6 days agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that
Josh Lowe (hamstring, oblique), whose expected return last Saturday from an oblique strain was further delayed by right-hamstring tightness, will resume a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Thursday and then be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. It was a minor setback for the 26-year-old. As long as he doesn't suffer another setback, he could make his season debut with Tampa at some point this weekend or early next week. There's no reason that Lowe should be available on waiver wires after he slashed .292/.335/.500 with an .835 OPS, 20 home runs, 83 RB, 32 stolen bases and 71 runs scored in 501 plate appearances over 135 games for the Rays last year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
6 days agoThe Miami Marlins recalled rookie right-hander
Roddery Munoz from Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, and he will make the start against the visiting Colorado Rockies with left-hander
Jesus Luzardo (elbow) on the injured list. The Marlins optioned right-hander
Emmanuel Ramirez to Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Munoz made his major-league debut on April 20 in a start against the Chicago Cubs and was handed a no-decision when he allowed two earned runs on two hits (two home runs) while walking one and striking out seven in five innings. He's been pretty bad in the minors, though, sporting an 8.62 ERA with 14 walks and nine strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings with Jacksonville. The matchup is about as good as it gets for Munoz in his second career start, but the 24-year-old is as risky as they come as a deep-league streamer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
6 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud is getting the day off in the series finale on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. With d'Arnaud riding pine,
Chadwick Tromp will catch left-hander
Chris Sale and will bat ninth for the Braves against Mariners right-hander
Emerson Hancock. With
Sean Murphy (oblique) on the injured list, d'Arnaud has become Atlanta's primary catcher and has thrived with the opportunity. The 35-year-old veteran is currently hitting .282 (20-for-71) with five home runs, 16 RBI and 12 runs scored in his first 25 games of the year. With a scheduled off day on Thursday before a showdown on the road in LA against the Dodgers, d'Arnaud should be back behind the dish on Friday. Tromp is one to avoid in DFS formats in the nine-hole.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThe Baltimore Orioles activated left-hander
John Means (forearm) from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. We knew that the O's planned to activate Means at some point this week, but now it's official. The 31-year-old southpaw will take the rotation spot of the injured
Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) for now, but eventually one of
Albert Suarez or
Cole Irvin will get booted from the rotation when right-hander
Kyle Bradish (elbow) returns this week. It's unclear yet when Means will make his season debut for the O's. If it doesn't come in the series finale on Thursday against the New York Yankees, it should come this weekend in a series against the Reds on the road in Cincinnati. He struck out eight hitters and threw 95 pitches in his final minor-league rehab start, so Means shouldn't be limited at all from a pitch-count perspective.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
6 days agoThe Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with right-shoulder inflammation and activated left-hander
John Means (forearm) from the injured list in a corresponding move. Rodriguez just picked up his fourth win of the season on Monday, when he tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings over the New York Yankees, so this news is highly disappointing for the Orioles and his fantasy managers. The 24-year-old already has three quality starts on the season while going 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA (3.58 FIP) and 1.41 WHIP with 12 walks and 37 strikeouts in 34 innings over six starts in his second MLB season. Rodriguez has allowed two runs or fewer in all but one of his starts. He needs to remain stashed in an IL spot while he's out.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
6 days agoMinnesota Twins catcher
Ryan Jeffers is taking a day off on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox in the series finale. Jeffers has played a big part in the Twins' current nine-game winning streak, but he'll get a blow in this one with a scheduled off day coming on Thursday. The 26-year-old had started each of the team's last seven games and has swung a hot bat so far in 2024, going 26-for-88 (.295) with five home runs, 17 RBI, a stolen base and 15 runs scored in 26 games. He's clearly become Minnesota's primary catcher over
Christian Vazquez, who is behind the dish on Wednesday and batting ninth against White Sox right-hander
Chris Flexen. Vazquez will be a low-upside catching option in DFS contests in the nine-hole. He has a hit in two career at-bats against Flexen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder/designated hitter
Eloy Jimenez is not present in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday versus the visiting Minnesota Twins. This will be Jimenez's first day off after playing in 14 straight games following his activation from the injured list in the middle of last month. Since returning from his injury, he's hit .255/.328/.436 with three home runs and a stolen base for fantasy managers. After a scheduled off day on Thursday, he should return to his DH duties on Friday on the road in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
Robbie Grossman is serving as Chicago's DH on Wednesday and is hitting leadoff for the Pale Hose against Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. Grossman is batting .600 in five career at-bats against Ober and will have elevated DFS sleeper appeal on Wednesday in the leadoff spot despite going just 11-for-57 (.193) this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers rookie outfielder
Jackson Chourio isn't in the team's starting lineup against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. With Chourio starting on the bench in this one,
Sal Frelick, who is starting in right field, will man the leadoff spot in the Brewers' batting order.
Jake Bauers also draws into the lineup in left field and will man left field. The 20-year-old Chourio started his first major-league season strong, but he has since disappeared, going 4-for-29 (.138) with a double, no home runs, no RBI, one walk and 12 strikeouts in 10 games since April 21. The cold stretch has dropped his season line to .206/.257/.351 with four home runs, 13 RBI and five stolen bases in 97 at-bats. After an off day on Thursday, hopefully Chourio can get going on Friday in the series opener against the division-rival Chicago Cubs.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers infield prospect
Tyler Black is starting at first base and is batting cleanup in just his second major-league game on Wednesday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander
Zach Eflin. In his big-league debut on Tuesday, the 23-year-old went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the eventful win over the Rays at home. Black wasn't initially in the team's starting lineup, but he entered the contest in the first inning when catcher
Gary Sanchez (hamstring) was hurt. His power/speed combination, coupled with his defensive versatility, makes him a prospect worth looking into in deep-mixed fantasy leagues, and he should see plenty of at-bats against right-handed pitchers. Black got the promotion to Milwaukee by hitting .303 (30-for-99) with five home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases in 25 games for Triple-A Nashville this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Brewers
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays infielder
Isaac Paredes and outfielder/designated hitter
Harold Ramirez are not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the hosting Milwaukee Brewers.
Curtis Mead is starting at third base and
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6 days agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that outfielder
Jose Siri (thigh) is out of Wednesday's starting lineup due to soreness in his left thigh that stems from him being hit by a pitch in Tuesday's game. It was an eventful day for
read more...
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles infield prospect
Jackson Holliday went 3-for-6 with two singles and a double during his Triple-A appearance on April 30. The top prospect in baseball also drove in one run, scored twice, and logged two strikeouts. Holliday put together an elite start to the minor league season and earned a promotion to the majors in the middle of April. However, he struggled tremendously in Baltimore, going 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts over his first 10 games. The Orioles sent him back to Triple-A Norfolk, and he's gone 4-for-14 in three games since his demotion. Even if Holliday goes on another tear, the Orioles may decide to be extra patient before calling him back up to the majors given how he struggled during his first taste of big-league action. Plus, it's not like the Orioles have a shortage of minor-league talent. Third baseman
Coby Mayo has arguably been even more productive than Holliday, so he could be the next prospect to get the call.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo went 2-for-4 with a single and three-run homer at the Triple-A level on April 30. He also struck out once and drew a pair of walks. Baltimore seems to have a surplus of hot-hitting prospects and Mayo might be the next to make his MLB debut. He's making a strong push for a promotion with his .330/.400/.652 slash line, nine home runs, and 25 RBI through 28 games this year. He has now homered in back-to-back games and also owns a four-game hitting streak.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo went 2-for-5 with a double and solo homer on April 30. He currently owns a three-game hitting streak and has ultimately got on base in five consecutive contests. The 23-year-old left-hander has already launched seven homers this year, and he owns a strong .991 OPS. Furthermore, he's maintained a 12.7 BB% and 17.3 K%, both impressive marks for someone with significant power. Manzardo was dealt from Tampa Bay to Cleveland last summer and is now pushing hard to make his MLB debut this May.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect
Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's MLB Draft, spun another gem during his sixth minor league appearance of the season on April 30. The 21-year-old right-hander tossed six shutout innings, recording seven strikeouts along the way. He surrendered just one walk and four hits. 2024 has certainly treated Skenes well; the former LSU standout has allowed just one earned run through 23 innings of work, dropping his FIP to 0.91. He has also forced plenty of weak contact (52.5 GB%) and hasn't allowed a homer since he was in college. No team ever wants to rush their prospects to the majors, but there may be no better time than the present for Pittsburgh to promote Skenes. He has proven that he can mow down Triple-A batters, so he should get his shot in the majors sooner rather than later.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
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