5 days agoNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that superstar outfielder
Juan Soto (forearm) will "probably" take swings on Sunday after feeling better on Saturday. Soto was pulled from Thursday's game early after a rain delay due to forearm discomfort, but imaging showed only inflammation. Still, the 25-year-old has missed both games of the weekend showdown against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and is unlikely to play again on Sunday. It's not a serious injury, but it's something that Soto has been dealing with for a bit, and the Yankees aren't going to take any chances. Soto also did some pregame work on Saturday, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back in the lineup until maybe Monday or Tuesday in Kansas City to take on the Royals. Soto has excelled in the Bronx so far in 2024, slashing .318/.424/.603 with a 1.027 OPS, 17 homers, 53 RBI and four steals in 239 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
5 days agoHouston Astros outfielder
Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-4 in the batter's box on Saturday with two doubles and his 13th long ball of the campaign with two RBI. This was just another dominant performance by the 26-year-old superstar. He is currently holding a stellar .296/.369/.514 line with three stolen bases and 33 RBI. His underlying metrics are near perfect, with a 12.7% barrel rate, 93.2 mph average exit velocity, and 47.8% hard-hit rate, which place him significantly above the average hitter. Alvarez is a safe bet to finish in at least the top 10 among outfielders in points league and rotisserie scoring by the end of the summer and is always worth a look in DFS, no matter the matchup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Diego Padres infielder
Jake Cronenworth went 2-for-5 at the plate on Saturday with a three-run home run and RBI single. Cronenworth launched his ninth home run of the season in the fourth inning, which scored
Fernando Tatis Jr. and
Jurickson Profar. Later in the fifth, he extended the San Diego lead further by knocking an RBI single to left field, which scored backstop
Kyle Higashioka. The Michigan product is currently riding a solid .261/.332/.466 line with 44 RBI this season. Cronenworth should be expected to continue to serve as the primary second base option in San Diego and also see starts at first base. He should be started in all standard leagues and is worth deploying in DFS in favorable matchups.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Hunter Brown tossed six shutout frames on Saturday evening against the Los Angeles Angels. He struck out seven and allowed just two hits and four walks. Brown is looking quite sharp as of late and is putting his rough April, where he posted an 11.84 ERA behind him. Since May 1, the 25-year-old has held a 3.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 15:43 BB:K ratio but still has an overall inflated 5.58 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. Brown is currently scheduled to face the Detroit Tigers next week in what could be another opportunity for Brown to keep his momentum rolling.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper went 3-for-4 at the plate in the opening game of the London Series with his 15th long ball of the season. Harper carries a strong .276/.384/.535 line into Sunday with three stolen bases and 45 RBI. The former two-time MVP struggled through April but has put that behind him with a stellar .313 AVG through May and .333 through the first week of June. The former number-one overall pick has been hitting the ball exceptionally hard, with a 49.4% hard-hit rate and 11.9% barrel rate, which suggests he could have another successful season. Harper should remain in your starting lineup all summer and is considered matchup-proof in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies second baseman
Whit Merrifield went 1-for-4 on Saturday with his third home run of the season. Through 34 games this season, the 35-year-old holds a poor .174/.250/.294 line with six stolen bases. Merrifield has been in a strict utility role through the early part of the season and should be expected to continue to do so throughout the summer. In his past seven games, he has tallied only two hits and is on pace to have the worst season of his career. However, he is still holding an excellent 9.9% K rate. Merrifield is typically a strong batting average stabilizer and option for speed, but he has yet to settle in with his new club. Once he begins to raise his batting average, he could be worth a look in deeper leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Zac Gallen (hamstring) is expected to throw a bullpen session soon after successful throwing on flat ground on Saturday. Gallen was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on May 31. In 57 ⅔ innings this season, the ace posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 15:60 BB:K ratio. This is a good sign as the 28-year-old could return much sooner than expected as he has not had any setbacks during his recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Gallen's recovery for the time being.
Slade Cecconi should continue to serve as the fifth man in the Arizona rotation until Gallen returns.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Friedman
5 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers (knee) will be sitting out of Sunday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox as a precaution since he left Saturday's game early with left knee soreness. Manager Alex Cora told the media that Devers is experiencing soreness in the same knee that caused him to be sidelined for a week back in April. As of now, this injury does not seem serious at all, and Boston is choosing to be cautious with their superstar third baseman. As a result,
Bobby Dalbec is manning the hot corner for the BoSox on Sunday and will hit seventh against White Sox right-hander
Chris Flexen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Sean McAdam
5 days agoSeattle Mariners first baseman
Ty France (heel) was not in Saturday's lineup due to a heel issue he suffered on a hit-by pitch on Friday. Seattle manager Scott Servais expressed his concern about the injury in a postgame interview on Saturday. France has posted a solid .251/.329/.403 line with seven long balls this season. The Mariners also promoted top first base prospect
Tyler Locklear later on Saturday evening, which is a strong indication that France may miss an extended period of time. Locklear is worth adding in deeper leagues especially if you need a corner infield replacement. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the Seattle starting lineup on Sunday.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Shannon Drayer
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates first baseman
Rowdy Tellez had a big night at the plate in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. Tellez went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI to help power the Pirates to the win. The 29-year-old's solo homer came in the seventh inning and traveled 403 feet with an exit velocity of 101.2 MPH. Tellez has struggled to find his power stroke in 2024, hitting just .208 with two homers, 13 runs, and 15 RBI across 144 at-bats. That being said, he's hitting .391 over his past seven games so he could be on the cusp of a breakout in the homer department. While he is hot at the plate, Tellez is worth a look in deep, NL-only leagues as a potential bench player in fantasy.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies right-hander
Tyler Kinley tossed a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Kinley struck out one and allowed one hit on the way to picking up his fourth save in four chances this season. The 33-year-old has taken over as the primary closer in Colorado, posting a 3-1 record, 7.71 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts over 25 2/3 innings of work. Putting him in starting lineups in fantasy is risky due to the potential for a blowup outing but he's potentially worth a look in leagues where fantasy managers are desperate for saves.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers right-hander
Trevor Megill threw a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Megill did not allow a baserunner and needed just 12 pitches to send the Tigers down in order on the way to earning his ninth save of the season. The 30-year-old has done an admirable job filling in as closer for the injured
Devin Williams (back), who is on the 60-day injured list and hasn't pitched in 2024. Megill now has a 0-1 record, 2.12 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts over 17 innings of work. Megill should be in fantasy lineups as a solid source of strikeouts and saves moving forward.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants right-hander
Camilo Doval tossed a scoreless ninth inning to save a 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Doval worked around a hit and a walk to keep Texas off the board on the way to earning his 11th save in 13 opportunities in 2024. Overall, it has been an up-and-down season for Doval, who has a 3.91 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings of work for the Giants. That being said, he has a firm grip on the ninth-inning role in San Francisco and should see the bulk of the save chances for the contending Giants. He should remain in fantasy lineups as a nice source of strikeouts and saves moving forward.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Charlie Blackmon stuffed the stat sheet in a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Blackmon went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, two runs, and a stolen base in the win. The veteran outfielder is now batting .259 with two homers, 28 runs, 25 RBI, and five steals across 193 at-bats in 2024. He has been on a hot streak of late, batting .357 with two steals over his past seven games. Blackmon isn't the fantasy force he once was but he's worth a spot in starting lineups while he's hot.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Ryan O'Hearn had an excellent night at the plate in a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs, and an RBI in the winning effort for the O's. The veteran hit a solo homer off Tampa starter
Taj Bradley in the fourth inning, a blast that traveled 361 feet and had an exit velocity of 98.4 MPH. O'Hearn is putting together a productive season for Baltimore, hitting .285 with nine homers, 25 runs, 21 RBI, and two steals over 165 at-bats. He's batting .429 with two homers over the past seven games, making him a quality streaming option in fantasy lineups while he's seeing the ball well at the plate.
--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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