6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder
Victor Scott II will start on the bench again on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. The 23-year-old is now starting on the bench for the second game in a row, with
Michael Siani getting the start in center field and hitting ninth for the Cardinals against A's right-hander
Paul Blackburn. Scott's defense has been strong for St. Louis in center field, but he's gone just 5-for-65 (.089) with three doubles, two RBI, two stolen bases and 14 strikeouts in his first 62 big-league plate appearances over 18 games. He could begin to lose more playing time in center field if he doesn't pick it up offensively, and Scott will eventually head back to the minors when
Tommy Edman (wrist) and
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) return.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Ben Lively (illness) has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's contest in Boston against the Red Sox. The Guardians signed the 32-year-old to a one-year contract this winter after he made his big-league return with the Reds in 2023. Lively spent three seasons in the KBO before returning to North America for the 2022 season but stayed at Triple-A with the Reds that year. He worked to a 5.38 ERA across 19 outings (12 starts) for the Reds last season and has made a pair of starts with Triple-A Columbus this season, posting a 3.24 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Zack Littell will look to keep his fast start going on Wednesday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Littell has yielded just two earned runs across his first three starts of the season spanning 15 1/3 innings, striking out 15 against five walks in that time. The 28-year-old has been solid for the Rays since the club claimed him from the Red Sox last season as he tossed a 3.93 ERA in 26 outings (14 starts) with the club last season before starting this season with a 1.17 ERA, albeit alongside a 3.90 SIERA. He takes on an Angels offense that is tied for 16th with a .314 wOBA and 19th with a 23.6% K% on the young season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Kris Bryant (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a lower-back strain. The move is retroactive to April 14 while outfielder
Sean Bouchard has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to take his spot on the active roster. Bryant left Saturday's contest against the Blue Jays with back/rib soreness and was originally listed as day-to-day before landing on the injured list Wednesday afternoon. It's been a slow start to the season for the 2016 NL MVP who is hitting just .149 with one homer and a .528 OPS across 13 games and 55 trips to the plate.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies infielder
Brendan Rodgers (illness) will remain out of the starting lineup on Wednesday. The 27-year-old was scratched from Monday's lineup due to an illness and also sat out of Tuesday's 5-0 loss as well. It's been a sluggish start to the season for Rodgers, as he's hitting just .211 without a homer alongside a .553 OPS across the first 59 trips to the plate of the season. The oft-injured infielder has largely underperformed as a former top prospect, as he has hit .262 with 32 homers and a .720 OPS across 333 career games while playing his home games in the league's most hitter-friendly venue at Coors Field in Denver.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners shortstop
J.P. Crawford is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Cincinnati Reds and left-hander
Andrew Abbott. Crawford enjoyed a nice night at the plate on Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a run scored in a 3-1 win but will take a seat to begin the lefty-on-lefty matchup on Wednesday. Despite the solid night on Tuesday, it's been a tough start to the season for Crawford who is hitting just .171 with a pair of homers and a .523 OPS across his first 79 plate appearances. Interestingly, he is 6-for-20 (.300) against left-handed pitching but is hitting only .100 (6-for-50) against righties.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Kris Bryant (back) remains out of the lineup on Wednesday as he will miss his fourth straight game after leaving Saturday's contest against the Blue Jays with back soreness. The veteran remains day-to-day. It's been a sluggish start to the season for the 2016 NL MVP as Bryant is hitting just .149 with one homer and a 32.7% K% across his first 55 trips to the plate of the season. This comes on the heels of a .233 average with 10 homers and a career-worst 73 wRC+ across an injury-shortened 80 games in the 2023 campaign.
Nolan Jones will man left field and hit sixth Wednesday against Phillies left-hander Christopher Sanchez.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks moved left-hander
Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. Rodriguez recently suffered a setback with his left shoulder and now won't be able to return to Arizona's starting rotation until late May. The oft-injured 31-year-old southpaw pitched well in his final season with the Detroit Tigers in 2023 but was in line for regression with his move to the desert. Now that he's been unable to stay healthy early on in 2024, fantasy baseball managers in mixed leagues should probably look for better options instead of keeping him stashed in an IL spot. The good news for the D-backs is lefty
Jordan Montgomery is set to join the rotation to make his season debut later this week.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
6 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks optioned left-hander
Tommy Henry and pitcher
Luis Frias to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday and recalled pitchers
Justin Martinez and
Logan Allen from Reno in corresponding moves. Henry allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Chicago Cubs and has a 6.87 ERA and 1.80 WHIP with eight walks and 18 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings over his first four starts of the 2024 season. The 26-year-old soft-tossing southpaw will go down to the farm to work on his craft while serving as starting pitching depth for the Snakes. He has become the odd-man out in Arizona's rotation with lefty
Jordan Montgomery's debut with the team coming later this week.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
6 days agoAtlanta Braves right-hander
Darius Vines will make another start for the team on Sunday at home against the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers. Vines earned another start in Atlanta's starting rotation after giving up just one earned run on four hits while walking three and striking out four in his season debut on April 15 against the Houston Astros in 4 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old could stick around even longer with
Spencer Strider (elbow) out for the season if he looks good again this weekend. Still, fantasy managers in need of pitching depth or those looking for a streamer on Sunday should be hesitant to go all-in on Vines in the tough matchup. The Braves have plenty of other options for their rotation, so Vines is going to need to continue to impress to stick around.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
6 days agoThe San Diego Padres placed right-hander
Yu Darvish (neck) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) with neck tightness on Wednesday and recalled right-hander
Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. It's unclear as of now if Darvish has a realistic chance to return from the IL when he's eligible on April 30, but the 37-year-old will miss at least the next couple of weeks. San Diego's starting pitching depth will be tested in the season's first month, and it's not clear yet who the main candidates are to take Darvish's spot. In his first five starts of 2024, Darvish had posted a 4.18 ERA (3.88 FIP) and 1.27 WHIP with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings pitched. Keep the five-time All-Star stashed in an IL spot for now in fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padres
6 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Justin Verlander (shoulder) will make his 2024 season debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. The team's other starters will shift back a day, with
Ronel Blanco going on Saturday and
Cristian Javier taking the hill on Sunday. Verlander didn't pitch at all during spring training due to right-shoulder inflammation but is now ready after making a couple minor-league rehab starts and throwing a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner didn't look particularly sharp in the minors but got up to 77 pitches in his final rehab start. Don't be surprised if the Astros have a short leash on the future Hall of Famer in his first start of the year in the big leagues this weekend.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (thumb) is back behind the plate and is hitting seventh on Wednesday against left-hander
Jordan Wicks and the Chicago Cubs. Moreno was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a right-thumb contusion that he picked up on a wild pitch on Monday night. However, the 24-year-old entered the game as a defensive replacement late in Tuesday's extra-inning win and is now back in the starting lineup a day later for the series finale. One of the best young catchers in the game, especially on defense, Moreno is still searching for his first home run of the year and is hitting a modest .244 (11-for-45) with six RBI and five runs scored in his first 15 games. Moreno is hitless in his two career at-bats against Wicks.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoAfter making his season debut on Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays catcher
Danny Jansen will take a seat on the bench for Wednesday's contest against the division-rival New York Yankees. Jansen just returned from a fractured wrist on Tuesday, and the Blue Jays are going to ease him back into the fold behind the plate.
Alejandro Kirk is doing the catching for right-hander
Kevin Gausman and will hit eighth against Yankees right-hander
Marcus Stroman. Jansen went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in his first start on Tuesday and could need some time before he gets going at the plate after a long layoff. Kirk has been slow out of the gates, too, going 10-for-50 (.200) with no homers and eight RBI. He has a hit in his two career at-bats against Stroman.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoKansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez (groin) is back behind the plate and is hitting cleanup for the Royals in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox and rookie right-hander
Jonathan Cannon, who is making his big-league debut. A Grade 1 left-groin strain kept Perez out of Monday's lineup before Tuesday's contest was postponed. The 33-year-old's injury clearly wasn't too serious, but he'll most likely sit out for the second game of the doubleheader. The eight-time All-Star should be reinserted into all fantasy lineups now that he's active again. Perez is off to an excellent start at the plate in 2024, going 21-for-62 (.339) with four home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs scored in his first 16 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
RADIO
