6 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitching prospect
Zach Penrod was recently named Eastern League Pitcher Of The Week. Penrod has been outstanding this season with Double-A Portland as he has pitched 30 innings to the tune of a 2.10 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a solid 44:12 K:BB ratio. This past week, the southpaw tallied ten punchouts in consecutive outings for the first time in his career. Penrod has looked quite solid after recovering from Tommy John surgery the past few seasons. Last year, he held a 2.18 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 20:11 K:BB ratio through 20 ⅔ innings with High-A. Penrod should be a name to monitor this summer, as he has looked quite strong since the end of his recovery and could become a name to target in dynasty leagues down the road.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Portland Sea Dogs
6 days agoCincinnati Reds left-hander
Nick Lodolo (groin) has a long bullpen session scheduled for the next day or two, according to manager David Bell. The next steps/return plan will be revealed after Lodolo throws his bullpen this week. Lodolo was placed on the 15-day injured list with a groin injury and will be eligible to return on May 27. The 26-year-old southpaw has been optimistic that he'll be back in Cincy's rotation when eligible, but we'll have to see if that comes to fruition. In order for that to happen, Lodolo might have to skip a minor-league rehab assignment. The former seventh overall pick in 2019 out of TCU pitched in only seven games in 2023 due to a stress fracture in his leg. In six starts so far this year, he has a career-best 3.34 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with nine walks and 43 strikeouts in 35 innings. For his strikeout upside alone, Lodolo deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
6 days agoMinnesota Twins starting pitching prospect
Andrew Morris was promoted to Double-A on Tuesday, May 21. Morris has been excellent this season and was recently named the High-A Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on May 19 due to his stellar outing on May 15, in which he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit and tallying six punchouts. Through 37 ⅔ innings at High-A this season, the 22-year-old has a 2.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 43:7 K:BB ratio. The former fourth-round selection is considered the number 18 prospect in Minnesota on MLB Pipeline, but that could change over the summer as Morris settles in at Double-A. He should be monitored closely by dynasty managers as he could push for a late-season promotion to Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks third base prospect
Deyvison De Los Santos was promoted to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday, May 21. The number 14 prospect in the Arizona pipeline has been off to a scorching start of the season at the plate with Double-A and was rewarded for this by moving up to the final stop in the minor leagues. Through 38 games this season with Double-A Amarillo, the 20-year-old posted an incredible .372/.426/.696 slash line with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, and a 12:36 BB:K ratio. De Los Santos spent all of last season with Double-A but posted a mediocre .254/.297/.431 line with 20 home runs. This recent promotion now opens the door for a late-season major league debut, especially due to his impressive start. The 20-year-old should be rostered in most dynasty leagues and could become a popular stash candidate if he can carry this momentum into his taste of Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB Central
6 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
Spencer Steer (ankle) is sitting out of the starting lineup again on Tuesday against the visiting San Diego Padres. Steer didn't play on Sunday and remains sidelined despite the Reds having a scheduled day off on Monday. The 26-year-old was able to make a pinch-hitting appearance on Sunday, though, and says he's available off the bench once again on Tuesday. It means that Steer is unlikely to land on the injured list, and fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. In his absence on Tuesday, rookie
Jacob Hurtubise is starting in left field and batting leadoff against Padres right-hander
Joe Musgrove, who is making his first start off the injured list. Hurtubise has DFS sleeper upside in the leadoff spot and has gone 2-for-8 with a walk and a strikeout in his first six big-league games this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres second baseman
Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) is out of the starting lineup on Tuesday for the series opener in Cincinnati against the Reds. Bogaerts hurt his left shoulder diving for a ball on Monday early on in the first game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves and was kept out of Game 2, so this will be his second straight missed game.
Luis Arraez will once again start at second base and hit leadoff, while
Donovan Solano is the designated hitter and is batting sixth against Reds left-hander
Andrew Abbott. Tests on Bogaerts' shoulder on Monday came back negative, so he's currently considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Wednesday to see if he's back in action. Bogaerts has been a disappointment so far in 2024 with a .219 average, four homers, 14 RBI and four steals, but he just snapped a six-game hitting streak on Monday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres right-hander
Joe Musgrove (elbow) has officially been reinstated from the 15-day injured list and is returning to start on Tuesday on the road in Cincinnati against the Reds. Musgrove is returning from a bout with right-elbow inflammation that has sidelined him since May 1. The 31-year-old has been hit around a bit so far in 2024 and has been leaving the ball up often, but he did look a lot better against these same Reds in San Diego his last time out on May 1, when he went six innings with two runs allowed and a season-high nine strikeouts. It's a very favorable matchup, as the Reds rank 28th out of 30 teams with a .652 OPS, but Musgrove will still be a shaky option for fantasy lineups because of the fact that he didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning. He enters the day 3-3 with a bloated 6.37 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 36 K's in 41 innings over eight starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets third baseman
Brett Baty and outfielder
Harrison Bader are out of the lineup on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians. Baty went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Monday and is now hitting just .228 (31-for-136) with three homers and 15 RBI this year. The 24-year-old has already lost some playing time at the hot corner to
Mark Vientos, and he could be on the bench more often moving forward if he doesn't start hitting soon. It appears to be just a normal day off for Bader, who is batting a solid .281/.322/.341 in 135 at-bats with a homer, 12 RBI and six stolen bases for the Mets. Vientos is at third base and is batting seventh on Tuesday, with
Tyrone Taylor in center field and hitting fifth against Guardians right-handed spot starter
Xzavion Curry.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
6 days agoCleveland Guardians rookie outfielder
Johnathan Rodriguez is making his major-league debut on Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets and right-hander
Adrian Houser, starting in right field and batting seventh. Rodriguez enters the starting lineup in Cleveland for the first time after being called up from Triple-A Columbus on Monday. The 24-year-old could see a decent amount of at-bats for the Guardians until
Steven Kwan (hamstring) is able to return from the injured list, making him worth a look off the waiver wire in AL-only leagues. MLB Pipeline has Rodriguez ranked as the team's No. 16 prospect. The Puerto Rican outfielder earned his call-up by hitting .276/.389/.449 with an .838 OPS, seven homers, 28 RBI and four steals in 43 games for Columbus.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
6 days agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Xzavion Curry was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to make a spot start on Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets after the team placed right-hander
Carlos Carrasco (neck) on the 15-day injured list. Curry may not be a very attractive streamer in fantasy on Tuesday, but he did toss five scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts in a no-decision in his only start of the year for the Guardians on April 15 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old has gone 0-5 with an 8.79 ERA and 1.81 WHIP with 14 walks and 27 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings over seven outings (six starts) for Columbus, though, which explains why he'll be an extremely volatile deep-league streamer on Tuesday despite the good matchup. If Curry pitches well on Tuesday, he could stick around in Cleveland's rotation until Carrasco returns.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Mike Puma
6 days agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Carlos Carrasco (neck), who was scheduled to start on Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets, has been scratched and placed on the 15-day injured list with an acute neck spasm.
Xzavion Curry has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus and will make the spot start on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Carrasco will be out for at least the next two weeks and possibly longer given his age. Although he currently has an ERA of 5.16 and a WHIP of 1.46 in 45 1/3 innings this year, Carrasco had been pitching better of late in his last three starts. However, he's also sporting a weak 17.2 percent strikeout rate and doesn't have a ton of fantasy upside in deeper leagues when he's in Cleveland's starting rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
6 days agoThe Miami Marlins will activate shortstop
Tim Anderson (back) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and have optioned infielder
Tristan Gray to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move, according to sources. Anderson ended up missing the minimum 10 days on the injured list due to lower-back tightness and should be back at shortstop on Tuesday for the team's contest against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and rookie left-hander
Robert Gasser. The 30-year-old went 4-for-9 with a home run in two minor-league rehab games with Jacksonville, so hopefully he can use that as a springboard for better offensive performances in the big leagues after really struggling since the start of last season. Anderson is returning to a .197/.234/.221 slash line with no homers, six RBI and three steals in his first 122 at-bats with the Fish.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Fish On First - Isaac Azout
6 days agoOne American League executive thinks it's possible that the Toronto Blue Jays could move one or both of shortstop
Bo Bichette and first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this summer given the team's 21-25 start and the competitive state of the AL East. "I don't think they're opposed to it," the executive said. "They've talked to teams about it. The asks were ridiculous, but I think they're going to try to retool a lot, and using those guys to get pieces may be the way to do it." Both players are scheduled to reach free agency after the 2025 season, so any acquiring team would have them for the rest of this year and another full season. Bichette, a two-time All-Star, has had a sluggish start with a .230 average, only two homers and 16 RBI in 43 games. Guerrero is hitting .286 but with only four homers and 21 RBI in 45 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
6 days agoNew York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said last week that he's willing to negotiate a contract extension for outfielder
Juan Soto during the season. But with Soto in a contract year in 2024, most MLB executives see it as highly unlikely that he and his agent, Scott Boras, will sign an extension before he reaches the open market. "There's no chance," an American League executive said. "I think he ultimately signs back with the Yankees, but Scott takes his guys into free agency." Another AL executive put the Yankees' chances of signing Soto before the end of the year at 5%. The 25-year-old left-handed slugger is liking the Bronx so far, hitting .311/.411/.552 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI in his first 48 games in pinstripes, so he definitely has a reason to stick around. Obviously, Soto is a must-start in all fantasy lineups when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Bowden Francis (forearm) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab outing for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday and throw two to three innings or 45 pitches, according to manager John Schneider. If Francis comes out of that appearance without any issues, the Blue Jays are hoping he'll be ready to come off the injured list after that and rejoin the pitching staff this weekend. In his first two rehab appearances, Francis threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings with two hits allowed, five strikeouts and just one walk. The 28-year-old was in Toronto's starting rotation to open the year due to injuries to other pitchers, but he's likely to return in a long-relief role this weekend, which puts him off the fantasy radar in the vast majority of leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Shi Davidi
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