6 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton will be getting some rest during the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. Buxton has appeared in all 11 games so far, batting a cumulative .220/.273/.293 stat line with no home runs. Buxton is expected to be starting in center field for the second game later this afternoon and is projected to face
Matt Manning. As a result,
Austin Martin will man center field and bat in the nine-hole. Martin is a sneaky play in DFS as he will take on
Kenta Maeda, who has struggled in his first two starts, pitching to the tune of a 9.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves ace
Spencer Strider (elbow) underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow on Friday and will miss the rest of the season. He is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 to 14 months after undergoing internal brace surgery on his pitching elbow. The 25-year-old will be sidelined for 2024 and is expected to miss the early part of 2025. Strider finishes the 2024 season with a 7.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts over nine innings. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can safely cut Strider while he remains a must-stash in dynasty and keeper leagues. The Braves called up
Darius Vines from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday to take Strider's place in the rotation. Vines owned a 3.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and an 11:3 K: BB across 12 innings for Triple-A Gwinett. The 25-year-old is a speculative add in deep leagues for fantasy managers searching for pitcher help.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Colton Cowser homered for the third time in two games on Friday in a 12-1 loss to the Brewers. It was a solo shot in the fourth off of Brewers' ace
Freddy Peralta and would
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6 days agoHouston Astros outfielder
Kyle Tucker homered twice in Friday's 12-8 loss to the Rangers. The lefty was 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. He now has four home runs on the season, with his other two home runs coming in a single game back on April 1. It has been somewhat of a mixed bag to start the year for Tucker, having seven multi-hit games over his first 15, but also six games without a hit, resulting in a modest .258 average. His xBA checks in at .341 though, so perhaps he's been a little unlucky and this is the beginning of some more consistent hitting for the 2x All-Star. The lefty has also stolen just one base thus far, and fantasy managers who took him with a first-round draft selection are hoping the pace picks up there as well.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar homered in his first game of 2024, a two-run shot in the third inning of Friday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks. It was his only hit of the contest though, going 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. Nootbaar had been dealing with a rib injury, but now that he's back he can provide fantasy managers with a significant run boost, also adding a little pop and a little speed. Last season the lefty hitter belted 14 home runs, stole 11 bases, and came across the plate 74 times in 117 games. The 26-year-old also has a keen eye at the plate with a career 14.0% BB%. He's rostered in just 41% of Yahoo leagues, so he'll probably become a popular waiver wire add.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoOakland Athletics reliever
Dany Jimenez was called upon to lock down the game in the ninth inning on Friday against the Nationals, only to blow the save opportunity, although thankfully the A's hung on to win the game 2-1. With their closer
Mason Miller unavailable to pitch due to recent workload, Jimenez was tasked with holding down a 1-0 lead and promptly gave up a home run to the first batter he saw. It was the only run he allowed in the inning, but the righty also allowed a double while striking out two batters. The 30-year-old saved 11 games for the A's back in 2022, but just once last year and he probably won't get many more opportunities this season with Mason Miller looking like a legit stopper in the ninth.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays closer
Pete Fairbanks recorded his third save of 2024 on Friday in a 2-1 win over the Giants. It was his third straight conversion, although the 30-year-old has been shaky to start the season with a 9.00 ERA, 2.20 WHIP, and a 6:8 BB:K in six games (five IP). In Friday's appearance, he walked the first batter he faced on four pitches, and half of the 18 pitches he threw were balls despite not allowing a hit or another runner to get on base. His role as closer seems secure for now though. Last season Fairbanks saved 25 games for the Rays with a 2.58 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, but the righty did have a high BB% of 10.9%, so that part of his game doesn't seem like it's going away.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoKansas City Royals starting pitching prospect
Ben Kudrna threw six no-hit innings en route to his first victory of the season at High-A. Kudrna allowed two base runners in the opening frame, one via a walk and the other via a hit-by-pitch, but then kept the bases empty for the remainder of his start. This was an excellent bounce back performance for the number three overall prospect in the Kansas City system, as he allowed two runs in just three ⅔ innings in his first start. The 21-year-old is projected to make his major league debut sometime in 2025 and is worth kicking the tires on if available in your dynasty and keeper leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Joey Loperfido entered Friday's game with the most home runs in professional baseball. After Friday's game, he increased his lead with three more. Loperfido's three home runs brought in seven runs, raising his long-ball total to nine. The former Duke Blue Devil has a .320/.390/.880 stat line across his first 12 games of the season. Loperfido is making a case for an immediate call-up and is well worth stashing in redraft formats simply due to how well he is hitting the ball. He could also provide a much-needed spark to a struggling Astros team. When given the promotion, the 24-year-old could slot in the Astros outfield or at first base.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates closer
David Bednar locked down the ninth inning for his second save of the season on Friday in a 5-2 win over the Phillies. After blowing three save opportunities already in the early going, manager Derek Shelton stayed true to his word that Bednar would still be the one he'd call on if a save opportunity arose in Philadelphia, and Bednar answered the call by pitching a clean inning. The 29-year-old didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out one in the appearance. Hopefully the righty is back on track now. The Pirates (10-4) are a surprisingly competitive team thus far so they'll need Bednar to lock down more games for them. He did so last season for them 39 times to the tune of a 2.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 21.3% K-BB%. So far in 2024, he holds a 10.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 23.1% K-BB%.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitching prospect
Jack Leiter tallied ten punchouts across six innings in a loss on Friday evening. Leiter surrendered three earned runs and allowed six hits and no walks. Across 14 ⅓ innings at Triple-A, Leiter is riding a 3.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with three walks and 25 strikeouts. This is a big step for his development, not only because he is holding his own at Triple-A and showcasing great strikeout potential but also because he has lowered his ratios significantly compared to his 5.19 ERA and 1.46 WHIP from last season. The former number two overall pick from Vanderbilt is putting all of the pieces together, and if he can continue his success at Triple-A, he could be in contention to make his major league debut this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo launched his fourth and fifth home runs of the season on Friday evening. Mayo has been one of many Baltimore prospects crushing the ball at Triple-A. The 22-year-old is now sporting a .386/.444/.754 stat line through his first 13 games. He also has 10 RBI. Mayo is proving himself to be an elite power prospect as he is nearing double-digit home runs already and launched 29 last season. Mayo may have to wait a bit longer to make his major league debut, as the Orioles have a deep infield that just welcomed
Jackson Holliday. Nonetheless, the third baseman will be a popular waiver-wire add when he receives the call to the majors later this summer, especially due to his power potential.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect
Paul Skenes continued his dominance in Triple-A on Friday, throwing three ⅓ shutout innings with three hits, one free pass, and eight strikeouts. The number three overall prospect is yet to surrender a run this season and has a minuscule 0.64 WHIP across nine and ⅓ innings, with a total of 19 punchouts. Skenes, often touted as the best pitching prospect in baseball, is on the verge of making his major league debut, showcasing his elite fantasy ceiling with his dominant swing-and-miss potential. Already rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats, Skenes is a player worth checking your waiver wire for in shallower re-draft formats, as he will be a valuable player down the stretch.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners relief pitcher
Ryne Stanek allowed one run on one hit and no walks across a scoreless inning in Friday's 4-2 win against the Chicago Cubs. He did not record a strikeout in Friday's victory. Stanek entered the ninth inning to protect a
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6 days agoBoston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said third baseman
Rafael Devers (shoulder) will likely sit out Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Devers has missed the last two games due to left shoulder soreness. The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, with his next chance of returning to the lineup being the series finale against Los Angeles on Sunday. Devers is expected to avoid the injured list. He is slashing .184/.326/.395 with two home runs, three RBI, and five runs across 10 games in 2024.
Bobby Dalbec batted fifth and started at third base for Devers in Friday's 7-0 loss to the Angeles. The 28-year-old is likely to handle third base for Boston and see an uptick in at-bats while Devers is sidelined. Dalbec has yet to log a hit in seven games this season and can be left on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Mac Cerullo
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