May 4, 2025
Kansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez (hip) is back in action on Sunday when the Royals continue a series against the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran backstop has been held out of the lineup for the first two games of this series due to a minor hip injury. Perez will serve as the team's DH and bat this afternoon in the cleanup spot. Before his injury, Perez was beginning to heat up at the plate, holding a .400/.419/.633 slash line with seven doubles and six RBI over his last eight contests. Prior to this recent surge, the 34-year-old held an underwhelming .182/.234/.295 slash line with just four doubles and two home runs over his first 23 games of the regular season. Under the hood, Perez has generated an elite .412 xwOBA, which suggests he should continue to produce at the plate. He is a strong option in DFS this afternoon, facing Baltimore right-hander
Kyle Gibson.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays closer
Pete Fairbanks closed the door on the Yankees in a 3-2 victory on Saturday, dispatching New York on three consecutive grounders in the ninth inning to pick up his seventh save of the season. The righty has been good this season, logging a save in four straight appearances now with zero blown saves to this point, posting a 2.19 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. However, the strikeout rate is the lowest of his career, and the walk rate the highest, leading to a paltry 8.0 percent K-BB%, not something you see from your prototypical closer. Still, collecting saves while not crushing your fantasy team's ERA is what managers are looking for, so as the team's unquestioned closer, he remains one of the preferred options for saves in fantasy.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Boston Red Sox second base prospect
Kristian Campbell (ribs) is returning to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when the Red Sox face the Minnesota Twins. Campbell has been held out of action for the last three games due to this minor injury. However, the infielder has progressed well and will not face an extended absence. The top prospect will cover the keystone and bat cleanup. Over his last nine contests before his injury, the Georgia Tech product has posted a .324/.425/.529 slash line with four doubles and one home run. Through his 29 games in the major leagues, Campbell has performed quite well, holding a .301/.407/.495 slash line with four home runs and two stolen bases. Fantasy managers should view Campbell as a strong option this afternoon, and he is worth a look in DFS facing Minnesota right-hander
Chris Paddack.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Athletics outfielder
JJ Bleday went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Marlins. It was his fourth home run of the year, and he's now homered in back-to-back games. Hitting in the middle of the Athletics' lineup should continue to keep him relevant for fantasy, now with 13 RBI and 22 runs scored for the year as well. If the former first-round draft pick can improve upon his .231 AVG to go along with a strong 12.6 percent walk rate, then even more production could be in the offing, although a .214 xBA doesn't instill confidence that much improvement will be made, limiting his roster-worthiness to deeper fantasy leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto went 2-for-4 at the plate in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks, smacking a double and a three-run home run in the game. It was the second home run in the last three games for the veteran and third of the year. Despite a decline in power and stolen base production over the last couple of years, the 3x All-Star can still be relevant for fantasy at a position starved for offense, with his modest .240-3-11-11-4 stat line putting him within the top 12 scoring options at the position. The 34-year-old's 79.9 percent contact rate is the highest mark since 2017, so he can still put the bat on the ball even though 20-home run seasons may be a thing of the past.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI, and a run scored in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Phillies. It was the 6-foot-3 slugger's third multi-hit game in his last four, going 8-for-16 (.500) over that stretch with three doubles, a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored. Hitting just .214 on the season, his xBA of .260 suggests the results should have been better (.196 BABIP), and perhaps this four-game stretch is the beginning of a turnaround that gets him back to a more respectable batting average. The Cuban's 83.5 percent contact rate and 11.2 percent strikeout rate are the best of his career, so look for him to add to his .214-5-18-11-1 line.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfielder
Jake Fraley reached base three times in Saturday's 11-6 loss to the Nationals, going 1-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run, and two runs scored in the contest. It was some much-needed production after coming into the game 0-for-14 over his previous five starts (1-for-2 as a pinch hitter on Friday). The left-handed hitter is off to a slow start, hitting .216 and slugging .378, but has a strong 13:15 BB:K, which has helped him get on base, while also stealing three bases so far in 2025. The 29-year-old has stolen at least 20 bases in each of the last two seasons despite playing in no more than 116 games, so he could have some relevance in NL-only leagues, but low barrel and hard-hit rates will limit the home run potential.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Max Kepler went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks. The home run was his fifth of the year, with four of them coming in his last seven games (and three in his last four), and now riding a mini four-game hit streak. After spending his entire career in Minnesota, the 32-year-old is having somewhat of a renaissance in Philadelphia, as he's now on pace for more than 15 home runs, which would easily surpass the eight that he hit last season. The left-handed slugger owns an 11.9 percent barrel rate and 52.4 percent hard-hit rate, so expect the power output to continue. In a platoon role, the 6-foot-4 slugger may be a bit frustrating in season-long fantasy, but is a viable DFS play, especially while he's hitting so well.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-4 with a three-run shot during their victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Crow-Armstrong went deep in the fourth inning off Milwaukee southpaw
Jose Quintana. His three-run shot scored catcher
Carson Kelly and second baseman
Nico Hoerner. Over his last 10 games, the former top prospect has begun to flash upside power as he has gone deep six times, tallied two doubles, and brought in 16 RBI. Before this power surge, Crow-Armstrong posted a .258/.310/.462 slash line over his first 24 games of the season. The 23-year-old has generated a solid .361 xwOBA and a .273 xBA, which suggests he should continue to enjoy a breakout season. He remains a must-start player on Sunday facing
Freddy Peralta.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Washington Nationals infielder
Amed Rosario was busy at the plate on Saturday evening, going 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, and four RBI in their victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Rosario would hit an RBI double in the fourth inning, which scored
Jacob Young. Later in the sixth, Rosario would go deep for the second time this season, which scored Young once again and shortstop
CJ Abrams. Rosario has struggled to find consistent playing time through the opening month but has been productive when on the field. Through his first 19 games of the campaign, Rosario has posted a .276/.288/.488 slash line with four doubles, two round-trippers, and a stolen base. He has also generated a strong .327 xBA, which suggests he should continue to find success at the plate. On Sunday, he will look to stay hot at the plate, facing Cincinnati right-hander
Nick Martinez.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Washington Nationals outfielder
James Wood went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base during their victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Wood would hit his double in the third inning off Cincinnati southpaw
Nick Lodolo. This was Wood's second-straight game stealing at least one base. Over his last 12 games, the sophomore outfielder has posted an impressive .348/.464/.587 slash line with five doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 15:10 K:BB. Prior to this recent surge at the plate, the 22-year-old held a .232/.337/.524 line across his first 22 games of the season. Under the hood, Wood has generated a .392 xwOBA with a 52.3 percent hard-hit rate, which suggests he should continue to enjoy a breakout campaign. He remains a must-start option in all formats on Sunday when he faces Cincinnati right-hander
Nick Martinez.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman went 3-for-5 with a home run and added four RBI during their demanding victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday evening. Freeman would hit an RBI single to left field, which brought home
Mookie Betts in the fourth inning. In the eighth, Freeman would cap off his evening with a three-run shot that scored
Shohei Ohtani and Betts for the second time. This impressive outing extended his hitting streak to eight games. During this stretch, Freeman has posted a stellar .483/.571/.793 slash line with three doubles, two home runs, and 10 RBI. The 35-year-old has battled injuries this season, but when in the lineup, he has produced elite results. Through 22 total games, the reigning World Series MVP has posted a .338/.422/.662 slash line. He will look to stay hot on Sunday evening, facing
Bryce Elder.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a home run and a walk during their victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday evening. Ohtani would launch his eighth home run of the campaign in the third inning off Atlanta right-hander
Spencer Schwellenbach. The reigning NL MVP has begun to see his offensive production increase over the past week. In his last seven games, the 30-year-old has posted an impressive .407/.529/.889 slash line with three doubles, two triples, two long balls, and four stolen bases. Prior to this stretch, Ohtani held a .260/.355/.479 through his first 24 games of the season. Ohtani has generated an elite .451 xwOBA, which suggests he should continue to see his offensive production climb throughout the summer. He will look to continue this impressive stretch on Sunday against Atlanta right-hander
Bryce Elder.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 4, 2025
Atlanta Braves second baseman
Ozzie Albies went 3-for-4 with a home run and a stolen base during their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday evening. Albies would go deep in the fourth inning with a solo shot off Dodgers right-hander
Roki Sasaki. Over his last seven games, Albies has been productive at the plate, posting a .300/.323/.400 slash line. During this stretch, he has hit just one extra-base hit (a home run) but has swiped three bags. Through 32 games, Albies has posted a modest .248/.302/.395 slash line with five home runs and five stolen bases. Under the hood, the switch-hitting second baseman has generated a modest .290 xwOBA with a 5.5 percent barrel rate, which are both well below the average marks. He will look to stay hot on Sunday night against right-handed pitcher
Dustin May.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 3, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Aaron Nola allowed four hits and no runs over six innings pitched in his team's 7-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He walked one and struck out eight while picking up his first win of the season (1-5). Nola let up six hard-hit balls on Saturday, but he was able to keep the D-Backs off balance, allowing just one extra-base hit (double). The veteran right-hander has rebounded nicely over his last two starts after affording the Giants and Mets ten combined runs over the two starts prior. During the previous 13 innings, he's surrendered just seven hits and one earned run with a 14:2 K:BB ratio and back-to-back quality starts. He'll attempt to keep the good times rolling in his next appearance, which should come on the road against the Cleveland Guardians next weekend.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
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