7 days agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Brandon Drury (hamstring) will only be available to pinch hit on Wednesday and Thursday to wrap up a series against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to manager Ron Washington. The Angels are being cautious with his left-hamstring tightness on the turf at Tropicana Field. The 31-year-old veteran infielder will miss his third straight start on Thursday, but there's a chance he could be back in there for the start of a series on Friday in Cincinnati against the Reds. In the meantime, expect
Luis Rengifo to get another start at the keystone on Thursday in Tampa. Drury has gotten off to a slow start offensively for the Halos in 2024, going 11-for-54 (.204) with only one home run, three RBI and five runs scored in his first 15 games. It sounds like he should avoid a trip to the injured list.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
7 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Tyler O'Neill (head) doesn't sound likely to return to the lineup on Thursday in the series finale against the Cleveland Guardians and he's just doing OK, per manager Alex Cora, after colliding with third baseman
Rafael Devers in the outfield on Monday. O'Neill has been working out but hasn't done anything on the field yet. The good news is that he continues to clear the league's concussion protocol and should be able to return at some point this weekend after needing eight stitches to close up a cut above his eye. Fantasy managers should check back on Friday to see if the 28-year-old outfielder is back in there against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Jarren Duran is starting in left field again and batting leadoff on Wednesday against Guardians right-hander
Ben Lively, with
Wilyer Abreu in right field and hitting cleanup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
7 days agoWashington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams kicked off the game with a bang during Wednesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Abrams welcomed Dodgers rookie Logan Knack to the majors with a 392-foot leadoff blast to start the game. The Nats didn't need much more as they pulled off the 2-0 victory. Abrams is on fire at the plate right now with two home runs in his last three games. He's hitting .295 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 15 games.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani continued his stellar stretch at the plate during Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals. The two-way superstar went 3-for-4 at the plate with a stolen base during their 2-0 loss. This performance marked the 10th time this season that Ohtani has posted a multi-hit game. The 29-year-old is hitting .360 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 21 games this season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoMiami Marlins outfielder
Bryan De La Cruz has been heating up at the plate over the last week or so. On Wednesday, De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during the 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The 27-year-old is currently on a six-game hitting streak. During that span, De La Cruz has posted three multi-hit games. Fantasy managers should make sure to keep him in their lineups while he's hot at the plate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoKansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez (groin) made a significant impact during his return to the lineup on Wednesday. The 33-year-old backstop is playing through a Grade 1 left groin strain that he suffered earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Perez smacked a go-ahead two-run home run off right-hander
Michael Kopech in the eighth inning. Perez is off to a red-hot start at the plate this season. He has five home runs and 17 RBI through 17 games.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins came up clutch for his team during Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. There was some thought that Mullins would return to the leadoff spot this season, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead, Mullins normally sits in the sixth spot where he has hit well this season. On Wednesday, Mullins was hitless until he blasted a walkoff two-run home run off right-hander
Griffin Jax. Mullins now has five home runs and 15 RBI through 18 games.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Michael King looked excellent during Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The right-hander took a tough loss after allowing one run and two hits over 7 2/3 innings of work. It was an 109-pitch game for King who struck out 10 batters over the course of the afternoon. After this outing, King holds a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA across four games.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers (knee) is serving as the team's designated hitter against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander
Ben Lively on Wednesday. Fantasy baseball managers will want to get Devers back into their starting lineups on Wednesday despite the fact that he's had a rather slow start to the year in 2024 by his standards. After missing some time last weekend with a shoulder injury, Devers was removed from Tuesday night's game early with left-knee discomfort. The 27-year-old Dominican infielder has hit just .205 (9-for-44) with two home runs, three doubles and five RBI in his first 12 games this year and he's gone hitless in three career at-bats against Lively, who will be making his season debut on Wednesday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
7 days agoBoston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that right-hander
Garrett Whitlock (oblique) is going on the 15-day injured list after straining his left-oblique in his start on Tuesday versus the Cleveland Guardians. The Red Sox are primarily playing it safe with the move, and the hope is to activate him as soon as he's eligible. Pitcher
Joe Jacques is being called up from the minors in a corresponding move. It's a tough break for the 27-year-old Whitlock early in the year, but the silver lining is that it shouldn't keep him out for too long. Before getting hurt on Tuesday, the former 18th-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2017 was 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA (3.41 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings over four starts. It's unclear who will enter Boston's starting rotation as a result of Whitlock's injury, but veteran
Chase Anderson could be a candidate.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
7 days agoThe Chicago Cubs moved right-hander
Julian Merryweather (back, ribs) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Colton Brewer, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also recalled right-hander
Hayden Wesneski from Iowa and optioned left-hander
Luke Little and right-hander
Daniel Palencia to Iowa. The 32-year-old Merryweather was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his ribs and in his back last week and he won't be eligible to return to the club until early June. He won't resume throwing for three weeks and may not be able to return to the Cubs' bullpen until closer to the All-Star break. Injuries continue to bother Merryweather in his MLB career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
7 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Max Kepler (knee) will start his minor-league rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday. Kepler landed on the injured list with a right-knee contusion but was able to run the bases this week and will now start playing in minor-league games to end the week. Barring a setback with St. Paul, the 31-year-old left-handed outfielder could be able to return from the IL by early next week. When healthy, Kepler should play regularly against right-handed pitchers despite getting just one hit in his first 20 at-bats of the season. Until Kepler is able to return, the likes of
Alex Kirilloff,
Trevor Larnach and
Manuel Margot will battle for extra playing in right field for the Twins.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park
7 days agoChicago White Sox third baseman
Yoan Moncada (groin) is feeling better and is heading to extended spring training in Arizona to continue his full rehab process. Moncada landed on the 60-day injured list with a left-groin strain, so he's most likely not going to return for the White Sox or fantasy managers until after the All-Star break. It's getting hard to justify holding onto the oft-injured 28-year-old third baseman in mixed fantasy leagues, even though he started the year hitting .282 (11-for-39) with no home runs and no RBI in his first 11 games before getting hurt.
Braden Shewmake got the start at the hot corner on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals, but
Gavin Sheets is also an option at the position when he's not serving as the designated hitter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
7 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies right-hander
Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Friday and could be activated from the injured list after that. It sounds as though the Phillies have liked what they've seen from Walker's two minor-league rehab starts after they initially said they wanted to see him make four rehab starts before joining the big-league starting rotation. The 31-year-old veteran could make his 2024 debut for the Phils on Monday in what would be an excellent matchup at home against the punchless Chicago White Sox. Even though it would be Walker's first start of the year, he'd be a pretty attractive fantasy streamer in the great matchup. The most in danger of losing their current rotation spot in Philly could be
Spencer Turnbull with Walker's return on the horizon.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
7 days agoBaltimore Orioles right-hander
Kyle Bradish (elbow) looked good in his first minor-league rehab start with Double-A Bowie on Tuesday, tossing three shutout innings with just one hit allowed, no walks and four strikeouts. It was a very promising first appearance for a pitcher that is trying to avoid needing surgery after being diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in spring training. The 27-year-old is going to need probably a few more starts in the minors before the Orioles feel comfortable activating him from the injured list for his season debut in the big leagues. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should consider stashing Bradish soon for extra pitching depth after he had a breakout for the O's in 2023. The former fourth-rounder in 2018 by the Los Angeles Angels out of New Mexico State went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 44 walks and 168 K's in 30 starts a year ago.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
RADIO
