5 days agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder
Jorge Soler (shoulder) has been activated from the injured list on Friday. The slugging outfielder is back in the lineup after missing time due to a lingering shoulder issue. He'll serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against right-hander
Ryan Feltner on Friday. Soler has been off to a slow start this season but hopefully some time off helped him get back on track. Fantasy managers who have Soler rostered should make sure to get him back in their lineups on Friday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Keaton Winn (forearm) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday. Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters earlier in the week that Winn was dealing with a mild strain and he'd likely be placed on the injured list. As a result, right-hander
Mason Black has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. The hard-throwing righty has made two lackluster starts for the Giants this season. Black has all the tools to be a legitimate option at the big league level. He has a favorable matchup against the Colorado Rockies lineup, but remains a shaky streaming choice.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Amy Gutierrez
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Paul Skenes made his second career start against the Chicago Cubs. His debut last week was a bit underwhelming, but Skenes made easy work of the Cubs lineup this time around. The right-hander struck out the first six batters he faced to begin the game. Skenes would punch out a total of 11 batters over six innings of no-hit baseball on Friday. The Pirates didn't want to push anything, so they did pull Skenes out of the game instead of letting him go for the no-hitter. The Cubs would eventually score off the bullpen, but the Pirates still took the game 9-3. Skenes is everything as advertised and is looking like an elite fantasy option.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo (ribs) is expected to miss multiple weeks of action. The organization announced that Mayo has suffered a fractured rib when he crashed into the dugout during Thursday's game. This is a shame considering Mayo has been crushing the ball in Triple-A this season. He's slashing 291/.359/.605 with 13 homers, 37 RBI in 42 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season. It shouldn't be long before the 22-year-old is up on the big league roster. However, this injury is going to push back that timetable a bit.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Roch Kubatko
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder
Miguel Vargas is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 24-year-old is hitting the cover off the ball in the minors. Right now, Vargas is slashing .295/.437/.583 with eight homers, 38 RBI in Triple-A. Vargas has been playing almost exclusively in left field during this time in Triple-A. It's uncertain if the team plans to keep Vargas in the outfield or move him back into the infield. It's worth noting that outfielder
Jason Heyward (back) is expected to be activated from the injured list soon. It'll be interesting to see how the Dodgers work Vargas into the lineup. Vargas has notoriously been great in the minors but struggled once he gets called up to the MLB. We'll see if this time is going to be different.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Francys Romero
5 days agoSan Diego Padres catcher
Luis Campusano is taking the day off for the series opener on Friday in Atlanta against the Braves. With Campusano taking a day to rest,
Kyle Higashioka will do the catching for right-handed knuckleballer
Matt Waldron while hitting ninth against Braves left-hander
Max Fried. The 25-year-old Campusano has been solid for the Padres in his first full season as their primary catcher. Through his first 40 games in 2024, he's hitting .267 (36-for-135) with three home runs, 24 RBI and 18 runs scored in 144 plate appearances. He'll almost certainly be back behind the plate for the second game of the series on Saturday. Higashioka isn't much of a hitter and should be avoided in DFS formats. The former Yankee backstop has gone 6-for-33 with a homer and two RBI so far this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSeattle Mariners shortstop
J.P. Crawford (hand, oblique) has a locker room in Baltimore for the team's series this weekend against the Orioles, but he did not make the trip with the club on Thursday as originally planned. Crawford was still experiencing swelling and soreness in his right hand after getting hit by a pitch in his final minor-league rehab game on Wednesday. It appears as though the Mariners plan on the 29-year-old coming off the injured list to play this weekend, but it won't happen on Friday for the series opener at Camden Yards.
Dylan Moore is making another start at the 6 and will hit leadoff against Orioles left-hander
John Means. When Crawford does return, he'll return to his starting duties at shortstop while moving Moore back to a utility role. Crawford has started the year hitting under .200 with just two homers and nine RBI in 86 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
5 days agoSeattle Mariners catcher
Mitch Garver (back) has returned to the starting lineup on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles and left-hander
John Means, serving as the designated hitter while batting third in the order. The 33-year-old veteran backstop will return to action after being scratched from Tuesday's lineup with back spasms. He's gone hitless in only three career at-bats against Means and is slashing just .174/.287/.347 with five home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored in 143 trips to the plate and 36 games in his first season in Seattle. Garver has picked things up in May, though, going 9-for-37 (.243) with two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and five runs scored in 11 games played. He's also been better against lefties than righties in 2024, making him a DFS sleeper at the position on Friday against Means.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSeattle Mariners second baseman
Jorge Polanco (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday versus the Baltimore Orioles. It will be Polanco's third straight missed game due to right-hamstring soreness. The 30-year-old is considered day-to-day and will next have a chance to return to the lineup on Saturday. In his absence,
Josh Rojas will make another start at second base and will bat sixth, while
Luis Urias starts at the hot corner and bats ninth against Orioles left-hander
John Means. Polanco has yet to get going at all really in 2024 with a slash line of just .192/.298/.308 with five home runs and 13 RBI in 146 at-bats. Rojas is exceeding everyone's expectations offensively this year and has gone 16-for-46 (.348) in 12 games in May. However, he's had only 11 plate appearances against lefties in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Seattle Mariners
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jose Siri is being rested on Friday in Toronto as the club takes on the Blue Jays.
Jonny DeLuca will get back into the starting lineup in center field and will bat ninth against Blue Jays right-hander
Chris Bassitt. Siri had started in five of the team's last seven games after a short stretch where DeLuca was pretty much starting every day. The 28-year-old Siri hasn't done much offensively for the Rays this year, going 19-for-109 (.174) with three home runs, 13 RBI and six stolen bases, so he could continue to lose playing time to DeLuca in center field. Meanwhile, DeLuca has hit a much better .281 (9-for-32) with a home run, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. The 25-year-old former Dodger won't have much DFS appeal out of the nine-hole for Friday's action, though.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
5 days agoWashington Nationals second baseman
Luis Garcia Jr. (heel) has been scratched from the starting lineup on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies after injuring his right heel in Chicago. Garcia thinks he'll be fine to play on Saturday.
Ildemaro Vargas will replace Garcia at the keystone on Friday and will hit fifth against Phillies right-hander
Zack Wheeler. Fantasy managers should consider Garcia day-to-day for now and check back on Saturday to see if he's put back in the lineup. Garcia is in the midst of the best season of his MLB career in 2024 and is currently hitting .283/.336/.433 with three home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases in 37 games, so fantasy managers are hoping he's back on Saturday after also missing Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox. Vargas is merely a low-ceiling DFS sleeper in a tough matchup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
5 days agoAtlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley (side) remains sidelined for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres.
Zack Short will make yet another start at the hot corner in Atlanta and will hit in the nine-hole versus Padres right-hander
Matt Waldron. Riley is missing his fourth straight game after being pulled from Sunday's game early against the New York Mets with a left-side issue. The 27-year-old's MRI exam earlier this week showed only inflammation, so there's still hope he can avoid a trip to the injured list. Still, if Riley cannot play at all in the weekend series against the Padres, things could change. Since joining the Braves, Short has gone 4-for-10 with two doubles and two RBI in just four games, but he's hitting .192 (5-for-26) on the year as a whole and is a career .175 hitter in 193 big-league games. Avoid him in DFS.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays infielder
Jose Caballero is taking the day off on Friday for the start of a series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. With Caballero starting on the bench,
Amed Rosario will start at shortstop and hit seventh against Blue Jays right-hander
Chris Bassitt. This will only be Caballero's fifth game on the bench to start a game for Tampa this year, as he's been the team's primary shortstop in 2024 in the wake of
Wander Franco's off-the-field issues. The 27-year-old from Panama doesn't have much power and is hitting just .252/.309/.360 in 139 at-bats, but he's useful in fantasy leagues for his speed (17 steals in his first 40 games with the Rays). Rosario isn't in an ideal lineup spot for those in DFS, but he is sporting a .300 average (42-for-140) on the year with two homers, 18 RBI, five stolen bases and 12 runs scored.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
5 days agoNew York Mets outfielder
Brandon Nimmo (illness) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday for the start of a series in Miami against the Marlins. Nimmo was scratched from Thursday's lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies due to a stomach bug and clearly is still not feeling well a day later. The 31-year-old should be considered day-to-day. Check back on Saturday to see if he's back in the Mets' lineup.
Tyrone Taylor will make another start in left field and will head leadoff against Marlins left-hander
Jesus Luzardo. Taylor has two hits and two RBI in just three career at-bats against Luzardo. However, Taylor is also hitting just .191 (4-for-21) with no homers and seven strikeouts in his 10 games played in May. Because he's hitting out of the leadoff spot, he'll have slightly more appeal as a DFS sleeper.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays designated hitter
Justin Turner (illness) is back in the lineup on Friday, serving as the DH and batting cleanup against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander
Tyler Alexander. Turner missed a few games this week while feeling under the weather, but he's back in there for the start of a series against the Rays. The 39-year-old veteran should be returned to starting fantasy lineups in redraft leagues. He's gone hitless in his last 16 plate appearances over four games but does have two home runs and five RBI in five career at-bats against Alexander. On the year, Turner has slashed .246/.317/.405 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored in 126 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
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