5 days agoBaltimore Orioles first baseman
Ryan Mountcastle put together a big game in a 7-2 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs, and two RBI in the win over Baltimore's AL East rivals. The veteran's homer was a solo shot off of
Carlos Rodon in the third inning. The blast traveled 405 feet and had an exit velocity of 107 MPH. Mountcastle is off to a solid start in 2024, hitting .290 with five homers, 18 runs, and 16 RBI across 107 at-bats thus far.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Kyle Harrison issued five walks but still managed to throw five innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Harrison didn't pick up the win as San Francisco went ahead for good in the seventh, but Harrison had a solid start nonetheless. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven to round out his line. The 22-year-old rookie has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his seven starts this season. If Harrison can put it all together, he's got major upside that warrants being rostered in most leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago Cubs second baseman
Nico Hoerner went 1-for-4 with a pair of walks in a 7-6 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday. Hoerner didn't run much early in the season, swiping just one base in April. That caused some panic among his fantasy owners, who expected much closer to the 43 stolen bases Hoerner picked up in 2023. Those owners will be happy with the last two games though, as the speedster picked up three steals to bring his season total to four. If he keeps running at that pace, there is no reason to worry about Hoerner.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish threw 4 ⅔ innings of one-run ball in his first start of the 2024 season against the New York Yankees on Thursday. Bradish didn't pick up the win as he didn't go five innings, but he was solid and gave his team a good chance to win. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five in the shortened outing, throwing 84 pitches. Bradish should get back to a normal workload soon and will hopefully return to his 2023 form where he posted a 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 168 strikeouts in 168 ⅔ IP. The 27-year-old should be universally rostered in fantasy.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti was solid in an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. Arrighetti didn't end up getting the win with the Astros doing most of their damage late in the game, but he spun 5 ⅔ frames of two-run ball and looked better than he has in any start this season. The 24-year-old gave up four hits and three walks while striking out six to round out his line. He has some prospect pedigree and is worth keeping an eye on in fantasy leagues as he has shown strong swing-and-miss stuff despite poor results early in his career.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros designated hitter/outfielder
Yordan Alvarez continued his slump at the dish on Thursday, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Alvarez is now 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts and zero walks in his last four games. Fortunately for the 26-year-old, the Astros have won three of those games anyway. Alvarez is down to a .244/.312/.439 triple-slash line to go with 18 runs, 18 RBI, and a modest seven homers. They aren't terrible numbers by any means, but they certainly aren't what fantasy managers were hoping for when they drafted the slugger with a top-20 pick in most cases. Alvarez will likely turn things around and end up being one of the best four-category contributors in fantasy, but this stretch is frustrating nonetheless.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Blake Treinen (lung) was used as the opener in Triple-A Oklahoma City's game on Thursday, throwing a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Treinen has looked good in his past two appearances, allowing just one hit and accumulating three strikeouts and zero walks. With five rehab appearances under his belt, he might be ready to make his 2024 season debut soon for the Dodgers after bruising his lung early in Spring Training. The veteran will be a welcome addition to the Dodgers bullpen and should see a decent share of work late in close games, making him a solid add in saves-plus-holds leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Alex Freedman
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) went 2-for-3 with a home run in a rehab game with Triple-A Memphis. Carlson was playing in his second rehab game and was used as the designated hitter in this one after playing in center field on Wednesday. He will likely need a decent amount of time to get himself ready for a return to the majors, as he hasn't yet played in a game for the Cardinals this year after suffering a sprained left shoulder in Spring Training. The 25-year-old doesn't have much fantasy appeal, but he was once a well-regarded prospect and is still young, so a post-hype breakout is possible.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros shortstop
Jeremy Pena increased his hitting streak to five games as he tallied two hits in Thursday's victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Pena tallied his first hit of the game in the fourth inning with a ground ball to second base and then swiped second base but was unable to score. Later in the sixth, Pena ripped his first triple of the campaign to score
Gabriel Arias. The shortstop would then score twice, courtesy of a
Jon Singleton blast in the same frame and sacrifice fly in the seventh. Pena has a solid .333/.375/.467 line, and his underlying metrics suggest he could be in for a big summer with a .324 xBA. The former World Series MVP should be rostered in all formats and remains a solid DFS option.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers relief pitcher
David Robertson tallied his 10th hold of the season and is now tied for the most in baseball with Nationals pitcher
Hunter Harvey and Cardinals pitchers
JoJo Romero and
Andrew Kittredge. Robertson entered in the seventh inning with two outs to face
Ildemaro Vargas with a runner on first and was able to retire him. Then, the 39-year-old remained in the game to pitch the eighth inning. He surrendered a leadoff walk to
Jacob Young but then retired the next three batters via two strikeouts and a groundout. The veteran reliever carries a stellar 1.08 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 16 2/3 innings with 20 punchouts. Robertson remains an elite option for holds and should be considered next in line to receive ninth-inning duties in Texas.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThere has been speculation that Oakland Athletics rookie closer
Mason Miller, who has the most pitches at 102-plus mph (19) this year, could be dangled at this summer's trade deadline. Rival executives are split on whether the A's would actually dare trade their biggest start with a move to Sacramento coming next year. Miller has topped out at 103.7 mph and is an "elite" closer that should bring "a prospect package worth pursuing." A rival executive envisions a bidding war that could make a Miller trade irresistible for the A's. "They may want to cash in while stock is so high." The 25-year-old former third-round pick in 2021 out of Gardner-Webb University has been lights-out in 2024 with a 1.26 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, eight saves and 29 K's in 14 1/3 innings, although a trade to a contender wouldn't necessarily mean he'd stay in a closer's role.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
6 days agoTexas Rangers catcher
Jonah Heim tallied two hits for the seventh time of the season to lead the Rangers to a series victory over the Washington Nationals. Heim laced a single to left field in the second frame and was able to cross home plate via an
Ezequiel Duran double. The 28-year-old then knocked an RBI single in the eighth inning to score
Nathaniel Lowe to increase the Texas lead. During the young season, Heim has proven to be a solid batting average contributor with a .263 AVG, which is on pace to be a new career-high. Heim remains a strong second catcher in two-catcher leagues and is a sneaky play in DFS due to the strong lineup around him.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThe Colorado Rockies are expected to place right-handed reliever
Justin Lawrence on the paternity list and to summon right-hander
Angel Chivilli from Double-A Hartford for their upcoming series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Lawrence is technically the Rockies' closer with two saves on the year, but he's also sporting an ugly 7.20 ERA (2.94 FIP) and 1.80 WHIP with five walks and 10 strikeouts in his 10 innings in 11 appearances out of the 'pen for the lowly Rockies. The 29-year-old is only worth rostering for fantasy managers that are desperate for saves, but Lawrence isn't going to see a ton of chances if the Rockies continue playing like they have been. If a save situation arises this weekend in Pittsburgh with Lawrence away, it will likely go to
Jake Bird.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
6 days agoHouston Astros second baseman
Jose Altuve registered three hits in Thursday's victory over the Cleveland Guardians. The 33-year-old has now tallied at least three hits in five games this season and continues to improve on his .341/.409/.585 line. In addition, Altuve tallied 11th RBI of the season in the seventh inning by scoring
Jake Meyers. He also swiped his fifth and sixth bags on Thursday. Altuve continues to be a high-end five-category fantasy contributor with his stellar bat-to-ball skills and his excellent 13.9% K rate. The 2017 American League MVP should be a weekly lineup lock and remain matchup-proof in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros first baseman
Jon Singleton went 2-for-3 in Thursday's victory with three RBI to power the Astros to their 11th victory of the season. Singleton tallied a single in his first at-bat of the game in the third inning and crossed home plate via a passed ball. Then in the sixth inning, the 32-year-old launched his second home run of the season, which scored shortstop
Jeremy Pena. This was Singleton's second home run of the series and of the season, and he is carrying a .275/.362/.431 slash line into a three-game set against their division rivals, Seattle Mariners, which will begin Friday evening. Singleton has been subject to limited playing time but could be a viable option in DFS in a favorable matchup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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