6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) is having his rehab paused after recently experiencing more tightness in his shoulder following a bullpen session. An MRI showed that there is still an issue with the strained left lat of Rodriguez, who has been shut down from throwing. After bagging a four-year, $80 million with the D-backs this past offseason, Rodriguez has had a miserable start to his tenure in the desert following an abysmal spring training. The 31-year-old Venezuelan left-hander's setback leaves his return timeline very murky, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back before the end of April at this point.
Tommy Henry and
Ryne Nelson will serve as starters in Arizona's rotation until E-Rod is ready to return, but the two hurlers are only low-end streamers in favorable matchups.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Nick Piecoro - The Arizona Republic
7 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Nick Pivetta (elbow) is going to test his arm and play catch on Saturday. After Pivetta was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow on Tuesday, it's encouraging to hear he's ready to resume throwing. The 31-year-old right-hander was off to a spectacular start before the Red Sox shut him down, striking out 13 over 11 innings while surrendering only one run and one walk in two starts. Pivetta has a chance to return before April ends, but it remains to be seen if he'll require a rehab assignment before doing so. It's unclear who will join the club's rotation in the interim, as Boston still hasn't formally listed a probable pitcher for Saturday's matchup versus the visiting Los Angeles Angels, so there isn't a clear fantasy beneficiary of Pivetta's absence.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jen McCaffrey - The Athletic
7 days agoMinnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said following Friday's loss to the Detroit Tigers that shortstop
Carlos Correa (oblique) is expected to wind up on the injured list. Correa is heading for imaging after suffering a strained right oblique on Friday against the Tigers,
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7 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Walker Buehler's (elbow) third minor-league rehab start on Friday was cut short after he was struck in the right hand by a comebacker. Buehler threw only two innings before departing, but it sounds like his exit was a precautionary measure. This could have been Buehler's last rehab start on his way back from Tommy John surgery, but the Dodgers may now want him to get one final tune-up appearance before rejoining the rotation following such a long layoff. The 29-year-old All-Star right-hander should still be able to return by late April and obviously needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues at this point. Who comes out of LA's rotation upon Buehler's comeback remains a question mark, but
Ryan Yarbrough's 3.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through four starts may give him the upper hand over
Gavin Stone's 9.00 ERA and 2.13 WHIP over his two appearances.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mike DiGiovanna - Los Angeles Times
7 days agoMinnesota Twins shortstop
Carlos Correa (oblique) exited early in Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers with a right oblique strain. Correa grabbed his right side after striking out during his second at-bat in the top of the third inning. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting. The severity of Correa's injury is unknown at this time, and he is considered day-to-day.
Willi Castro replaced him in Friday's game. Considering Correa is dealing with an oblique injury, the veteran shortstop could likely land on the injured list.
Kyle Farmer should see an uptick in playing time while Correa is sidelined. Farmer is off to a slow start this season and has yet to collect a hit over 18 plate appearances in seven games in 2024. The 33-year-old is a speculative add in deep-league formats if Correa is forced to miss any time.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Dan Hayes
7 days agoCincinnati Reds center fielder
TJ Friedl (wrist) underwent an MRI on Thursday and was determined to need another seven-to-ten days of lighter activity before ramping up his rehab process. The hope was that Friedl's injury would be a little more cleared up at this point and the delay is a bit of a setback for the 28-year-old. The lefty had a solid year in 2023, slashing .279/.352/.467, and was looking to catapult a young Reds roster into playoff contention before injuring his wrist a month ago in spring training.
Will Benson has taken over center field responsibilities in Friedl's absence, hitting .213 with 2 HR on the short season. Friedl should be expected to take over as the starter once he returns, but without a clear timetable for him to come back fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to keep Benson on their radar.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
7 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals center fielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) and shortstop
Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin hitting activities on Monday. Per Cardinals' manager Oli Marmol, the two will begin to ramp up their rehab process on Monday by hitting off a tee and taking soft toss. Edman had previously been cleared for baseball activities while Carlson had not, so this is a positive sign for Carlson's progress. No return timeline has been established for either player. In Carlson's absence,
Victor Scott II's takeover in center field has not gone well with Scott hitting for just a .091 batting average.
Masyn Winn has filled in for Edman at shortstop much more admirably, hitting .379 to start this season. Edman will hold more value to fantasy managers than Carlson upon their returns.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: John Denton
7 days agoToronto Blue Jays relievers
Jordan Romano (elbow) and
Erik Swanson (forearm) are slated to pitch in Triple-A Buffalo's doubleheader tomorrow. Both pitchers struggled some in their most recent rehab appearance on Thursday and will look to improve on those outings. Should the outings go well, both relievers have a chance to join the Blue Jays roster and be taken off the injured list. Swanson's value as a setup man may carry more value to the Blue Jays than to fantasy managers. However, Romano should be rostered in all leagues with his return being close.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
7 days agoArizona Diamondbacks closer
Paul Sewald (oblique) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. This will be Sewald's first bullpen session since he suffered his Grade 2 oblique strain. It may still be some time before Sewald is able to come off the injured list, but being able to progress to a bullpen session is a good sign for the 33-year-old. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on the closer's progress and keep him stashed on their rosters until he is able to be activated. In the meantime, expect
Kevin Ginkel to continue to get save opportunities for Arizona until Sewald is back.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Theo Mackie
7 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Alek Manoah (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in Saturday's doubleheader in Triple-A Buffalo. Manoah will look to avoid the issues he saw in his prior minor league start on Sunday in Single-A Dunedin where he gave up seven runs on five hits in just 1 2/3 innings pitched. Manoah has been dealing with shoulder fatigue since early in spring training. The 26-year-old is in desperate need of a bounce-back season. After finishing third in the AL Cy Young award voting in 2022, Manoah's 2023 was disastrous with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. The Blue Jays are expected to compete for a playoff spot this season and anything solid Manoah can provide them when he comes back will be beneficial.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
7 days agoChicago White Sox shortstop prospect
Colson Montgomery currently has a .239/.314/.283 throughout his small taste of Triple-A. The number two ranked shortstop prospect on MLB Pipeline quickly progressed through the minors last season as he never saw his on-base percentage dip below .400 across three levels. It is promising to see Montgomery continue to put up solid numbers as he is nearing his major league debut. Montgomery is considered a top prospect in baseball and should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats. If he continues to succeed at Triple-A, he could be worth stashing in redraft and be a solid middle infield option down the stretch, as he should be in contention to receive a late-season call-up.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (shoulder) is scheduled for a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday. Cabrera is slated for six innings, or about 90 pitches, in the start. This will be the 25-year-old's third rehab start and, if all goes well, it's likely he will be taken off the injured list and added to the Marlins active roster. "I anticipate him being back in the rotation at some point soon," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. The struggling Marlins will surely welcome him back with open arms as their starters currently hold a 4.75 ERA and need as much help as possible to turn around their 2-11 start.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Jordan McPherson
7 days agoChicago Cubs first base prospect
Matt Mervis is off to an excellent start to his 2024 season. He is hitting .325/.420/.525 with one home run and five RBI. Mervis got a small taste of the majors last season but struggled, so the Cubs felt it was better for him to continue his development at Triple-A. While he has only hit one long ball so far, Mervis hit 22 in Triple-A last season, so expect more on the way. Mervis should see time in Wrigley later this summer and could very well be one of the first of many exciting bats from the Chicago system to be promoted.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo is hitting .185/.265/.333 to open the young season at Triple-A. He has just one long ball and one double. Manzardo showcased excellent on-base skills in Triple-A last season with a .343 across 94 games and tallied 17 home runs, which suggests that the 23-year-old could turn things around rather quickly. While Manzardo looks to get out of this slump, he is still considered one of the top first-base prospects in the sport and should make his way to the majors later this summer. The Guardians have a logjam with
Josh Naylor at first base, so his major league debut may be delayed. Nonetheless, Manzardo is a must-roster player in dynasty leagues and is worth stashing in keeper formats, if not already.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 days agoCleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter is off to a slow start to begin his 2024 campaign. The top overall prospect in the Cleveland pipeline is hitting a disappointing .118/.318/.176 across his first five games. He has only tallied two hits, and only one of them went for extra bases. DeLauter was in contention to make the Opening Day Roster but fell just short. If the 22-year-old can begin to perform well, he could receive a late-season promotion. The former first-round pick remains a top stash in dynasty leagues and deeper keeper formats but should not be considered in redraft formats for now.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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