5 days agoNew York Yankees third baseman
DJ LeMahieu (foot) is traveling to Anaheim ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, per manager Aaron Boone. After spending seven games in the minor leagues to rehab a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, LeMahieu is all set to be activated for his 2024 major-league debut on Tuesday following a long recovery. Boone has previously stated that LeMahieu is expected to play regularly at third base upon his return, and he may also see time at first base. The switch-hitting
Oswaldo Cabrera was already ceding playing time at the hot corner lately, and he'll be the biggest loser from a fantasy perspective when LeMahieu returns. The 35-year-old veteran infielder offers a limited package at this stage of his career, but he should at least be a decent source of average and runs in New York's high-scoring offense.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Greg Joyce - New York Post
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider had a two-run home run on Memorial Day to put the game out of reach for the White Sox as Toronto won 5-1. After Gavin Sheets hit a solo shot in the eighth inning to cut the Blue Jays lead to two, Schneider answered in the top of the ninth with his sixth blast to left field, scoring George Springer and sealed the deal for Chicago. After mainly going undrafted in fantasy leagues this spring, Schneider looks to hold value sitting at the top of an under-performing but always dangerous Blue Jays lineup. Hopefully, Monday's home run will be a sign of things to come. The 25-year-old should be added to watchlists everywhere. Schneider is currently rostered in only 21% of Yahoo leagues and less than six percent of ESPN leagues.--Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Kodai Senga (shoulder, triceps) has not yet restarted a throwing program following his latest shutdown, and he won't resume playing catch until Wednesday at the earliest. Senga called it "regretful" that he's missed so much time due to a right posterior shoulder capsule strain and now triceps tightness, indicating that he plans to be even more deliberate with his rehab going forward. There remains no timeline for a return for Senga, who is unlikely to begin a minor-league rehab assignment until sometime in mid-June at best. Fantasy managers who took a late-round flier on New York's ace are probably just as frustrated at this point, let alone those who drafted him inside the top 100 before he was initially injured. Senga is still worth stashing in all leagues for his upside across the board, but he's unlikely to make an impact until closer to the All-Star break.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo - MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said after Monday's win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies that first baseman
LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) will get an MRI on Tuesday, but the infielder is likely going on the 10-day injured list. Wade exited Monday's series opener due to a strained left hamstring that he sustained while legging out a double in the fifth inning, and he needed help walking off the field before being replaced by
Wilmer Flores. Monday was Wade's first game back in San Fran's lineup since Friday after he nursed a minor left hamstring issue over the weekend, so he may have aggravated the problem. The 30-year-old on-base machine has been a lineup fixture for the Giants this year, slashing a hearty .333/.470/.426 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored, and one stolen base over 166 plate appearances (52 games), and it'll be a big loss to their offense for however long he's sidelined.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: KNBR
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
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