6 days agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
James Wood had himself a day at the dish on Thursday, leading Triple-A Rochester to a 6-3 win over Triple-A Buffalo. Wood finished the day going 4-for-5 with a pair of homers and a double. He added four runs scored and two RBI to sweeten the line even more. Wood has been excellent in Triple-A, hitting .441 with a 1.352 OPS to go along with two homers and two steals in 34 at-bats. It might not be long before he forces the Nationals hand and gets the call to the majors.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Colton Cowser had the best game of his young career on Thursday, smashing two homers in a 9-4 extra-innings victory over the Boston Red Sox. Cowser went 3-for-5 with the aforementioned two homers and also added two runs and four RBI. He is now up to a .458/.462/.917 triple-slash line and should continue getting more playing time if he can keep hitting. The 24-year-old should be rostered in most leagues given his upside and the fact he slugged six homers in Spring Training.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoWith right-hander
Spencer Strider (elbow) out, next up from Triple-A Gwinnett for spot-start duty could be Atlanta Braves right-hander
Bryce Elder, who was an All-Star in 2023 before fading in the second half in his first full season in the big leagues. Another option is left-hander
Dylan Dodd, who started in the Braves' rotation last year before struggling and being sent to Gwinnett. Elder has a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a .211 opponents' average in his first two starts at Triple-A with 11 strikeouts, three walks and a homer allowed in 10 1/3 innings. Dodd had a 1.54 ER with 12 K's in 11 2/3 innings before he was hit hard on Thursday at Gwinnett.
Darius Vines is another option.
Huascar Ynoa and top prospect
AJ Smith-Shawver have struggled in their first couple of Triple-A outings this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - David O'Brien
6 days agoThe Toronto Blue Jays are calling up Cuban right-hander
Yariel Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo, according to sources. He should officially be activated on Saturday during the series versus the visiting Colorado Rockies. The 27-year-old tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed, three walks and 10 strikeouts in his first two starts in the minors with Buffalo before getting his first big-league call-up. Before signing with Toronto this offseason, Rodriguez spent the last four years in Japan, although he didn't pitch at all with a club in 2023. There's clear long-term upside with Rodriguez, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations initially, as he could start out in a relief role in the majors. If Rodriguez does take a rotation spot, he could be bumping
Bowden Francis out.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Francys Romero
6 days agoIt sounds as though Boston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers (shoulder) will need at least another day off on Friday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels. Meanwhile, manager Alex Cora said that infielder
Romy Gonzalez (wrist) avoided a fracture after injuring his wrist on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Devers still has soreness in his left shoulder and could require an injured-list stint if he doesn't improve over the weekend. Fantasy managers need to prepare for that possibility and keep him out of your lineups again on Friday after he sat out Thursday's loss to Baltimore.
Pablo Reyes got the start at third base on Thursday and is likely to fill in there for as long as Devers is out. Devers does have two homers but has just seven hits overall in his first 46 plate appearances this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
6 days agoAfter just recently being called up by the Chicago White Sox, outfielder
Oscar Colas was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. Colas was with the White Sox for one game and was hitless in his pinch-hitting appearance. The move to send the 25-year-old back down to the farm after he was just brought up on Wednesday is a sign that outfielder
Eloy Jimenez (groin) could come off the injured list this weekend after missing some time with a left-groin strain. Even if Jimenez comes back this weekend, veterans
Robbie Grossman and
Kevin Pillar should see more playing time with
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) out for a while. Colas hit just .216 (53-for-245) with five home runs, 19 RBI and four steals in 75 games in his MLB in 2023. We'll likely see him back in the big leagues as outfield depth again in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Francys Romero
6 days agoMets pitcher
Christian Scott has been over-powering across two Triple-A starts. The power right-hander has 19 strikeouts in just 9 innings of work and has gone short stretches where he has looked untouchable. While only walking one batter, Scott still sports a 4.00 ERA thanks to allowing three long balls. Look for that number to drop as the 24-year-old has looked the part and appears to be knocking on the door in Queens. While not necessarily a household name, Scott has gained momentum recently, and the former fifth-rounder could make a huge impact in the coming weeks. Fantasy managers should act accordingly.
--Steve SmithSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez struck out eight Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, launching six scoreless innings of two-hit ball with two walks en route to his second win during the 5-1 victory. Other than the free passes and a couple of innocuous singles, Suarez cruised through a formidable Pirates lineup that entered the day fifth in the major leagues in runs scored (69). Through three starts, the 28-year-old Venezuelan left-hander owns an excellent 2.65 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 19:3 K:BB after tossing 15 scoreless innings of Grapefruit League play during spring training. Suarez will be a great streaming option in all season-long fantasy leagues and a popular DFS choice when he takes the mound for Tuesday's scheduled start at home versus the visiting Colorado Rockies, who are hitting only .218 and scoring just 3.4 runs per game over seven outings away from Coors Field so far this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Jared Jones logged a quality start on Thursday, taking the loss in the 5-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies after giving up three runs on six hits and striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings. Jones put together another
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6 days agoToronto Blue Jays top pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann is off to a wild start, walking nine batters over his first 8 1/3 innings in 2024 for Triple-A Buffalo. Tiedeman has also struggled to keep the ball in the yard in the early going, allowing three home runs over his first three starts. While the 21-year-old has been uneven at the beginning of the Triple-A season, he has ace-like upside and has flashed that with more strikeouts than innings pitched thus far. Look for Tiedeman to right the ship as he settles in to push his way to Toronto at some point this season.
--Steve SmithSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
John Means (elbow) gave up two runs in three innings in Thursday's rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk, allowing two hits and two walks while fanning three. Means allowed one run in three innings in his last rehab appearance after getting blown up for seven runs back on March 31, so he's starting to show signs of improvement while recovering from a right forearm strain. Manager Brandon Hyde has previously stated Means' rehab assignment will last close to the full 30 days, so the 30-year-old former All-Star won't be available for the O's likely until early May. Means missed most of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, but he produced a solid 2.66 ERA (5.24 FIP), 0.71 WHIP, and 10:4 K:BB across 23 2/3 innings after returning late last year and is a decent stash in all fantasy leagues. The struggling
Cole Irvin is the most likely candidate to be bounced from Baltimore's rotation upon Means' return.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Rocco DiSangro - Fox Baltimore
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers right-hander
Jacob Misiorowski has been inconsistent in his first two Double-A starts in the 2024 season. The flame-thrower has gone 7.1 innings, walking six batters while allowing a 4.91 ERA. Misiorowski has still flashed the power stuff that has made him a top prospect as he has 11 strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .192 batting average. The 22-year-old has all the tools to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, however, he must throw more strikes and work deeper into games to reach his lofty ceiling. Misiorowski is still a great fantasy asset, as there are very few pitchers who can match his overall power arsenal.
--Steve SmithSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Tuesday that outfielder
TJ Friedl (wrist) has a check-in MRI this week. Friedl fractured his right wrist on March 16 during a spring training game and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but he
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6 days agoMariners outfielder
Lazaro Montes has picked up where he left off last season and continues to hit wherever he goes. Montes hit a mammoth home run during the 2024 opening weekend for Modesto and enters Thursday slashing .350/.480/.550 over his first 25 plate appearances. While it is a small sample size, the 19-year-old has also walked more than striking out in the early going. Montes gained a lot of prospect steam over the offseason and could be a big riser on future lists. It is not out of the question for the Cuba native to be a top-ten overall prospect by the end of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get in before the price is too high.
--Steve SmithSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoThe Houston Astros are still committed to
Justin Verlander (shoulder) making another minor-league rehab start this weekend, manager Joe Espada said following Thursday's 13-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Even though
Framber Valdez (elbow) is on the injured list and
Hunter Brown couldn't make it through the first inning on Thursday, there's still no thought of inserting Verlander back into an Astros rotation that really needs length. The club is taking the cautious route with the 41-year-old star right-hander, who is working his way back from right shoulder inflammation. Barring any setbacks, Verlander should be available to Houston's rotation in late April after collecting a 3.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 63:14 K:BB over 68 innings with the Stros last season.
Ronel Blanco has filled in admirably with 15 one-hit innings thus far, but he faces a tough test against the defending-champion Texas Rangers during the Lone Star Series on Saturday.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome - The Athletic
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