6 days agoHouston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (hand) is at third base and is batting in the two-hole for the series finale on Wednesday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas. Bregman had an injury scare in Tuesday's win over St. Louis when he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, but he stayed in for the entire game, and X-rays came back negative after the contest. The 30-year-old All-Star is on an absolute tear at the plate of late after starting the year off slow offensively. In his last eight games played, Bregman has torn the cover off the ball by going 12-for-31 (.387) with five home runs, a double, a triple, eight RBI and nine runs scored. Fantasy managers will obviously want to keep him locked in right now. Bregman has faced Mikolas only twice in his career and doesn't have a hit.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
6 days agoHouston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Tucker fouled a ball off of his right shin in Monday's win over the Cardinals and didn't play on Tuesday, so this will be his second straight game sitting out. The good news is the 27-year-old All-Star avoided a serious injury and remains day-to-day for now. The Astros have a scheduled off day on Thursday before heading to Anaheim to face the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, so fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if Tucker is back in the fold. When active, Tucker is a must-start in fantasy as one of the most productive hitters in baseball. Trey Cabbage, who was called up from the minors on Tuesday, is in right field and is batting seventh for the Astros on Wednesday against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas in the series finale.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
6 days agoThe Boston Red Sox reinstated outfielder Tyler O'Neill (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and optioned catcher Tyler Heineman to Triple-A Worcester to make room on the active roster. O'Neill will start in right field and bat fifth in his return versus the visiting Atlanta Braves and rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach. The 28-year-old outfielder spent the minimal time on the IL with right-knee inflammation. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday while serving as the designated hitter. O'Neill has cooled off since a strong start in April and was hitless in 15 at-bats with 10 strikeouts in four games before landing on the injured list, so fantasy managers may want to wait a bit before throwing him back in their starting lineups. Overall, O'Neill is hitting .236 (35-for-148) with 11 homers and 17 RBI in his first year in Boston.Source: Boston Red Sox
6 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (elbow) is sitting out of Wednesday's matinee affair at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Travis d'Arnaud will do the catching and will bat sixth against Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised that Murphy is out after he left the game late in Tuesday's win when he was hit by a pitch on his right elbow. Thankfully, X-rays on the 29-year-old backstop came back negative, so he's considered day-to-day for now. There's a chance he could be back in action on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Murphy has already missed substantial time this year due to an oblique strain and is hitting just .182 (4-for-22) with no homers, but he is Atlanta's primary catcher when healthy. d'Arnaud isn't a bad DFS option at the position and has a homer and three RBI in six career at-bats against Pivetta.Source: Atlanta Braves
6 days agoThe Philadelphia Phillies spent a third-round pick and $750,000 to land outfielder Jordan Viars out of high school in 2021. He doesn't have the greatest bat skills, but he gets good strength behind his swings and can hit the ball hard. FanGraphs appropriately described Viars' impact on the ball as "thump" rather than "power." Regardless of what you call it, there's reason to be excited about his seven homers and .934 OPS in 2024. He's also an above-average defender who will get a chance to play right field long-term. Viars put on a show over the course of five games last week, going 9-for-18 with four homers, 11 RBI, one walk, and five strikeouts. This one-week outburst is a small sample size, but there's at least some optimism that Viars has found his groove and can be an impact hitter in the Phillies' system.Source: FanGraphs
6 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitching prospect Alejandro Rosario was a fifth-round pick out of Miami in 2023. He slid down draft boards due to concerns about his control, but that has not been an issue since he was drafted. In fact, he has an astounding 9.77 K/BB ratio and one of the lowest walk rates in the minors. The right-hander sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and he complements his heater with an effective changeup that he commands well. Rosario, who hasn't allowed a run over his last 11 innings, put together a gem last Saturday. He went six innings in the win, allowing one hit, one hit batsman, and zero runs. Best of all, he struck out a whopping 11 batters. As it stands, Rosario is one of the most exciting young arms in the minors. Still in Single-A, Rosario could be years away from his MLB debut, but there's no denying the upside.Source: FanGraphs
6 days agoBoston Red Sox catcher Kyle Teel was the best catching prospect in the 2023 draft and was ultimately selected No. 14 overall. He's already lived up to the hype throughout his first year of pro baseball, demonstrating impressive plate discipline, great bat-to-ball ability, decent power, and terrific skills behind the dish. Specifically, he frames pitches quite well and also has a strong arm. He has the potential to be an All-Star and could presumably give Boston the best catching tandem in baseball between himself and Connor Wong. Teel has spent all of 2024 at Double-A, but he's coming off a big week that will surely push him closer to Triple-A. Over his last six games, he went 10-for-24 with three homers, 11 RBI, three walks, and five strikeouts. He also stole two bases. There's never a "sure thing" when talking about baseball prospects, but Teel is just about as close as you'll get.Source: FanGraphs
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews was a fourth-round pick in 2023. Although he didn't make his pro debut until this April, he's already appeared in RotoBaller's Hot Prospects to Watch series three times, which is the highest mark among any player this season. The southpaw has a low-90s fastball and rounds out his repertoire with a curveball, slider, and changeup. Of those secondary options, the changeup is the best, though all three can be effective. Mathews flashed decent control in college and has racked up strikeouts so far this year, all while keeping his walk rate relatively low. Mathews' latest outing thrust him right back into the spotlight. He struck out six batters over six shutout innings, surrendering just two hits and plunking one batter. He's been one of the most overachieving pitching prospects this season and is destined for a promotion to Double-A sooner rather than later.Source: FanGraphs
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers shortstop prospect Trey Sweeney is a 24-year-old who was acquired from the Yankees last winter in the Blue Crew's attempt to create 40-man roster space while bolstering their farm system. The former first-round pick is a reliable defender with a strong glove and a decent arm. However, he might not be rangy or athletic enough to play shortstop long-term, suggesting that a move to second or third base will be necessary. At the plate, he has great awareness, using his baseball IQ to draw walks and get the bat on the ball. He isn't viewed as a power hitter, but he gets on base. Although Sweeney isn't a major power threat, he certainly mashed the ball last week. In turn, this generated plenty of buzz about his future, which could include a promotion to the big league club sooner rather than later. Over his last six games, he went 11-for-28 with six homers, 14 RBI, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He also stole a base.Source: FanGraphs
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman remained scorching hot in Tuesday's loss versus the Houston Astros. Gorman went 2-for-5 on the evening with a solo home run. Gorman struggled mightily to open the season, but he has pulled a 180 over the last month by going 23-for-73 with 10 homeruns and 19 RBI. For the season, he is hitting .235 with 14 homers and 31 RBI. It's hard to move on from Gorman with the way he is hitting, but his trade value is at an all time high and it is unlikely that he will keep this pace throughout the season which makes him a great sell-high candidate.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena continued his career year in Tuesday's victory versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Pena went 2-for-2 with a walk, a run and two RBI. He was also caught stealing in the contest. Pena was overlooked in many drafts this offseason after a rough 2023 campaign, but his 2024 season has made him look like one of the best draft picks for fantasy managers. On the season, Pena is now hitting .305 with five homers, 23 RBI and nine stolen bases. Pena should remain an everyday starter in all formats moving forward with his ability to help across the board.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoAfter being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski would provide the only offense in a victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Suwinski went 1-for-4 on the evening and took Tyler Glasnow deep for a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to lead the Pirates to their 28th victory. Suwinski has shown power in the past with 50 career home runs, but has struggled this season with a .177 batting average and five homers to go along with 14 RBI and five stolen bases. His time in Triple-A may be what he needed to get going and managers searching for power should watch and see what Suwinski does over the next few days as he could be a solid one-category pickup.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks middle infielder Blaze Alexander has begun to heat up with another big performance in Tuesday's victory versus the rival San Francisco Giants. Alexander went 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI on Tuesday and now has eight hits over his last 16 at-bats with four runs and three RBI. Overall, the 24-year-old has been putting together a solid rookie campaign, but he will need to keep his hot streak up with shortstops Geraldo Perdomo (knee) and Jordan Lawlar (thumb) both on rehab assignments. Alexander is worth riding with the way his bat is swinging at the moment, but is nothing more than a streamer in redraft leagues, especially with Lawlar and Perdomo eventually returning.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Tuesday's victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. The home run would be his second in as many games and his fifth of the season. Diaz is now hitting .249 and has driven in 28 runs this season. The 25-year-old backstop entered the season as a popular sleeper behind the dish, but struggled before the beginning of this week. It's nice to see Diaz enjoy the Cardinals pitching and hopefully this is a sign of better times to come from here on out. Diaz remains the Astros everyday catcher and is a worthy option in most formats moving forward.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn went 3-for-3 with a walk and two-run homer in Tuesday's loss versus the Houston Astros. Winn's big performance raised his batting average to .309 on the season to go along with three homers, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases. The 22-year-old has really taken a step forward this season and the power is beginning to come around with all of his homers coming in the past 15 games. Over the past month, he has hit .358 and managers should consider his value at its peak for this season in redraft leagues, making him a good sell-high candidate. Winn will look to continue his hot streak when the Cardinals take on the Houston Astros and Ronel Blanco on Wednesday.Source: MLB.com