5 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Lane Thomas (knee) is getting ready to return and could be reinstated from the injured list as early as Friday night's series opener against the visiting Seattle Mariners. The Nationals have managed just a .503 OPS in 22 games since Thomas sprained the MCL in his left knee a month ago, so they will certainly welcome his return. In the course of his career in D.C., Thomas has a .747 OPS. He spent the last three days on a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg, where he went 2-for-9 with a double, walk, two strikeouts and a stolen base. Most importantly, he played a full nine innings on Thursday night. If Thomas doesn't return to the big-league lineup on Friday, it will likely come later this weekend or early next week. The 28-year-old will be an everyday hitter near the top of the lineup when he returns, and he shouldn't be floating around any waiver wires in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
5 days agoWith Washington Nationals outfielder
Lane Thomas' (knee) return on the horizon, both outfielder
Victor Robles and first baseman/designated hitter
Joey Meneses are in danger of losing their roster spot. Robles, 27, looked good in spring training, only to get hurt less than a week into the regular season. He hasn't played much since rejoining the team and has gone just 2-for-23 with five walks and nine strikeouts. Robles has been in a decline since 2019 and the Nats may finally give up on him and designated him for assignment (since he's out of minor-league options). The other option would be to send Meneses to the minors. Meneses did homer on Wednesday, but he's slashing just .234/.299/.299 while hitting in the heart of Washington's batting order.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
5 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Sean Murphy (oblique), who hasn't played since injuring his oblique on Opening Day, looks to be close to making a return to the big leagues. Murphy went 2-for-6 with the second home run on his minor-league rehab assignment, a double, two RBI, a run scored and two strikeouts for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday while serving as the designated hitter. It's a great sign for the 29-year-old backstop, although Atlanta will probably want to see him catch a game in the minors before reinstating him from the injured list. Either way, fantasy managers should be happy to know that Murphy's return to the big leagues is right around the corner. He's a must-start in all fantasy leagues when he's healthy, but be aware that the Braves will likely ease him back into catching duties. Veteran
Travis d'Arnaud is inevitably going to lose playing time when Murphy is back.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitching prospect John Michael Bertrand tossed six no-hit frames on Thursday. He allowed just two free passes and struck out five. This dominant outing brings Bertrand to a solid 2.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 12:33 BB:K ratio. In fact, the 26-year-old has not allowed a run in four starts this season. The former tenth-round selection has logged 100 innings at Double-A over the past two seasons and is quickly approaching his Triple-A debut. The southpaw should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues but is worth monitoring as he has showcased elite potential several times this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catching prospect
Dalton Rushing ended his 13-game home run drought on Thursday with a three-run shot to power Double-A Tulsa to a victory. Rushing was swinging a hot bat through April with a strong .278/.394/.556 line with three long balls and a 9:14 BB:K ratio. However, entering Thursday, he has been in a bit of a slump with a .213/.362/.319 line through the start of May. Rushing is considered to be the number two prospect in the Los Angeles system, behind only
Andy Pages, who is already in the major leagues. Rushing is expected to make his major league debut sometime in 2025 but could push for a late-season promotion to Triple-A. He remains a name to monitor in dynasty leagues as he could continue to develop into one of the game's top-catching prospects.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfield prospect
Heston Kjerstad extended his impressive multi-hit hitting streak to three games on Thursday with a three-hit performance in addition to hitting his 13th home run of the season. Kjerstad has been outstanding with Triple-A Norfolk this season, riding an overall .347/.427/.754 line with 44 RBI. The 25-year-old earned a promotion to the major leagues on April 23 but did not receive consistent playing time and was eventually sent back down to the minor leagues to further his development on May 13. Since his return to Triple-A, Kjerstad has posted a .344/.415/.781 line with three home runs. The number four prospect in the Baltimore system is clearly ready for the major leagues but does not have a spot to fill in the Baltimore lineup. For now, he will continue to dominate Triple-A but could be the first name called if needed to replace an injured player making him a solid stash option in most leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles infield prospect
Jackson Holliday entered Thursday with a poor .200/.398/.329 line through May. On Thursday, he launched his fifth home run of the season and might be settling back into Triple-A. Holliday was excellent through the opening month, with Triple-A Norfolk posting a .310/.473/.500 line, which earned him a promotion to the major leagues. However, in his ten major league games, the top prospect in baseball struggled and only tallied two hits through ten games, which resulted in his demotion. Since returning to Triple-A, the 20-year-old has yet to find any consistency but will look to build off the home run he hit on Friday. Holliday remains a must-stash player in standard leagues, as he should be back in Baltimore fairly soon and should be expected to make an immediate impact when he does return.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitching prospect
Matt Tabor was promoted to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday. Tabor underwent surgery to remove blood clots in 2022 and Tommy John surgery in 2023, which has sidelined him for the better part of almost three seasons. He pitched just three ⅓ innings in the Rookie League this spring before getting the call to join Triple-A. The 25-year-old's last full season was in 2021 where he posted a 5.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 39:96 BB:K ratio across High, Double, and Triple-A. The right-hander will hope to settle in at Triple-A this summer after struggling in 2021 with an 11.13 ERA across 32 ⅓ innings. The former third-round pick should remain on all waiver wires but could become an interesting name in dynasty leagues if he can perform well at Triple-A after his three-year absence.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (4-6) picked up the loss Thursday, allowing two runs on seven hits with three walks and one hit-by-pitch in five innings in a 5-0 loss to the New York Yankees. Castillo's only mistakes were two solo shots by Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, and the two runs were the only ones the Yankees needed as Luis Gil out-dueled the veteran right-hander. Castillo has put up excellent numbers since being traded over from the Cincinnati Reds and continues to do so this year while headlining a stacked Seattle rotation. Overall, the 31-year-old owns a 3.31 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 69:18 K: BB across 65 1/3 innings. After a rocky start to the season, allowing four runs in each of his first three starts, Castillo has not allowed more than two runs in eight straight starts. He will look to continue that streak against the Houston Astros on Tuesday.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds smacked his seventh home run Thursday afternoon while going 3-for-5 in a 7-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Bryan Reynolds has homered in back-to-back games while going 5-for-10 at the plate with five RBI. The 29-year-old switch hitter has been incredibly consistent over the last two seasons and is on pace to put up similar numbers again in 2024. In 2022, Reynolds hit 27 home runs with a .262/.345/.461 slash line. In 2023, he hit 24 home runs with a .263/.330/.460 slash line. Those numbers are interesting because, towards the end of May, Reynolds is on pace for about 25 home runs with a .260/.341/.431 slash line. Mr. Consistency isn't the sexiest fantasy player in the game. Still, managers can always feel good about inserting him into their lineups because he can produce a little bit of everything.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smacked a two-run homer Thursday night, going 2-for-5 with an additional run scored in a 9-1 win against the Detroit Tigers. Despite the power outage, Guerrero Jr. has turned it around from a batting average perspective in May. The slugger has produced a .371 batting average in May after batting a horrific .219 in April. Overall, the 25-year-old has been disappointed in fantasy baseball and regular baseball as he's only on pace for 20 home runs, which would be his lowest total since clubbing 15 home runs during his rookie season. If it wasn't for his name and potential, you can argue that he would be on the waiver wire in most leagues after his abysmal April. Hopefully, the first baseman's hot hitting will start, leading to more balls going over the fence moving forward.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (1-4) picked up a quality start and the loss Thursday night, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in a 9-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tigers starter cruised through six innings before being chased after allowing a two-run home run to Daulton Varsho. That was the deciding blow, as the Tigers couldn't muster up any run-support for Flaherty. Run support has been almost nonexistent for Flaherty in his starts, which is why he only has one victory on the season. He currently has a 3.84 ERA on the season and ranks seventh in the league in strikeouts. There's no doubt Flaherty has found a home in Detroit and should be in your fantasy lineup every week despite the lack of wins. He will look to pick up his second win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles second baseman Jorge Mateo filled the stat sheet Thursday night, going 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored while walking twice and swiping two bases in an 8-6 victory against the Chicago White Sox. The 28-year-old speedster has been inconsistent with the bat this season, batting .258 with only three home runs and nine RBI. He's picked it up in his last 10 games batting. 281 with one home run, five RBI, six runs scored, and four stolen bases. He remains at the bottom of the Orioles lineup with little chance of moving up soon. Mateo is only a deep-league add for fantasy managers desperately needing stolen bases.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (5-1) picked up a win against the Chicago White Sox Thursday night, going five innings with three hits allowed, seven strikeouts, and five walks in an 8-6 victory. The five walks were a season-high for the young rookie who struggled with his command early and often. He also added one hit-by-pitch to his stat line but still escaped with the win. The game ended on a crazy infield fly rule double play on interference from the runner on second base, Andrew Vaughn, who bumped into Gunnar Henderson before he was able to get situated under the pop-up. It was by far one of the wildest endings to a game you'll ever see. Rodriguez has a great 3.20 ERA on the season, but since returning from the injured list, he has struggled with his command, allowing eight walks in 11 innings pitched. He will look to regain his command against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. --Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler delivered another strong performance in Thursday's victory over the visiting Texas Rangers, striking out five batters and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings for his sixth win of the campaign. Wheeler has been a quality-start machine in 2024, with Thursday's showing already being his eighth out of 11 appearances this year. The early favorite to bring home his first National League Cy Young Award, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 76:21 K:BB over 67 2/3 frames as Philly's ace this season. Wheeler's next act is slated to arrive during Tuesday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, where he'll once again be one of the top fantasy plays on the slate.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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