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
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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
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect
Quinn Mathews is a former fourth-round pick just one month removed from his pro debut. The southpaw has a low-90s fastball and rounds out his repertoire with a curveball, slider, and changeup. Of those secondary options, the changeup is the best, though all three can be effective. Mathews flashed decent control in college and has racked up strikeouts so far this year. He also struggled with walks in his pro debut but has seemed to harness his control since then. Last week, Mathews delivered six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out 13 batters along the way. He's averaging more than two strikeouts per inning this season, and he also hasn't allowed an earned run since his pro debut back on April 5 (two runs, one earned). Keep an eye on Mathews, who could push to make his MLB debut sometime next year.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks third base prospect
Deyvison De Los Santos was snatched by the Guardians in December's Rule 5 draft but returned to Arizona this spring. He has seen his prospect stock drop lately (he was MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Diamondbacks prospect
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6 days agoCleveland Guardians pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson's total minor-league appearances can be counted on one hand, but that doesn't detract from his excellence ever since the club selected him in the 10th round of last year's draft. He gets plenty of spin on his fastball, which he commands quite well. He can also locate his slider and changeup, both of which are effective secondary offerings. Wilkinson's big run in the minors technically started with a scoreless relief appearance last season when he struck out all three batters he faced. However, he's already seen much more action in 2024, remaining nearly unhittable through four phenomenal starts. In his latest outing last week, Wilkinson tossed six hitless innings, surrendering just one walk while striking out 15 batters. The 270-pound southpaw nicknamed "Tugboat" might ride the wave to High-A sooner rather than later.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect
Ryan Ward is a power-first player whose claim to fame is that he hits a lot of home runs. The former eight-round pick went yard 76 times from 2021 through 2023 and is hitting homers at an even
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6 days agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect
Owen Murphy was the club's first-round pick in 2022 and has flashed significant upside ever since making his pro debut. The right-hander gets good spin behind his offerings, making up for a lack of velocity likely caused by his relatively undersized 6-foot-1 frame. His fastball registers in the low 90s. He also throws a slider with good break and a slow, loopy curveball that misses enough bats. Finally, he's working on improving his changeup. Murphy was quite effective in his outing last week, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings. He has looked brilliant at the High-A level this year, never allowing more than two runs in a single outing. If he continues to pitch well, he could earn a promotion to Double-A by the end of May.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
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