6 days agoTexas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) said he will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Friday. Lowe is ready to test himself in minor-league games after recovering from a right-oblique strain that landed him on the injured list to start the 2024 regular season. The Rangers aren't going to rush the 28-year-old left-handed slugger back considering how much time he's already missed, so fantasy baseball managers shouldn't expect him to make his debut with Texas until around late next week. When Lowe does return, Jared Walsh will head to the bench. Lowe has great plate discipline and resides in one of the better lineups in the league in a hitter-friendly home environment, so he should already be rostered in all fantasy formats.Source: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
6 days agoThe St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned catcher Pedro Pages to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar is recovered from two non-displaced fractures in his left rib cage and will make his 2024 debut on Friday on the road in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old didn't swing the bat well on his minor-league rehab assignment, but the only takeaway is that he's healthy now and ready to play every day for the Cardinals in left field, especially with Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) still sidelined. In the last two years, Nootbaar has hit 28 home runs and stolen 15 bases in just 225 games played, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination if he's available.Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
6 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Pablo Reyes will handle duties at the hot corner and hit ninth for the Sox. The 27-year-old isn't off to a great start as he's hitting just .184 through his first 10 games but he does have two homers and two doubles while his 15.2% BB% exceeds his 13% K%. He's also been held back by a tiny .167 BABIP and his .366 xwOBA ranks in the league's 84th percentile, as per Statcast. In other words, fantasy managers have little to worry about as Devers will rebound given his career .279 average and .851 OPS.Source: Chris Cotillo
6 days agoCincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez won't make a start for the team in its upcoming three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran had his third start of the season skipped due to a rainout on Thursday but will not get into any game action this weekend. The first two starts of his Reds tenure have not gone to plan as Martinez has yielded eight earned runs on 14 hits, including a homer, across 10 innings of work. He has only walked two in that time, however, and has punched out nine. The 33-year-old earned a two-year, $26 million contract from the Reds this winter after a successful return to the big leagues with the Padres over the last two seasons, most recently working to a 3.43 ERA across 63 outings (nine starts) in the 2023 campaign.Source: Charlie Goldsmith
6 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks have signed second baseman Kolten Wong to a minor-league deal and have assigned him to Triple-A Reno. Wong has inked a minors deal this offseason with the Orioles but failed to crack the Opening Day roster and once again hit the open market. Following a pair of production seasons at the plate with the Brewers, Wong's bat cratered in a brief stint with the Mariners in 2023, hitting just .183 with four homers, three stolen bases, and a .519 OPS across 87 games in the Pacific Northwest. The D-backs have Ketel Marte as their everyday second baseman but fellow infielder Geraldo Perdomo recently underwent knee surgery and will miss about a month's worth of action.Source: Reno Aces
6 days agoOakland A's infield/outfield prospect Max Schuemann has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas as a corresponding move to the club placing outfielder Brent Rooker (abdomen) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. The 26-year-old Schuemann is in line to make his big-league debut despite a slow start in Las Vegas where he is just 4-for-23 (.174) without an extra-base hit in a small 29-plate-appearance sample size. He hit .277 with nine home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 14.3% BB% across 103 games at Triple-A in the 2023 campaign. Armed with big-time speed, Schuemann's lack of power throughout his minor-league tenure puts a hard cap on any fantasy value.Source: Oakland A's
6 days agoNew York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) will travel with the club for its upcoming road trip to Cleveland and Toronto as he builds up toward game action. The veteran suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right foot this spring and has recently worked on taking grounders and running the bases. LeMahieu didn't have his best season at the plate in 2023, hitting .243 with 15 homers, two steals, and a .717 OPS across 136 appearances, production that graded out 1% above the league average, as per his 101 wRC+. He was scheduled to be the team's everyday third baseman and leadoff hitter prior to his injury and he will likely return to those roles upon his return to action.Source: Bryan Hoch
6 days agoNew York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session either Thursday or Friday at the club's spring training facility in Tampa Bay. The right-hander has been sidelined due to a shoulder issue this spring but appears to be trending in the right direction in his rehab. It was a successful return to the Bronx for the veteran in 2023, as Kahnle worked to a 2.66 ERA across 42 appearances after posting a 2.84 ERA in an injury-shortened 13 appearances in a brief stint with the Dodgers in 2022. Upon his return, Kahnle won't get many save opportunities behind Clay Holmes but could be a solid source of holds after recording 14 of them in the 2023 season.Source: Bryan Hoch
6 days agoIt sounds like Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford is going to stick around in the team's starting rotation. "You throw like that, you're not going anywhere," manager Bruce Bochy said. It means that right-hander Michael Lorenzen might have to start the year in Texas' bullpen as a long man once he gets his arm up to speed after signing late in spring training. The 26-year-old Bradford has been outstanding as a rotation fill-in in his first three starts against the Cubs, Astros and A's, allowing only four runs (three earned) on 10 hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 17 in 19 1/3 frames. Meanwhile, Lorenzen has given up eight runs with 13 K's and nine walks in his three minor-league rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. Bradford has pitched well enough to warrant an early season waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues.Source: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
6 days agoHouston Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy (forearm) is "really close" to throwing off a mound, according to manager Joe Espada. It's good news for Urquidy, but he still has a ways to go before thinking about rejoining Houston's starting rotation. The 28-year-old Mexican hurler has been out for almost a month due to a right-forearm strain suffered in spring training and probably won't be ready to return until some point in May. And when he does return, there's no guarantee that he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him if Justin Verlander (shoulder) and Framber Valdez (elbow) are back and healthy by then. Urquidy also missed significant time due to a shoulder injury in 2023 and doesn't have much fantasy upside for those in mixed leagues when he's healthy.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
6 days agoHouston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) is feeling better and could start playing catch in the next few days, according to manager Joe Espada. Valdez is one of the latest high-profile starters to land on the injured list with an elbow injury, but he's only dealing with inflammation and hopefully will be able to avoid season-ending Tommy John surgery. There's currently no timetable for the 30-year-old southpaw to return to Houston's starting rotation, so fantasy managers are going to need to be patient and keep him stashed in an IL spot everywhere. Valdez has looked good in his first 12 1/3 innings this year, giving up only three earned runs while punching out 10. Rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti is replacing Valdez in the rotation for now.Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan that right-hander David Bednar would still be the closer if a save situation arises on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener. After missing some time in spring training due to a lat injury, Bednar hasn't looked like himself in the early going in 2024 and has already blown three saves while giving up six earned runs on six hits (one home run) while walking one and fanning six in 4 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star's command just isn't where he needs it to be right now, but it's good news for his fantasy managers that Shelton isn't panicking just yet. The fact that Bednar has been one of the best closers in baseball the last couple years has bought him a longer leash, but if his struggles continue, lefty Aroldis Chapman could start seeing some save chances.Source: Pittsburgh PG - Andrew Destin
6 days agoThe former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is facing federal charges related to his alleged theft of millions from Ohtani, according to a source with direct knowledge of the investigation. Ippei Mizuhara, 39, is in negotiations to plead guilty and the investigation is racing toward a conclusion, according to the New York Times. Ohtani's attorneys alleged that he had been the victim of a "massive theft," and Ohtani himself said in a statement that he never bet on baseball or any other sports and had no knowledge of Mizuhara's alleged actions. The investigations are ongoing, but at this time, it doesn't appear that Ohtani is in any way or involved or potentially in line to face any kind of suspension from MLB. UPDATE: A federal criminal complaint says Mizuhara stole more than $16 million from Ohtani to pay for his illegal betting, and he's been charged with bank fraud.Source: ESPN.com - Paula Lavigne and T.J. Quinn
6 days agoOakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers will get the day off on Thursday in the series finale against the division-rival Texas Rangers in a matinee contest. With Langeliers on the bench, Kyle McCann will catch left-hander JP Sears and hit in the nine-hole against Rangers right-hander Jon Gray. All three of Langeliers' hits in this series against the Rangers were home runs on Tuesday as he single-handedly helped the A's defeat the reigning World Series champions on the road that day. The 26-year-old backstop has four long balls on the year already and seven RBI, but otherwise he's hitting just .222 (8-for-36) with two walks and 11 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances. McCann is searching for his first big-league hit and should be avoided in DFS.Source: Oakland A's Communications
6 days agoOakland Athletics first baseman Ryan Noda (hand) is back in action on Thursday against the Texas Rangers, serving as the team's designated hitter and batting sixth against Rangers right-hander Jon Gray. Tyler Nevin is at first base and hitting fifth in the batting order. Noda hurt his left hand during batting practice before Tuesday's contest and sat out the previous two games as a result, but the 28-year-old was just dealing with a contusion and will return to the lineup for the series finale against Texas. The former 15th-round selection by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017 out of Cincinnati is still searching for his first home run and has gone 7-for-33 (.212) with one RBI and 12 strikeouts in the first 10 games. He's hitting .200 in five career at-bats against GraySource: Oakland A's Communications