5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Masataka Yoshida (hand) was removed from Sunday's game in the sixth inning after jamming his hand in his first at-bat of the game. Manager Alex Cora said after the game that the team wasn't sure what the extent of the injury was and X-rays hadn't been taken yet. Yoshida is off to a pretty good start to the year with a .274/.357/.403 slash line, although his two homers and zero steals don't make him much of a roto league option in fantasy. An update on his status should come sometime on Monday.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Jen McCaffrey
5 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Dane Dunning had his best start of the season on Sunday, picking up the win in a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Dunning was on a mission in this one, racking up 10 strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings of two-run ball (one earned). The righty allowed just three hits, and maybe most importantly didn't walk a single batter. Considering he had walked at least two in every other start this season, this was clearly a big part of his success. Dunning remains a deeper-league option with some streamer appeal in standard-sized leagues, but he has shown an improved ability to get strikeouts this year, which is something to watch for in his coming starts.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Joey Loperfido is being promoted from Triple-A Sugar Land, per Ari Alexander. Loperfido currently has the most home runs in professional baseball with 13 and has posted a .287/.393/.713 stat line with five swiped bags across 25 games this season. The Astros have had a rough start to the season, and they are hoping that their sixth-ranked prospect will provide a much-needed spark. The 24-year-old should be expected to see time in left field or at first base over the struggling
Chas McCormick and
Jose Abreu. While his strikeout rate is high, Loperfido is a must-add in all formats and is worth spending at least 10% of your FAAB budget on simply due to his power potential alone.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Ari Alexander
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher
Kevin Ginkel has been a viable option for the team early in the season. The right-hander was asked to take over the closer role after
Paul Sewald (oblique) went down. On Sunday, Ginkel made it look easy as he threw a scoreless ninth inning to hold the one-run lead over the Seattle Mariners. He holds a 3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 13/3 K/BB ratio, while converting five of his seven save chances. The expectation is that Ginkel will remain the primary closer until Sewald is ready to return.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Brandon Pfaadt looked terrific on the mound during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander threw six innings, allowing five hits, and striking out 11 batters during a no-decision. The D-Backs would end up winning the game, but they didn't get the lead until Pfaadt was already done for the day. The hope is that this performance will help Pfaadt improve his 4.63 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. His next outing will be against the San Diego Padres next weekend.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Brayan Bello (lat) has reportedly been making great progress in his recovery, according to manager Alex Cora. The right-hander recently landed on the 15-day injured list, but sounds like Bello should be back sooner rather than later. It's uncertain if the team plans on having Bello go on a rehab assignment. If not, Bello could rejoin the rotation once his injured list stint is over.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Mac Cerullo
5 days agoNew York Yankees first baseman
Anthony Rizzo has been heating up at the plate over the last week. On Sunday, Rizzo went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked Rizzo's fourth homer in six days and his 300th career long ball of his career. It came in his 1,664th game since debuting with the San Diego Padres in 2011. The six hits in the last two days has boosted his slash line to .277/.341/.446 on the season. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if Rizzo is available.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets third baseman
Mark Vientos came up clutch for the team during Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and singled during that plate appearance. Vientos remained in the game and got another at-bat versus left-hander
Matthew Liberatore in the 11th inning. He blasted a two-run home run off Liberatore to help the Mets get the 4-2 win. The 24-year-old has a chance to remain with the team if he continues to hit like this. Fantasy managers should use a wait-and-see approach for Vientos.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox relief pitcher
Jordan Leasure was called upon to record the final two outs during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It sounds like
Michael Kopech was unavailable for this game after pitching in the last two games. That being said, the White Sox went with Leasure after starting pitcher
Erick Fedde went into the ninth inning. Leasure got the final two outs and recorded his first save in the MLB. He holds a 1.59 ERA through 11 1/3 innings but has also walked seven batters. Fantasy managers should run to the waiver wire after this save. Leasure might get more chances down the road, but it probably won't be enough to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Erick Fedde was sharp on the mound during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander threw 8 1/3 innings while allowing seven hits and two earned runs during the 4-2 win. Fedde struck out nine batters during this game to build his season total to 39 strikeouts. The assumption is that the right-hander is going to regress, but for the time being he holds a strong 2.20 ERA over six starts. Fantasy managers in need of pitching help should look at Fedde.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles first baseman
Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Oakland Athletics. The 27-year-old has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Mountcastle is enjoying solid production at the plate as he is slashing .319/.379/.527 with four homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs. He may not be the most electrifying fantasy asset, but he is worthy of a roster spot in all formats given his strong start and placement in one of the best offenses in baseball.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoOakland Athletics starter
Paul Blackburn allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings of work during Sunday's 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out five batters while issuing one walk. The long ball killed Blackburn in this one as he gave up three home runs in the contest. The 30-year-old started the season with three straight scoreless outings and garnered streaming appeal in the process, but he has now given up 13 runs over his last three appearances. Blackburn will face the Miami Marlins in his next projected start, which is an appealing matchup, but he is tough to trust right now.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles closer
Craig Kimbrel blew his second consecutive save on Sunday before leaving the game alongside the team's training staff. Kimbrel issued a four-pitch walk to Darrell Hernaiz and then served up a two-run home run to
Kyle McCann before leaving. He also blew the save in Friday's game after allowing two hits and three walks. It is unclear at this point what Kimbrel's injury is, but something was off with the veteran reliever. Expect more news to come out shortly from the Orioles.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Chelsea Janes
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman was 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was just the second homer of the season for Freeman and his first since March 28th. Despite the slight power outage, the former MVP has still been quite productive. Freeman is slashing .306/.425/.435 with 19 RBI, one stolen base and a 15.4 BB%. The 34-year-old is still one of the best bats in baseball and a serious hot streak might be right around the corner.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays closer
Jordan Romano picked up his fourth save of the season in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out two of the three batters he faced. The 31-year-old had a late start to the season due to injuries, but he is back and locked into the ninth-inning role for Toronto. Romano is a perfect 4-for-4 on save opportunities thus far to go along with a 3.18 ERA. He has been one of the best fantasy closers over the past few seasons and should continue to be a valuable asset.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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