6 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Alek Manoah (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in Saturday's doubleheader in Triple-A Buffalo. Manoah will look to avoid the issues he saw in his prior minor league start on Sunday in Single-A Dunedin where he gave up seven runs on five hits in just 1 2/3 innings pitched. Manoah has been dealing with shoulder fatigue since early in spring training. The 26-year-old is in desperate need of a bounce-back season. After finishing third in the AL Cy Young award voting in 2022, Manoah's 2023 was disastrous with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. The Blue Jays are expected to compete for a playoff spot this season and anything solid Manoah can provide them when he comes back will be beneficial.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
6 days agoChicago White Sox shortstop prospect
Colson Montgomery currently has a .239/.314/.283 throughout his small taste of Triple-A. The number two ranked shortstop prospect on MLB Pipeline quickly progressed through the minors last season as he never saw his on-base percentage dip below .400 across three levels. It is promising to see Montgomery continue to put up solid numbers as he is nearing his major league debut. Montgomery is considered a top prospect in baseball and should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats. If he continues to succeed at Triple-A, he could be worth stashing in redraft and be a solid middle infield option down the stretch, as he should be in contention to receive a late-season call-up.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (shoulder) is scheduled for a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday. Cabrera is slated for six innings, or about 90 pitches, in the start. This will be the 25-year-old's third rehab start and, if all goes well, it's likely he will be taken off the injured list and added to the Marlins active roster. "I anticipate him being back in the rotation at some point soon," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. The struggling Marlins will surely welcome him back with open arms as their starters currently hold a 4.75 ERA and need as much help as possible to turn around their 2-11 start.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Jordan McPherson
6 days agoChicago Cubs first base prospect
Matt Mervis is off to an excellent start to his 2024 season. He is hitting .325/.420/.525 with one home run and five RBI. Mervis got a small taste of the majors last season but struggled, so the Cubs felt it was better for him to continue his development at Triple-A. While he has only hit one long ball so far, Mervis hit 22 in Triple-A last season, so expect more on the way. Mervis should see time in Wrigley later this summer and could very well be one of the first of many exciting bats from the Chicago system to be promoted.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo is hitting .185/.265/.333 to open the young season at Triple-A. He has just one long ball and one double. Manzardo showcased excellent on-base skills in Triple-A last season with a .343 across 94 games and tallied 17 home runs, which suggests that the 23-year-old could turn things around rather quickly. While Manzardo looks to get out of this slump, he is still considered one of the top first-base prospects in the sport and should make his way to the majors later this summer. The Guardians have a logjam with
Josh Naylor at first base, so his major league debut may be delayed. Nonetheless, Manzardo is a must-roster player in dynasty leagues and is worth stashing in keeper formats, if not already.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter is off to a slow start to begin his 2024 campaign. The top overall prospect in the Cleveland pipeline is hitting a disappointing .118/.318/.176 across his first five games. He has only tallied two hits, and only one of them went for extra bases. DeLauter was in contention to make the Opening Day Roster but fell just short. If the 22-year-old can begin to perform well, he could receive a late-season promotion. The former first-round pick remains a top stash in dynasty leagues and deeper keeper formats but should not be considered in redraft formats for now.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles catcher prospect
Samuel Basallo is picking up right where he left off in Double-A. Basallo has tallied six hits across his first five games with one double and two RBI. Last season, Basallo knocked seven hits in four games with one double and one triple in his small taste of Double-A. Basallo is ranked as the second overall catching prospect in baseball and the number two overall prospect in the Baltimore pipeline, according to MLB Pipeline. If Basallo continues to succeed at Double-A, he should be promoted to Triple-A rather quickly and could even make a case for a late-season call-up to join the Orioles in their playoff push. Basallo remains a coveted player in dynasty formats but could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and keeper leagues if he is promoted to Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) was pulled from Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning. He left Friday's game with lower back discomfort. He went 1-for-1 with a single before being replaced in the bottom of the second inning. The 32-year-old has dealt with back issues in the past, and it's unclear how severe the latest injury is for Yelich. He is considered day-to-day. Yelich has been swinging a hot bat during the young season, hitting .316/.409/.737 with five home runs and two swiped bags. If Yelich were to miss time,
Blake Perkins could be a candidate to handle left field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Curt Hogg
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Joc Pederson (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This appears to be a routine rest day for Pederson against a left-handed starting pitcher. The D-Backs will play matchups here and go with
Blaze Alexander at designated hitter versus
Steven Matz. There's not a ton of value here with Alexander, so most fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option. The expectation is that Pederson should return to the lineup following this game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoWashington Nationals catcher
Keibert Ruiz (illness) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics. Ruiz is set to miss his third game in a row due to an illness. The good news is that this shouldn't be something that lands Ruiz on the injured list. In the meantime,
Riley Adams will cover behind the plate and bat seventh versus right-hander
Paul Blackburn on Friday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming choice than Adams for Friday's slate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Justin Verlander (shoulder) is scheduled to make his next minor league rehab start on Saturday at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 41-year-old appears to be progressing well and could return after this outing. Obviously, the Astros don't want to rush back Verlander, but they need help in the rotation. Fantasy managers will have to check back after Saturday to see how Verlander is feeling. He'll be a must-have fantasy option once he's back on the mound.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Matt Kawahara
6 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) is trending towards a six-week absence, according to general manager Chris Getz. The organization recently gave a timetable of 6-8 weeks for Robert who is recovering from a hip injury. It's encouraging to hear that Robert might only miss six weeks of action. Barring any setbacks, Robert could be back in the lineup before the end of May. In the meantime,
Gavin Sheets should see regular at-bats with
Robbie Grossman and
Kevin Pillar seeing more action as well.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: James Fegan
6 days agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Eloy Jimenez (groin) will reportedly ramp up his running this week, according to general manager Chris Getz. The oft-injured outfielder has been sidelined since early April due to a groin issue. It's nice to hear that Jimenez is ramping up his activities, but it doesn't sound like he's ready to play again yet. The White Sox haven't given much of a timetable for Jimenez, but the expectation is that Jimenez is still a few weeks away. The expectation is that
Robbie Grossman and
Kevin Pillar will see more playing time until Jimenez is ready again.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: James Fegan
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Alek Thomas (hamstring) recently told reporters that he is progressing well from his injury. The 23-year-old was placed on the injured list roughly two weeks ago due to a hamstring injury. Thomas has been taking at-bats in extended spring training and it appears to be going well. The D-Backs haven't given a timetable on Thomas lately, so fantasy managers will have to be patient. In the meantime,
Jake McCarthy will continue seeing increased time in the outfield.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Friedman
6 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Charlie Blackmon (illness) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rockies' manager Bud Black said Blackmon is feeling under the weather, so they will hold him out of this contest. The expectation is that this will be a one-game absence for the veteran outfielder. In the meantime,
Kris Bryant will function as the designated hitter, while
Elehuris Montero covers first base versus right-hander
Kevin Gausman on Friday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Patrick Saunders
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