just acquired on Thursday and already made his way into Anaheim's patchwork lineup against the Kansas City Royals, but he carries little to no fantasy appeal despite an everyday role likely headed his way.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Angels Public Relations
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