5 days agoHouston Astros first baseman
Jose Abreu was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday. He is back in the starting lineup at first base and batting eighth against the Seattle Mariners.
Joey Loperfido was optioned back to Triple-A as a corresponding move. Abreu was demoted to the minor leagues after a horrific start to the season that saw him slashing .099/.156/.113 through 22 games. The veteran slugger was also pretty dismal throughout the 2023 campaign, so a return to fantasy relevance seems unlikely at this point. Abreu will also have to battle
Jon Singleton, who is starting at DH tonight, for regular playing time. As for Loperfido, the team's sixth-ranked prospect performed well in limited at-bats. He remains a player of interest in dynasty formats, but him and Abreu are both non-factors in redraft leagues at this point.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
5 days agoSeattle Mariners infield prospect
Ryan Bliss was selected from Triple-A Tacoma and will make his MLB debut on Monday night against the Houston Astros. Bliss, the team's 11th-ranked prospect, is starting at second base and batting eighth against Astros left-hander
Framber Valdez. The 24-year-old will likely back up
Dylan Moore at second base with
Jorge Polanco (hamstring) shelved, but there is an outside chance he could see regular at-bats. Bliss was slashing .247/.382/.445 with seven homers, 35 RBI and 28 stolen bases at the time of his promotion. He has sneaky power and great speed, but he is not an immediate pickup in most formats as playing time and contact skills hamper the potential.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Mariners PR
5 days agoSeattle Mariners second baseman
Jorge Polanco (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on Monday evening. Polanco, who injured the same hamstring earlier in the season, exited Sunday's game with the ailment. Infielder
Ryan Bliss was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma as a corresponding move. Bliss figures to factor into the playing time battle at second base alongside
Dylan Moore. Polance was slashing a dismal .195/.293/.302 across 159 at-bats this season and is officially droppable if any fantasy managers were still holding onto him.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Mariners PR
5 days agoMiami Marlins starter
Edward Cabrera (shoulder) played catch from 60 feet on Monday as he continues to recover from his second shoulder injury of the season. The 26-year-old was shut down from throwing after a bullpen session on May 17, but he is starting to ramp things back up. Injuries have defined Cabrera's 2024 season so far as he has only been able to make five starts. He owns a 7.17 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB across those appearances. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can probably leave Cabrera on the waiver wire as there is still no timetable for his return. Hopefully the former top prospect can reach his full potential before it is too late.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Christina De Nicola
5 days agoHouston Astros starter
Cristian Javier (forearm) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm discomfort. Javier saw his velocity plummet in his most recent start and missed his scheduled bullpen session on Sunday morning. It has been a frustrating season for a number of Astros pitchers and Javier is no exception. He previously missed 18 days on the injured list back in April with neck discomfort. The 27-year-old was fantastic to start the 2024 season but surrendered 11 runs across 11 1/3 innings after returning from his previous ailment. It remains to be seen how much time Javier will miss, although the team does not seem to think the injury is overly significant.
Hunter Brown will start Tuesday's game in place of Javier and
Eric Lauer could come back to the big leagues if the Astros want to stick with a six-man rotation.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Kyle Stowers was 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and a run scored during Monday's 11-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. It was the first multi-hit effort of the season for Stowers, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk a few weeks ago. The 26-year-old has fared well across his first nine games of MLB action this season as he is now 6-for-16 (.375 BA) with five RBI. The small sample size is probably doing some heavy lifting here however, as Stowers was batting .207 across 48 games at the major league level coming into the season. There is a path to fantasy viability if he continues to get steady playing time, but he is probably best left on the waiver wire for the time being.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays starter
Chris Bassitt (neck) tossed five scoreless innings during Monday's 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. He struck out seven batters, gave up five hits and did not issue a walk. It was a solid performance from the veteran right-hander, especially since he almost missed Monday's start due to a battle with neck spasms. His neck was clearly bothering him throughout Monday's outing and ultimately resulted in an early departure from the game. Bassitt now owns a 4.03 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 56:25 K:BB after the gritty effort. There is no word yet on whether the 35-year-old will make his next scheduled start, but it is a situation to monitor for fantasy managers.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher
Joe Ryan allowed one run on four hits across seven innings of work during Monday's 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals. He struck out nine batters and did not issue a walk. The Twins bullpen made things closer than they should have been in this one, but Ryan still thankfully came away with the win. The 27-year-old has now produced a quality start in six of his last seven outings. Ryan is quickly becoming a must-start option every time he takes the mound as he now owns a 2.96 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 73:9 K:BB through 11 starts this season. His next projected outing is scheduled for Saturday on the road against the Houston Astros. Fantasy managers should fire him up again with confidence.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Pedro Leon has shown tremendous offensive prowess in Triple-A Sugar Land to start the 2024 season. Through 47 games, he's slashing .290/.376/.546 with 15 doubles, 10 home runs, and 12 stolen bases. He also leads the minor leagues with 51 RBI. Currently ranked #27 on the Astros' list of top prospects, it's hard to imagine that he won't ascend the rankings soon. According to MLB.com, he's expected to make his big-league debut sometime this year. If he keeps producing at this rate, there's a chance it could come sooner rather than later.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoThe Seattle Mariners promoted first base prospect
Tyler Locklear to Triple-A Tacoma, and he will report to the Rainiers on Tuesday. Locklear, who is considered the club's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, earned the promotion after slashing a strong .291/.401/.532 with eight home runs, 12 doubles, one triple, 26 RBI, four stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 188 plate appearances and 41 games for Double-A Arkansas. If he continues to hit at the Triple-A level, Locklear could be a candidate for a late-season promotion to the big leagues. The 23-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Virginia Commonwealth University hits from the right side has raw power at first base but also uses the entire field to drop hits in. In order to keep his strikeout rate low as he climbs the ladder in Seattle's organization, he's going to need to improve his plate discipline and improve against offspeed pitches.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Future Star Series - Joe Doyle
5 days agoMinnesota Twins infield prospect
Brooks Lee (back) will continue his rehab assignment at Single-A Fort Myers this week and is on track to rejoin Triple-A St. Paul next week, barring any setbacks with his back injury. For the Florida Complex League team, Lee had nine hits in 20 at-bats with two doubles, so he looks to be just fine. The 23-year-old switch-hitter is the team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and was taken with the eighth overall pick in 2022 out of Cal Poly. Lee is working his way back from a herniated disc in his back but should return to St. Paul soon. If he stays healthy the rest of the season, don't be surprised if Lee makes his major-league debut for the Twins later this season. Because of his back injury, Lee has yet to play with St. Paul in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals infield prospect
Thomas Saggese had a solid April in Triple-A Memphis, slashing .272/.333/.407 in 90 plate appearances with five doubles, two home runs, and four stolen bases. However, he's taken a step back in May. In 89 plate appearances, he's slashing .215/.292/.367 with three doubles, three homers, and a stolen base. Part of his decrease in production is that his BABIP went from .333 in April to .255 in May. Whether due to poorer contact quality or lousy luck, far fewer of Saggese's batted balls have resulted in base hits this month. Overall, the former fifth-rounder is slashing .234/.305/.371 with eight doubles, five homers, and five stolen bases. Though he's spent a majority of his games at shortstop, Saggese has also had a few starts at second and third base.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoNew York Mets relief pitcher
Drew Smith (shoulder) has restarted his minor-league rehab assignment and threw a scoreless innings for High-A Brooklyn on Sunday. Smith is penciled in for a couple more rehab appearances and is due back in the big leagues in around a week. The 30-year-old reliever is nearing a return after suffering a setback with his right shoulder in early May. The former third-round selection by the Detroit Tigers in the 2015 MLB draft out of Dallas Baptist will return to a prominent late-inning bullpen role for the Mets when he's officially reinstated. Before his injury, he had a 2.70 ERA (3.03 FIP), one save, a 1.70 WHIP, seven walks and 11 strikeouts in 10 relief innings. Smith will have some fantasy value in holds leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Bowden Francis (forearm) will pitch in another minor-league rehab game on Tuesday for Triple-A Buffalo in what feels like the last rehab outing that he'll need before being reinstated from the injured list. The 28-year-old reliever gave up three runs (two earned) while striking out six and walking one in 6 2/3 innings in his first three rehab appearances. In what will most likely be a middle-relief/long-relief role in Toronto when he returns, Francis will have very little fantasy value. Before going on the injured list this year, he had gone 2-2 with an 8.59 ERA (5.99 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over five outings (two starts). Francis will always be an option for a spot start, too, if Toronto needs it.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays infield prospect
Orelvis Martinez has been struggling at the plate over the last two weeks in Triple-A Buffalo. In 43 plate appearances, he's gone 4-for-37 with only three walks and 16 strikeouts. Interestingly, each of his four hits has been for extra bases (two doubles and two home runs). While he's had trouble making contact, he's been noticeably unlucky when he puts the ball in play. During this stretch, Martinez has a .100 BABIP. The league average BABIP is generally around .300, suggesting that some of his woes resulted from misfortune. Despite this recent slump, he's still having a solid year. In 192 plate appearances, Martinez is slashing .240/.325/.515 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, and 36 RBI.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
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