6 days agoNew York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong has pitched 23 ⅔ shutout innings to open the 2024 season. Tong began in Single-A and tossed 18 ⅔ clean innings to the tune of a 0.64 WHIP and 36 punchouts. Then, the 20-year-old was promoted to High-A earlier this week and looked just as stellar in his debut on May 2 with the Brooklyn Cyclones. In his first start, he pitched five innings and allowed two hits and three free passes with seven punchouts. Tong remains a name to monitor in deep dynasty leagues, as he is expected to remain in High-A for the entire summer. If he continues this course, he could develop into a top prospect in the Mets system.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto went 2-for-4 in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles and extended his hit streak to 10 games. Soto's streak is currently the third-longest active streak in the majors. He has only gone hitless in seven of his first 33 games this year. The 25-year-old is enjoying a strong first season in the Bronx, as he is slashing .331/.441/.589 with eight homers, 25 RBI, and four stolen bases. He has also scored 22 runs and owns a ridiculous 26:20 BB:K. Soto is unquestionably one of the top fantasy assets in baseball and should be locked into lineups whenever he takes the field.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is likely to make his next minor-league rehab start next week. He started a rehab game at Triple-A Round Rock last Wednesday and dealt with some lingering thumb soreness that pushed his next appearance back a few days. Apparently, that outing will come sometime in the next seven days as Scherzer said his thumb is improving. The 39-year-old is a risky fantasy asset due to potential injury reoccurrence, but he is still worthy of a roster spot if he has a place to be stashed. Scherzer still probably needs a couple of starts to build his arm up before joining the Rangers. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers can anticipate his return sometime in mid-May.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Wilson
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants closer
Camilo Doval struck out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. The 26-year-old is six-for-six on save opportunities this season to go along with a 3.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 15/6 K/BB. Doval has not been flawless this year, but he has found a way to work around trouble when it pops up. The right-hander remains a premium fantasy option as he tries to usurp last season's career-high of 39 saves.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMiami Marlins starter
Edward Cabrera allowed four runs on three hits across four innings of work during Thursday's 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. Cabrera struck out nine batters in the shortened outing while issuing four walks. A three-run shot by
Jacob Stallings in the second inning put a sizeable blemish on the 26-year-old's day. He also struggled with his command, as he only tossed 56-of-91 pitches for strikes. Cabrera owns a bloated 6.05 ERA through four starts in 2024, although he still possesses significant strikeout upside. He should be sat in all fantasy formats heading into his next start against the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon had a start to forget on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. The left-hander was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. He did not issue a walk, but he gave up three homers in the defeat. Prior to this outing against a tough Orioles lineup, Rodon had not allowed more than three runs in any outing this season. He will carry a 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 36/14 K/BB into his next projected start against the underperforming Houston Astros. Rodon still deserves to be rostered in most fantasy formats.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor (illness) did not start Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs, but he still managed to make a massive impact. The talented infielder came off the bench in the sixth inning and proceeded to hit a two-run double to bring the Mets within a run. In extra innings, Lindor smacked another double to cash in two runs and earn the walk-off win. It was one of Lindor's stronger games this season, as he has struggled at the plate in the early going. His .207/.287/.380 slash line is rather uninspiring, so hopefully this performance kick-starts the four-time All-Star.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Cristian Javier (neck) will embark on a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. It was reported earlier this week that Javier had a shot to come off the 15-day injured list to start this weekend against the Seattle Mariners, but that won't be the case. Instead, the 27-year-old will make a start in the minors. If that goes well, he should come off the IL to join Houston's rotation at some point late next week. The Dominican hurler should be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the 2024 season with a 2-0 record, 1.54 ERA (3.57 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 11 walks and 18 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over his first four starts. When Javier is back in the fold in Houston, rookie
Spencer Arrighetti will likely be sent back to the minors.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: KPRC 2 Sports - Ari Alexander
6 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl (wrist) and left-handed reliever
Alex Young (back) are heading out on minor-league rehab assignments on Thursday with Triple-A Louisville. Manager David Bell said the rehab assignment will be like spring training for Friedl, who had his spring training cut short due to a small fracture in his right wrist in mid-March. It means that the 28-year-old will likely be in the minors for the maximum amount of time, especially given how crowded Cincy's outfield rotation already is. Once he's back with the Reds, Friedl will battle for playing time against right-handed pitching. Young, who is on the 60-day injured list while recovering from low-back disc degeneration, won't be eligible to return until late May.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
6 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Nathan Eovaldi (groin) left his start early on Thursday against the visiting Washington Nationals with right-groin tightness. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher with a pretty lengthy injury history, but at least it's not an injury to his pitching arm. The silver lining on Thursday is that the 34-year-old threw 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Nats before leaving, allowing only two hits while walking two and striking out eight to drop his season ERA to 2.61. The severity of Eovaldi's groin injury is not known yet, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he needs to take a couple weeks off. Coming into his start on Thursday afternoon, Eovaldi had a 1-2 record, 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 36 innings over six starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
6 days agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Brayan Bello (lat) will make a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. Bello has been out the last two weeks with right-lat tightness, but he threw a bullpen session this week and has now been cleared for live game action. If the 24-year-old looks good during his rehab start next week, he could be cleared for activation from the injured list when he's eligible on May 12 to make a start against the Washington Nationals. The Dominican starter was a popular breakout candidate coming into the 2024 season and was looking good before his lat injury, going 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA (4.04 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP with seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings of work in his first five starts. Bello should remain stashed in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
6 days agoBoston Red Sox middle infielder
Vaughn Grissom (hamstring, illness) is feeling a lot better and is excited to travel with the team to Minnesota for a three-game series against the Twins that starts on Friday. Grissom said if the Red Sox needed him to pinch hit on Thursday, he would have been ready. All signs are pointing to the 23-year-old being activated from the injured list to make his Red Sox debut on Friday. He was initially expected to return this Tuesday, but an illness caused his return to be pushed back. Grissom, who has 15-15 capabilities, even after a late start to the season, will operate as the team's regular second baseman and should be picked up in fantasy leagues if he's available on the waiver wire. Boston acquired Grissom from the Braves as part of the
Chris Sale trade in the offseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
6 days agoThe Boston Red Sox's medical staff is still gathering information on outfielder/designated hitter
Masataka Yoshida's (hand) injury, and surgery isn't being ruled out. Yoshida jammed his left thumb in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs and landed on the injured list on Wednesday with a left-thumb sprain. If surgery is needed, he'll obviously need to miss extended time, but a specific timetable probably won't be known until after he goes under the knife. Until Yoshida is able to return, the newly acquired
Garrett Cooper figures to serve as Boston's primary designated hitter. The 30-year-old Tanaka continues to make plenty of contact and is currently hitting .275 (22-for-80) with a nice .348 on-base percentage, but he only has two home runs and has driven in 11.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Boston Globe - Alex Speier
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Paul Skenes, the top prospect in baseball, will make another start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday. Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, has been knocking on the door for his first big-league promotion for a while, but the Pirates have patiently held off. The 21-year-old made it through six innings (75 pitches) in his sixth start for Indianapolis on Tuesday and didn't allow a run while allowing four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. At this point, he doesn't have much left to prove in the minors, but the Pirates don't want to rush him to the big leagues before he's sufficiently built up. In his six starts for Indy, Skenes has been downright dominant with a 0.39 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP with six walks and 41 K's in 23 innings. His MLB promotion is coming soon, so he needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Indianapolis Indians
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks right-hander
Zac Gallen (hamstring) is penciled in to make his next start on Tuesday in Cincinnati against the Reds. Gallen left his last start last Friday with a minor hamstring injury. He was set to make his return on normal rest this Wednesday to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a long delay before Tuesday night's game caused lefty
Jordan Montgomery to be pushed back to Wednesday. It allowed the D-backs to give the 28-year-old a little more rest before his next start. It's a bummer for fantasy managers that Gallen isn't starting at all this week, but he'll also get a much better matchup in the Reds than the Dodgers. He shouldn't have any issues with his hammy and should be returned to starting lineups in all fantasy formats next Tuesday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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