5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez made his return to the mound during Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The left-hander looked sharp during his return after missing time due to elbow inflammation. Valdez went five innings, struck out six batters, and walked none in the victory. He only threw 71 pitches during this game, which is around what Houston wanted. Valdez didn't have a rehab stint, so the Astros will likely ease him back to full speed.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda was hot at the plate during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The 25-year-old went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI during the blowout win over the Halos. This three-hit effort has boosted his slash line to .292/.320/.500 this season. Miranda also has a pair of homers, six RBI, and a stolen base on the year. Fantasy managers might want to snag Miranda while he's hot at the plate.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman delivered a clutch hit during Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The Cubs trailed 4-1 in the eighth inning, but Tauchman had an answer for that. After two singles, Tauchman came up and blasted a three-run home run to tie up the ballgame. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the Red Sox would win this game in the bottom of the ninth. Tauchman is slashing .294/.429/.500 with three homers, 10 RBI this season.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill came up clutch for his team during Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The right-handed slugger came up to the plate with runners at the corners and no outs in the ninth inning. O'Neill delivered a hit to left field that scored Jarren Duran and gave the Red Sox the 5-4 win. The 28-year-old is now slashing .329/.447/.729 with nine home runs and 12 RBI this season.Source: mlb.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitch Tanner Houck threw another gem on Sunday in a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Houck tossed 6 ⅔ innings of one-run ball, allowing just four hits while striking out nine and walking none. It is the fourth start this season where Houck hasn't walked a batter, and his strikeouts haven't suffered either. His season line looks mightily impressive, with a 1.60 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in 39 ⅓ IP. He needs to be owned in all leagues at this point, as he looks to be truly breaking out.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado shut down the San Diego Padres on Sunday, helping the team to an 8-6 win. Alvarado was sharp in this one, striking out a pair while not allowing a baserunner in his inning of work. The lefty remains the only Philly with more than one save and appears to be the go-to guy in the ninth inning. He should be rostered in any league where saves matter.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott put the team on his back in an 8-6 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Stott finished the day going 2-for-3 with two homers and a stolen base. He also scored three runs and drove in four. It was a blistering day at the dish for the 26-year-old, who sorely needed it after a tough start to the season. The homers were just his second and third of the season and the stolen base was his fourth. Stott has 20/20 upside that was on full display Sunday, so he should be held onto in most leagues.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) was removed from Sunday's game early with back stiffness. Jones missed two games earlier this week with the same injury and was only able to play in one game before the injury popped up again. It is worrying that the back issues appear to be lingering, with manager Bud Black saying that the team will determine whether an IL stint is necessary before the team's next game on Tuesday. Perhaps this offers a reason for Jones' brutal start to the season, but fantasy managers won't be any happier with that explanation.Source: Thomas Harding
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.Source: 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.Source: MLB.com
6 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.Source: Ari Alexander
6 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.Source: MLB.com
6 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.Source: MLB.com
6 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.Source: Mac Cerullo
6 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.Source: MLB.com