5 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) told reporters that he will be heading to the injured list after suffering a knee injury during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The injury did not look great from the start as Acuna fell down in pain after faking an attempt to steal third base. There is still no word on the severity of the injury or a potential timeline to return, but it appears as though the former MVP will be sidelined for at least 10 days, if not longer. More information will surely continue to come out over the next day or two.
Adam Duvall figures to be the biggest beneficiary if Acuna remains shelved for an extended period.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Mark Bowman
5 days agoSeattle Mariners outfielder
Julio Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored during Sunday's 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals. He also stole two bases in the breakout performance. The 23-year-old was a fantasy darling last season but struggled mightily at the plate to start 2024. He has performed better as of late and today's production is hopefully a sign of things to come. Rodriguez is now slashing .260/.306/.340 with four homers, 19 RBI, 22 runs scored and 11 stolen bases through 54 games. He still possesses immense upside even with the inconsistent output.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starter
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four runs on six hits across five innings of work during Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out eight batters while walking two. Yamamoto needed 100 pitches to get through five innings in this one as he was not at his best. The 25-year-old now owns a 5-2 record to go along with a 3.51 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 69:13 K:BB during his first season in the majors. His upside remains immense even though he has had the occasional rocky outing. He projects to have a dream matchup against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in his next appearance.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers starter
Casey Mize allowed three runs on eight hits across 4 1/3 innings of work during Sunday's 14-11 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He walked two batters and did not record a strikeout. Mize has had a rocky May as he owns a 6.56 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 16:6 K:BB across five starts this month. The poor stretch of play may ultimately cost the 27-year-old his rotation spot as right-hander
Matt Manning has seen increased playing time as of late. Mize has certainly not lived up to the hype after being selected first overall in the 2018 draft. He is best left on the waiver wire at this point.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Matt Vierling was 4-for-6 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored during Sunday's 14-11 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old smashed a
Zach Pop offering to left field in the sixth inning to put the Tigers up 9-5. He then gave his team the victory with a monster three-run blast off of
Jordan Romano in the bottom of the ninth. Vierling is now slashing .278/.311/.464 with five homers, 23 RBI and 19 runs scored across 47 games. He has not been an everyday player this season, but his playing time should increase after a performance like this. He may be a worthwhile option for managers in AL-only formats if he continues to leadoff with consistency.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Jose Urquidy (forearm) will be re-evaluated by team physicians on Tuesday. Urquidy was removed from his rehab start early on Friday due to forearm discomfort. The 29-year-old appeared to be very close to re-joining the Astros starting rotation, but that is now in serious doubt. Urquidy has struggled with injuries for the better part of two seasons as he only managed to make 10 starts in 2023 and has yet to appear in the majors in 2024. More information about the extent of the injury will be available after Tuesday's evaluation.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 4-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored during Sunday's wild 14-11 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The 25-year-old has come alive in recent weeks after a quiet start to the season as he is batting .439 with a 9:8 BB:K over his past 15 games. Overall, Guerrero Jr. is slashing .302/.393/.427 with five home runs, 25 RBI, 24 runs scored and one stolen base across 52 games. An uptick in the power department would be nice for fantasy managers but at least the hits are starting to fall with frequency.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros first baseman
Jose Abreu will return to the team on Monday to kick off their series against the Seattle Mariners. Abreu had most recently been with Triple-A Sugar Land after the Astros optioned him to the minors due to his early-season struggles. The veteran slugger had produced a dismal .099/.156/.113 slash line with no home runs, three RBI and a 3:18 BB:K through 22 games in 2024. While he had some production in the Florida Complex League immediately after his demotion, he actually went hitless across his seven at-bats in Triple-A. Even with Abreu returning, there is no guarantee he gets regular playing time over
Jon Singleton. The former MVP is best left on the waiver wire at this point.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Matt Kawahara
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates left-hander
Martin Perez (groin) left Sunday's start against the Atlanta Braves after three innings due to a groin injury. He surrendered one run on four hits while giving up two walks and striking out two. The veteran left-hander is undergoing further testing as the extent of the injury is not known at this point. It is unclear whether he will be able to make his next scheduled start on June 2 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Perez has compiled a 4.71 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 46:19 K:BB across 11 starts this season and is nothing more than a streaming option when healthy.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
5 days agoSeattle Mariners second baseman
Jorge Polanco left Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced by
Josh Rojas who entered the game at third base while
Dylan Moore shifted to second. It is a worrying injury for the 30-year-old as he had just missed time with an injury on the same hamstring. He has also dealt with similar ailments over the course of his career. Polanco has struggled at the plate this season with an underwhelming .195/.293/.302 slash line. He has also produced five home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored and a stolen base through 46 games. Polanco is tough to justify rostering in the majority of formats with his injury frequency and limited production.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Mariners PR
5 days agoOakland Athletics outfielder
Brent Rooker is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Houston Astros. It appears to be a regular rest day for the hard-hitting 29-year-old. Rooker has enjoyed a nice season thus far for the Athletics as evidenced by his .286/.368/.565 slash line. He has also tallied 11 home runs, 34 RBI, 23 runs scored and two stolen bases across 41 games.
Kyle McCann will draw into the lineup in Rooker's absence and bat seventh against Astros right-hander
Ronel Blanco. McCann has shown some promise in limited at-bats this season with three homers and a .346 average across 21 games.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) left Sunday's game in the first inning with left knee soreness, which was confirmed by the Atlanta Braves. Acuna attempted to steal third base but had to make a hard pivot back to second base. As a result he fell down in pain in the infield. He was able to walk to the dugout on his power but had to take several pauses. Fantasy managers will have to wait until Sunday night when the team returns to Atlanta to undergo any further testing. Acuna was named the 2023 NL MVP in unanimous fashion as he posted a .337/.416/.596 line with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. If the 26-year-old were to miss any extended time,
Adam Duvall should be the favorite to see the majority of starts in right field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates catcher
Joey Bart (thumb) left Sunday's game with an apparent injury to his left thumb. As a result,
Yasmani Grandal entered the game as his replacement. Bart has performed quite well in his new home in the City of Bridges with a strong .267/.362/.517 line with four long balls and 12 RBI through 21 games. If Bart were to miss any long period of time with this injury, Grandal should be expected to receive the majority of starts behind the dish. Grandal has posted a .212/.226/.385 line with two home runs in his first 16 games as a Pirate and could be worth a look in NL-only formats if he has to serve as the primary backstop for an extended period of time.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
5 days agoSan Diego Padres catcher
Luis Campusano is not in Sunday's lineup as the Padres hope to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees. Campusano has started the first two games of the series and has gone 0-7 at the plate with two walks. As a result,
Kyle Higashioka will have an opportunity to get some revenge against his former team on Sunday. He enters this game holding a poor .140/.140/.256 line with just one home run and six total hits through 15 games. He is best to avoid in DFS as he will face
Clarke Schmidt, who has posted a stellar 0.92 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 4:20 BB:K ratio in his previous three starts.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padrers
5 days agoFree Agent starting pitcher
Brad Keller was signed by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, May 26.
Zack Kelly was optioned to Triple-A Worcester in the corresponding move. Keller opened the season with the Chicago White Sox primarily in a long relief role but did make two starts. Through his two starts, he posted a hefty 8.32 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. As a reliever, he looked much better as he tossed eight innings to the tune of a 1.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. The 28-year-old should be expected to be in a similar role in Boston, as the Red Sox rotation currently has five designated starters. Keller could be worth adding if he makes spot starts during the summer in AL-only formats in the right matchup but should usually be left on all waiver wires as his projected role will not provide him much fantasy value.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Pete Abraham
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