5 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud (head) is back behind the plate and is batting fifth for the second game of a doubleheader on Monday against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander
Randy Vasquez. It will be d'Arnaud's first game since he was removed from Friday's game against San Diego early as a precaution after he dealt with dizziness from being hit by a foul tip. The good news is that the 35-year-old veteran avoided a concussion and a trip to the seven-day concussion list. His fantasy value remains high with
Sean Murphy (oblique) still working his way back from an injury. d'Arnaud is also hitting .255/.336/.500 with an .836 OPS, five home runs, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored in his 102 at-bats so far in 2024. He's never faced Vasquez in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAtlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley (side) is sitting out the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the visiting San Diego Padres. Riley also missed the Game 1 loss and now has not played in over a week due to intercostal inflammation on his left side. If the 27-year-old is forced to miss anymore time, it's likely he'll eventually land on the injured list. Riley is hoping to swing a bat soon, so he's technically still considered day-to-day. When healthy, he's the Braves' starting third baseman and is a must-start in all fantasy lineups when he's in the lineup. The former 41st overall pick in 2015 is currently hitting .245/.319/.388 on the year with three home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored in 147 at-bats.
Zack Short is making another start at third in Game 2 on Monday and is hitting in the nine-hole after going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 1 to drop his average to .143.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez (illness) is back at DH and is batting cleanup for the Mets on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander
Ben Lively. Martinez was held out of Sunday's lineup in the series finale against the Miami Marlins due to flu-like symptoms but is feeling good enough to return to action against a pitcher he's never faced in his career. The 36-year-old right-handed slugger got a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the Mets late. He opened the year playing in minor leagues to get his timing at the plate down, and it seems to have worked, as he's currently hitting .315/.359/.466 with two home runs in his first 21 games of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get the veteran DH back in their starting lineups to begin the week.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Diego Padres second baseman
Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) was removed from the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves with a left-shoulder injury, but preliminary imaging came back negative. It's good news for now, but the Padres are awaiting further results. Even if Bogaerts avoids a serious injury, he's out of Game 2 of the double dip in Atlanta on Monday and could miss more time heading into Tuesday's series opener against the Reds in Cincinnati. The 31-year-old injured his shoulder while diving for a ball up the middle. For now, fantasy managers will want to consider him day-to-day until further notice.
Luis Arraez is at second base and batting leadoff in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Before getting hurt on Monday, Bogaerts went hitless in his lone at-bat to drop his season average to a weak .219. Both Arraez and
Tyler Wade are options to play the keystone if Bogaerts misses extended time.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The San Diego Union-Tribune - Kevin Acee
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfield prospect
Gabriel Rincones Jr. (thumb) is expected to miss the next few months due to a torn ligament in his right thumb that he suffered on April 24. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Rincones could return to Double-A Reading in July. Last year, Rincones was drafted by the Phillies in the third round after he mashed 19 home runs in just 58 games at Florida Atlantic University. This year, he was playing extremely well through 60 plate appearances with Double-A Reading, slashing .300/.417/.600 with three doubles, four home runs, four steals, and 11 walks. Unfortunately, what was hoped to be a year of significant progression will likely be spent rehabbing and readjusting. Rincones is mainly an injury stash in dynasty leagues for now.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic
5 days agoLast year, Tampa Bay Rays outfield/first base prospect Tre' Morgan was drafted out of Louisiana State University in the third round. Since then, he's been excellent in the minor leagues. He began the 2024 season with Low-A Charleston. He slashed .320/.398/.440 with 19 runs, four doubles, two home runs, and nine stolen bases across 115 plate appearances. As a result, he was called up to High-A Bowling Green on May 15. Since then, he's slashed .520/.626/.1000 with five doubles, a home run, a walk, zero strikeouts, and a stolen base. Morgan is the Rays' 13th overall prospect, expected to make his MLB debut sometime in 2026.--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoSeattle Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford went 4-for-4 with a triple and a stolen base against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Sunday night. After a decent April, wherein he slashed .218/.371/.410 with six doubles and three home runs in 97 plate appearances, the 21-year-old catcher has been outstanding in May. Through 67 plate appearances this month, he's hitting .340/.478/.528 with three doubles, two triples, and one homer. Overall, Ford has displayed excellent power and advanced plate discipline for a player his age. Through 35 games, he only has three more strikeouts (32) than walks (29). Ford is ranked #28 on MLB's top-100 prospects list and is expected to make his MLB debut sometime next year.--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoIn 2023, Chicago White Sox shortstop prospect Brooks Baldwin posted impressive numbers in 93 minor-league games. Splitting time between Low-A Kannapolis and High-A Winston-Salem, he slashed .269/.349/.460 with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and 42 walks. As a result, he was assigned to Double-A Birmingham to begin the 2024 season. So far, Baldwin has been even better. Through his first 155 plate appearances, he's slashing .353/.439/.474 with 10 doubles, two home runs, 21 RBI, and 19 walks. Despite the dip in his home-run rate, Baldwin has shown he can excel at the Double-A level. At the beginning of the season, he was just the 24th overall prospect in the White Sox's farm system, according to MLB.com. If he keeps playing well, he'll almost certainly climb the leaderboards.--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoThe Cleveland Guardians designated outfielder
Ramon Laureano for assignment before the team's series opener against the New York Mets. Laureano was off to a rough start in 2024, hitting just .143 with one home run and four RBI across 31 games. The 29-year-old outfielder also had just two hits over his last 31 plate appearances. He should now have the opportunity to sign with any team as a free agent.
Johnathan Rodriguez will take his place on the active roster after the team called him up on Monday.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Mandy Bell
5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher prospect Drew Thorpe was dominant through his first six starts in 2024. In 35 2/3 innings with Double-A Birmingham, he had allowed just 21 hits, four runs (1.01 ERA), and nine walks while collecting 33 strikeouts. However, in his seventh start, he gave up three runs in the first inning against Pensacola Blue Wahoos and was pulled after just two outs. Fortunately, Thorpe bounced back on Saturday against the Chattanooga Lookouts, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings, collecting seven strikeouts, and allowing just two hits and two walks. Overall, the 23-year-old right-hander has a 1.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 3.08 K/BB through his first eight appearances. Thorpe is a likely candidate to pitch in majors this season, making him a solid prospect stash in redraft formats. --Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoThe Tampa Bay Rays officially reinstated infielder
Brandon Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day injured list. Lowe last appeared in a game on April 7 before he landed on the IL with an oblique injury. As a result, expect the Rays to give the slugger some days off here and there in the coming days since he's been out for more than one month. The second baseman, though, should eventually see an everyday role when a right-hander starts on the mound. He was hitting .185 at the plate with one home run and four RBI in eight games before his injury.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Rays
5 days agoThe Tampa Bay Rays placed
Zach Eflin (back) on the 15-day injured list before the team's three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. Eflin likely injured his back in his most recent outing on May 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays, where he gave up four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts across six innings. The right-hander has struggled in the early part of the season, giving up at least three earned runs in four of his last five outings. He will now head to the IL with a 4.12 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 10 starts.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Rays
5 days agoThe New York Mets officially activated pitcher
Tylor Megill (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Megill went on the IL in late March with a shoulder strain after tossing four innings of one-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 31. Monday will mark his second start of the season, and his first since that March 31 outing. In his first start back, expect the right-hander to be on somewhat of a pitch count. However, he could be a nice streaming option against the Cleveland Guardians. He threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his last rehab start in Triple-A. To activate him, the Mets optioned pitcher
Grant Hartwig to Triple-A Syracuse.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer will bat sixth against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Springer started the season as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, but his recent struggles at the plate have pushed him down in the order. He will bat sixth for the third straight game, where he has seen some success. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI, and two walks in Sunday's 5-2 win. Hitting the veteran lower in the order should result in more RBI opportunities, and Toronto is hoping it helps him turn a corner on offense. He is batting just .201 with three home runs and eight RBI this season.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Diego Padres second baseman
Xander Bogaerts left Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves early after injuring what appeared to be his shoulder on a diving attempt in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts immediately favored his shoulder before trainers took him off the field. With a quick turnaround, it's safe to say that the veteran will likely not be available for Game 2.
Tyler Wade took his spot at second base in the third inning, and he could see more playing time if Bogaerts misses an extended time.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Acee
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