5 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Adam Duvall launched a two-run blast on Monday, his second in as many days. Through 34 games this season, the 35-year-old has posted a .209/.303/.407 line with five long balls and a 10:22 BB:K ratio. Duvall has not been able to find consistent playing time this season, but that will change due to the recent season-ending injury to
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee). He is now expected to slot in as the everyday right fielder in Atlanta, with
J.P. Martinez serving as his backup. While Duval does have strong hitting metrics, such as an excellent 13.8% barrel rate and .499 xSLG, he holds a 22.2% K Rate, which does hurt his value in points leagues. Due to the increase in playing time and power upside, he is worth adding in deeper leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Jose Miranda went 1-for-4 at the plate with a two-run shot to power the Twins to a victory. Miranda has now made 10 consecutive starts at the hot corner and looks to have claimed the starting role. In his past 10 games, he has posted a strong .303/.324/.606 slash line with three long balls, five RBI, and a 1:4 BB:K. Currently, Miranda holds a stellar 14.8% strikeout rate, which should play well in points leagues. This is a big turnaround for the 25-year-old, as he struggled in the majors last season and finished with a poor .211/.263/.303 line and ended up spending half of the season in Triple-A. Miranda is worth adding in AL-only formats and deeper mixed leagues and could even be worth adding in standard formats if he continues this hot stretch.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds corner infielder
Jeimer Candelario had a successful return to the lineup in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals. The 30-year-old went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk. Candelario got things going, pulling a first-inning
Lance Lynn fastball over the right-field wall for his sixth HR of the season. Despite the move to a favorable home park, Candelario has struggled offensively, slashing .222/.299/.419 with 20 RBI in 187 plate appearances. He has hit for more power at home but has actually batted worse with a .202/.333/.440 slash line compared to a .241/.259/.398 slash line on the road. While it seems likely that Candelario's overall numbers will improve as he starts to hit better at home, fantasy managers will have to be patient until he can start producing more consistently.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Nick Lodolo (groin) improved to 4-2 in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals. Lodolo, who was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from a groin strain, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits (including a solo home run) and no walks with three strikeouts over 81 pitches. This was very encouraging for the 26-year-old and fantasy managers, as Lodolo has pitched well this season with a 3.12 ERA and a 10.26 K/9 rate in seven starts and 40 1/3 IP. The former high-end fantasy prospect had a poor, injury-shortened 2023 season after a promising rookie season, so it is nice to see him back on the right track. Lodolo will look to keep things going in his next start, which is projected to be a decent matchup at the Cubs.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Lance Lynn turned in another nice start but took the loss in Monday's 3-1 game against the Reds. Lynn pitched six innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits (including a solo home run) and three walks with five strikeouts. The 37-year-old veteran has had a nice bounce-back season after a poor 2023, going 2-3 with a 3.45 ERA, an 8.32 K/9 rate, a 3.61 BB/9 rate, and a 1.10 HR/9 rate in 10 starts and 51 1/3 IP. His next matchup will be a tough one at the Phillies. While Lynn has pitched better this season, fantasy managers may want to avoid starting him later in the week if they can afford to.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt added another long ball to his recent total in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Reds. Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout. He provided his team's entire offense, sending a first-inning
Nick Lodolo fastball into the left-field seats. The 36-year-old has been cold at the plate overall this season but now has three HR in his last two games and is hitting .276 with six extra-base hits in his last seven games. Age is a concern for Goldschmidt, but hopefully, he can extend his hot streak and start performing closer to the high-end fantasy option he has been throughout his career.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Lucas Sims picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals. Sims came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. Closer
Alexis Diaz had pitched the last two days, so Sims got the call to close things out. The 30-year-old has had a middling season, going 1-1 with seven holds as well as a 4.15 ERA, a 9.87 K/9 rate, and a 5.19 BB/9 rate in 17 1/3 IP. He has only seen two save opportunities all season, so his fantasy value is very low except in deeper saves-plus-holds leagues at this time.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher prospect
Carson Whisenhunt fanned seven batters in five innings for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. The lefty allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking just one, although he also hit two batters. The strikeouts have been there this season for the former second-round draft pick, with 62 punchouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched, but the southpaw owns a 6.02 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over 11 starts. Hopefully this is the start of something good for the Giants' top pitching prospect who still might see the big leagues this season, and with the big strikeout potential fantasy managers should continue to keep him on the radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer had a nice game at the plate in Monday's 5-1 win over the White Sox. The 34-year-old went 2-for-3 with a single, a two-run home run, and a walk. Springer crushed a second-inning
Nick Nastrini fastball into the left-center seats for his fourth HR of the season. Springer has seven stolen bases but has been dreadful offensively otherwise, slashing just .196/.274/.296 with 11 RBI in 201 plate appearances. He has been a solid fantasy option throughout his career and still can produce power and speed, making him a worthwhile roto player. However, fantasy managers in shallower points leagues may be able to find more impactful players to pick up.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette made his one hit count in Monday's 5-1 win over the White Sox, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout. Bichette drilled a fourth-inning
Nick Nastrini fastball over the center-field wall for his fourth HR of the season. The 26-year-old has had an uncharacteristically underwhelming season with the bat so far, slashing just .247/.297/.366 with 23 RBI. The good news is that he is running more overall and has picked things up in May with an improved .291/.330/.442 slash line. The Blue Jays have started slowly as a team offensively, but it looks like Bichette has started to turn the corner.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoWashington Nationals infield prospect
Trey Lipscomb has continued to hit since he was optioned back to the minors on May 17, including a four-hit game for Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and going 9-for-28 (.321) with a pair of stolen bases over the last seven games. On the season, the 23-year-old is hitting .327 in the minors (13 games), but while with the big league club he was able to swipe 10 bags and score 16 runs in 33 games despite a mediocre .252 average. If he can continue to get on base and get the call again, the former third-round draft pick could be a sneaky source of steals for managers in need, so keep him on your season-long radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani (elbow) said Monday that he has progressed to throwing from 60 feet. The two-way superstar is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched since 2023. He said his sessions have been 60 to 70 throws at up to 80 mph. He and the Dodgers are hoping he can return to the mound in 2025. Ohtani has still been a top fantasy player without pitching, as he has slashed an impressive .336/.403/.621 with 13 home runs, 35 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 239 plate appearances. He has a way to go before providing fantasy value as a pitcher again (in 2025), but Ohtani should continue to be one of fantasy's best hitters.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio - MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants first base prospect
Trenton Brooks had a big day at the plate on Sunday, going 4-for-5 with a triple, a walk, two RBI, and a run scored for Triple-A Sacramento. The hits extended his hit streak to eight games and he's hit safely in 10 of his last 11. During the hit streak, the 28-year-old is hitting .484 (15-for-31) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and a 9:6 BB:K. Despite being 28, the left-handed hitter has yet to make his MLB debut, but the offensive surge couldn't come at a better time as
LaMonte Wade Jr. appears headed to the IL and this could be an opportunity to call up Brooks. On the season, the left-handed hitter is slashing .308/.426/.462 with a wOBA of .403, 129 wRC+, and is walking more than he's striking out (31:27). Keep an eye out to see if the Giants finally give him the call.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoThe Miami Marlins have promoted pitching prospect
Noble Meyer to High-A Beloit. The 2023 first-round draft pick posted a 2.65 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP with a 43:23 K:BB over 34 innings pitched so far this season. The 19-year-old is already ranked as the Marlins top prospect and 45th overall in all of baseball. The righty is not expected to reach the majors for a couple years, but should already be on dynasty league managers' radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB Central - Chase Ford
5 days agoThe Boston Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect
Zach Penrod to Triple-A Worcester. The lefty was just recently named Eastern League Double-A Pitcher of the Week after posting back-to-back 10-strikeout performances. Although he allowed four runs in his last start, Penrod nearly made it three straight starts with 10 strikeouts, striking out nine batters over five-and-a-third innings pitched. On the season the 26-year-old has a 2.80 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 53:13 K:BB in 35 1/3 IP.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Alex Speier - Boston Globe Sports
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