6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielders
Brandon Marsh and
Johan Rojas will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants with left-hander
Kyle Harrison on the mound. With Marsh getting a breather, utility man
Whit Merrifield will make the start in left field and will bat seventh against Harrison, who he has never faced in his career.
Cristian Pache is in center field and is batting ninth. The lefty-hitting Marsh has really struggled in limited at-bats against lefties in 2024, going 5-for-36 (.139) with no homers and 18 strikeouts in 43 plate appearances compared to a .297 average (35-for-118) with all six of his long balls against righties. Merrifield does have both of his long balls in 2024 off of lefties, but he's also hitting just .181 (17-for-94) on the year with just four RBI and six stolen bases in 29 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Phillies
6 days agoThe Philadelphia Phillies are resting catcher
J.T. Realmuto for their matinee game on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. With Realmuto getting a day of rest,
Garrett Stubbs will do the catching and bat eighth against Giants left-hander
Kyle Harrison. Realmuto is currently riding an impressive 17-game hitting streak, going 26-for-74 (.351) during that span with two home runs, five doubles, a triple, six RBI, four walks and 16 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances to raise his season slash line to .284/.327/.454 with a .780 OPS, seven home runs and 20 RBI in 196 plate appearances. The 33-year-old All-Star remains one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. Stubbs has only six hits in his 43 at-bats this year as Realmuto's backup and should be avoided in DFS lineups.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets outfielder
Brandon Nimmo is taking a seat for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers with a left-handed pitcher on the bump. As a result,
Tyrone Taylor will get the start in left field and will bat sixth in the order against Dodgers southpaw
James Paxton. Nimmo has struggled this year so far to a .215 batting average (40-for-186), but he has still provided a solid on-base percentage (.357) while taking 33 walks in 227 plate appearances. He's gone 10-for-47 (.213) against lefties with two of his seven home runs on the year. Taylor's calling card is his speed and defense in the outfield for the Mets. He's currently batting .234/.259/.336 with two homers, 16 RBI and six stolen bases in 107 at-bats for New York. Taylor has never faced Paxton in his career and has only seven hits in 40 at-bats against lefties in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Jose Urena (ankle, foot) said all is good with his left ankle/foot after he was hit by a comebacker in his last start on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Urena will be good to make his next scheduled start on Friday for the start of a series against his old team, the Miami Marlins. The 32-year-old veteran shouldn't be facing any pitch-count limitations on Friday in what is one of the better matchups a pitcher could ask for, so fantasy managers shouldn't overlook Urena as a streaming option. Urena has been surprisingly solid in his four starts for the Rangers and is 1-4 overall with a 3.53 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 30 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings over 14 outings (four starts). However, with
Nathan Eovaldi back and
Jon Gray (groin) potentially returning from the injured list next week, Urena could move back to the bullpen after his start on Friday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
6 days agoTexas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien is taking his first day off of the year and his first since May of 2022 for Wednesday's matinee game against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. With Semien on the bench,
Ezequiel Duran is at the keystone and is batting ninth, while outfielder
Travis Jankowski is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff against Diamondbacks right-hander
Ryne Nelson. Semien isn't hurt, but he's been a little banged up after colliding with teammate
Adolis Garcia back on May 18. The 33-year-old will also have the day off during the team's travel day on Thursday before returning to action for Friday's series opener against the Marlins in Miami. Semien is currently slashing .249/.302/.425 with nine homers and 34 RBI in 233 at-bats. Jankowski will have some DFS sleeper appeal in the leadoff spot for Texas.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers
6 days agoOakland Athletics right-hander
Luis Medina (knee) gave up two earned runs on four hits while walking two, hitting two batters and striking out six in 3 2/3 innings in his third minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Las Vegas. Medina made his first start in the Arizona Complex League on May 15 and gave up six runs over two innings while striking out three. He followed that up by throwing 2 1/3 innings (42 pitches) for Vegas on May 22, allowing five runs on four hits with one walk and a strikeout. The 25-year-old made some notable improvements in his third rehab start but will probably require a few more starts in the minors before the A's consider moving him to their big-league roster. When healthy, Medina's nasty fastball-slider combination can make him a worthwhile deep-league streamer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoAfter seeing team doctors in Oakland on May 14, Athletics left-hander
Alex Wood (shoulder) was diagnosed with rotator-cuff tendonitis in his left shoulder and was expected to be shut down from throwing for at least 10 to 14 days from that date. Manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that the plan is for Wood to begin playing catch on Saturday, June 1. His 15-day injured list placement is retroactive to May 13. The time off from throwing looks like it has been good for the 33-year-old veteran southpaw, but Wood still has a ways to go before he's pitching in live games and is on the cusp of a return from the IL. In the meantime, he belongs on the waiver wire in standard-sized mixed fantasy leagues. Before his shoulder injury, Wood had gone 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings over his first nine starts with the A's.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoOakland Athletics right-hander
Ross Stripling (elbow) landed on the injured list on May 25 with a right-elbow flexor strain one day after his start against the Houston Astros. Manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that Stripling will not throw for seven to 10 days and the team will re-evaluate him after that period. It's already been a tough first season for Stripling and the A's, as the veteran pitcher was 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA (3.98 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 12 walks and 35 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings over his 11 starts before landing on the injured list. Stripling currently leads the league with his nine losses and also leads the league with 77 hits allowed. Even if Stripling gets past his elbow issue and returns to Oakland's starting rotation, fantasy managers in mixed leagues should look elsewhere.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoOakland Athletics infielder
J.D. Davis (hand) left the game early on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning after being hit by a
Zack Littell pitch on his left hand and he will undergo X-rays. Davis also had his right leg stepped on by outfielder
Jonny DeLuca in the fifth inning. He was able to finish the inning after being hit by the pitch but was replaced at first base by
Tyler Soderstrom before the bottom of the seventh. Manager Mark Kotsay said after the 3-0 win that Davis has a contusion, but we'll know more when his X-ray results are revealed. The 31-year-old went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice before leaving the game and is hitting .225/.271/.369 on the year with four homers and five RBI in 118 plate appearances. There's a good chance we won't see Davis in the starting lineup on Wednesday in Tampa.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado is getting the day off on Wednesday versus the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. With Arenado on the bench,
Brendan Donovan will shift over to third base and hit leadoff against Reds right-hander
Frankie Montas. It was nice to see Arenado hit just his fourth home run of the year in the contest against the Reds on Tuesday, but he'll get the day off to rest with a scheduled off day coming on Thursday before St. Louis starts a weekend series on Friday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. The 33-year-old is hitting .257 (52-for-202) on the year with 25 RBI and 21 stolen bases, and his fantasy managers are hoping his power display on Tuesday will lead to more consistent power moving forward. Donovan is one of the better contact hitters in the league but is only batting .235 (47-for-200) on the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
6 days agoThe Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder
TJ Friedl (thumb) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and designated infielder
Mike Ford for assignment in a corresponding move. Friedl recovered very quickly from a left-thumb fracture and is immediately back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Wednesday against the visiting division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander
Andre Pallante. In nine career at-bats against Pallante, Friedl is hitting just .111. The 28-year-old left-handed swinger is also slashing just .182/.250/.227 with no home runs, two RBI and two stolen bases in only 22 at-bats in 2024 due to multiple unfortunate injuries he's already suffered this year. Friedl proved last year he has 20-20 ability over a full season, so he's worth rostering in most fantasy leagues now that he's back. His return is bad news for
Stuart Fairchild.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cincinnati Reds
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop
Oneil Cruz will take a seat on the bench for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Detroit against the Tigers with a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
Alika Williams will start at shortstop and will bat in the nine-hole against Tigers left-hander
Tarik Skubal. Fantasy managers should expect to have Cruz back for the second game of the twin bill to face right-hander
Keider Montero, who will be making his MLB debut. The 25-year-old Cruz has been a little better in May with a .260 average (20-for-77) with four home runs, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 20 games played. His power/speed combination makes him relevant in all fantasy formats when he's on the field. Williams has very little offensive prowess and therefore should be avoided in DFS lineups against a tough southpaw.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThe Detroit Tigers placed outfielder
Kerry Carpenter (back) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 27) on Wednesday with lumbar-spine inflammation and recalled outfielder
Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. The back soreness that Carpenter was feeling over the weekend has turned out to be something worse and will almost surely keep him out beyond the 10 days on the IL. It's a big loss for the Tigers and for fantasy managers, as the 26-year-old was hitting .283 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and 21 runs scored. Manager A.J. Hinch said there's no clear timetable for a return for Carpenter without further testing. Baddoo will give the Tigers more outfield depth.
Matt Vierling is in center field on Wednesday, while
Wenceel Perez is starting in right field for the Tigers in Game 1 of their doubleheader versus the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tigers PR
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss versus the Los Angeles Angels. Soto continues to have an incredible season and now has 15 homers to go along with a healthy .312 batting average, 46 RBI and four stolen bases. He also has a shiny .989 OPS. Soto, 25, entered the season as one of the top bats in the game, but has taken it to another level in 2024 as he gets ready to enter free agency. Managers should continue to reap the benefits of the upcoming free-agent as he has shown no signs of slowing down. Soto will look to continue his success against left-hander
Tyler Anderson and the Angels on Wednesday.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals second baseman/third baseman
Nolan Gorman continued his power surge when he went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's victory versus the rival Cincinnati Reds. Gorman has been having a rough season for the Cardinals, but has picked it up lately and now has five of his nine homers in the month of May. Despite having nine homers, Gorman has hit a unimpressive .214 with 64 strikeouts in 159 at-bats. Gorman was once a highly touted prospect, but outside of his 50 career homers has been a minor disappointment with a career .229 batting average. The 24-year-old has worked his way into a platoon role and doesn't hold much value outside of the deepest of leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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