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
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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
5 days agoHouston Astros relief pitcher
Ryan Pressly (back) made his first appearance since last Friday in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the New York Yankees, giving up a home run and one walk with one strikeout while recording two outs. Making his first appearance in six days after experiencing soreness in his lower back, Pressly wasn't sharp in the eighth inning while throwing just 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes and serving up a monstrous home run to
Aaron Judge late on Wednesday. While the 35-year-old veteran reliever has taken a backseat to All-Star closer
Josh Hader in the saves department, he's not helping his cause with a poor 5.65 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 22:6 K:BB, and two blown saves over 14 1/3 innings out of Houston's bullpen this year. Even in fantasy leagues that count holds, Pressly is barely worth hanging onto right now.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros closer
Josh Hader secured Thursday's save, recording four outs with one strikeout for his fourth save of the season in the 4-3 win over the New York Yankees. Hader relieved
Ryan Pressly in the eighth inning and got lefty-hitter
Anthony Rizzo to pop out to end the frame.
Gleyber Torres lined a single to get the tying run aboard in the ninth, but Hader managed to sit down the next three hitters in order. It was awful start to the year for Hader in his Astros debut season, but he's gotten back on track with a 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 14, walking three, and converting each of his three save opportunities over his last seven appearances (8 1/3 innings). It looks like the 30-year-old three-time National League Reliever of the Year's buy-low window in fantasy has closed for the time being.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Chase DeLauter (foot) doesn't need surgery on his broken left foot, and the medical team is working through the next steps for him. DeLauter reported pain in his left foot on April 25, which is the same foot that he had surgically repaired last year, and the team announced on Sunday that a CT scan revealed a fracture in his fifth metatarsal bone. The 22-year-old former first-round pick is Cleveland's No. 1 prospect for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and his indefinite absence could delay his major-league debut that wasn't likely to arrive until 2025 to begin with. It's a big hit to his fantasy stock for dynasty managers. DeLauter was already struggling with Double-A Akron this season, slashing .197/.296/.295 with one home run, three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base over 71 plate appearances (16 games) after crushing four homers in 25 Cactus League at-bats with the Guardians in spring training.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Tom Withers - Associated Press
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder
Tommy Edman (wrist) is continuing tee work with increased intensity. After being transferred to the 60-day injured list on Sunday, Edman has still yet to fully go through baseball activities after undergoing wrist surgery in October. Although the speedy 29-year-old switch-hitter still has a chance to return in late May when first eligible for reinstatement, he still needs to go through what will likely be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment after missing all of spring training. In the interim, top prospect
Masyn Winn is functioning as St. Louis' primary shortstop. Winn is slashing only .265/.333/.357 with seven extra-base hits, seven RBI, 10 runs scored, and five stolen bases through 98 at-bats (33 games) this season, however, and he isn't worth rostering in the majority of fantasy leagues at the moment.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Jones - Belleville News-Democrat
5 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) has resumed hitting after suffering a minor setback with his right hip flexor strain while rehabbing in Arizona. Manager Pedro Grifol says Robert is back up to running at 70 percent intensity, and the center fielder will continue to ramp up his activity. Robert is about a week away from taking the next step in his recovery, which could be a minor-league rehab assignment, and he'll play some backfield games before doing so. While the dynamic 26-year-old slugger could get into rehab games in mid-May, barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should be prepared to be without Robert until late May with the last-place ChiSox likely in no hurry to rush him back. Veteran
Tommy Pham is working as Chicago's primary center fielder and worth considering in AL-only leagues, slashing a serviceable .295/.326/.477 with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored in 44 at-bats (11 games) this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: James Fegan
5 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (quad) saw doctors again for another checkup on Wednesday, and his latest MRI still showed some inflammation in his strained right quad. Lewis started sprinting on Wednesday alongside up to 80 swings in the batting cage a day, jogging on the warning track, and taking fielding drills hit directly to him, but there's still a lack of a concrete timeline for him to be cleared to ramp up his baseball activities. With the Twins exercising ample levels of caution with the 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, Lewis' return to the major-league roster is not expected to arrive before June. In the meantime, super-utility man and switch-hitter
Willi Castro is bouncing around the diamond to help fill in for Minnesota and worth rostering in most fantasy leagues. In 21 games since April 17, Castro is batting .363 with two home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, and five stolen bases.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Dan Hayes - The Athletic
5 days agoCincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect
Chase Petty tossed five innings of two-run ball with six punchouts en route to his second victory of the season on Wednesday. Petty posted a five-inning shutout performance in his last start and followed that up with another solid performance. The 21-year-old got off to a rough start to the season as he had a 9.56 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in his first four starts in just 16 innings. The fifth-ranked prospect in the Reds system is starting to look like his previous self where he posted an excellent 1.95 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 60 innings at High-A last season. The former first-round selection could see time in Triple-A later in the summer if he can continue to progress at Double-A, which could set him up to make his major league debut next season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets third base prospect
Nolan McLean went 3-for-5 at the plate on Wednesday and hit his fourth home run of the season. McLean has posted a strong .280/.321/.660 slash line through his first 18 games at High-A. The 22-year-old only appeared in five games at Single-A last year, but the Mets decided that he should begin this season immediately in High-A. However, even though McLean has found success at the plate, he is striking out at a very high rate with a 26:3 K:BB. McLean will have to lower this immensely before he has the opportunity to reach Double-A this summer. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is projected to reach the major leagues in 2026 and could become a name to monitor in dynasty leagues down the road.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox shortstop prospect
Jacob Gonzalez went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run on Wednesday and is now riding a strong five-game hitting streak. The 21-year-old has an overall .298/.402/.452 slash line with three long balls and five stolen bases through his first 27 games at High-A. The seventh-ranked prospect in the White Sox's system struggled at Single-A last season with a .207/.328/.261 line, so it is a positive sign to see him putting those struggles behind him. The former Ole Miss Rebel should see time in Double-A later this summer, which could open the door for a potential 2025 major-league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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