6 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton (knee) will test out his knee on Tuesday in front of the team, and if all goes well, he will play in some minor-league rehab games before returning to the Twins. Given the fact that Buxton has had surgery on his knee two different times, it makes sense for the Twins to test him on a minor-league assignment before activating him from the injured list. The 30-year-old has teased fantasy baseball managers with his power/speed combination for years but has coupled that with an inability to stay on the field because of injuries. Buxton was an All-Star in 2022 but has played in 100-plus games in a season just once since 2015 and doesn't run like he did earlier in his career. Until Buxton is able to get past his knee injury,
Willi Castro should continue to benefit from extra playing time in center field in Minnesota.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
6 days agoKansas City Royals third base prospect
Cayden Wallace has been settling in at Double-A and is making a case to be promoted to Triple-A. Through 28 games this season he boasts a .284/.368/.441 line with three home runs and three swiped bags. This is a significant improvement compared to his .236/.300/.362 line he posted in 33 games at the same level last season. With his recent success, the 22-year-old could make a case to be promoted to Triple-A soon, which could open the door for a late-season MLB debut. Currently ranked as the number two prospect in the Royals system, he should be left on the waiver wire in dynasty formats for now but could be worth stashing if he carries this momentum into Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (quadriceps) is doing some running on the field on Tuesday, and the Twins are ramping up his baserunning in what is described as a big week for his recovery. Lewis will do more aggressive change-of-direction stuff later this week, which will give us a better idea of a timeline for his minor-league rehab assignment. He still has a ways to go before we'll see him back in the big leagues, but it's nice to see that he's making progress for fantasy managers that have been stashing him since his injury. Lewis has been out since Opening Day on March 28, but his power/speed combination makes him a worthy stash in most fantasy formats. The Twins have plenty of options to play the hot corner until Lewis is able to return, but
Jose Miranda has been seeing most of the opportunities there of late.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park
6 days agoOakland Athletics catcher prospect
Daniel Susac has been struggling at Double-A this season. After impressing in his limited taste of Double-A ball last season with a .280/.304/.360 he has posted a mere .224/.258/.271 line this season. In addition, this season, he holds a rough 3:31 BB:K ratio. The 23-year-old has performed well in every level of the minor leagues so this may only be a small roadblock in his development as he posted an impressive .303/.373/.437 line with seven long balls at High-A and a .298/.354/.404 line in Single-A. Susac is estimated to reach the major leagues next season, according to MLB Pipeline, and is a name to monitor in dynasty formats if he can get himself back on track.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants left-hander
Blake Snell (groin) will make another minor-league rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Sacramento, and as long as all goes well in that outing, the next step would be returning to a major-league mound. Snell is getting close to returning to the Giants' starting rotation after tweaking his groin. In his first rehab start for Single-A San Jose, Snell threw four perfect innings with seven strikeouts. If Snell's final rehab start is this Friday, he could be lined up to come off the injured list to make his next start on May 23 in a strong matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 31-year-old southpaw had a rude awakening with an 11.57 ERA and 1.97 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings in his first three starts in 2024 after winning the National League Cy Young in 2023. Despite his rough start, Snell should be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Andrew Baggarly
6 days agoThe San Francisco Giants said that an MRI exam on outfielder
Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) showed "structural damage" in his left shoulder. Lee will go for a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Thursday. The 25-year-old rookie dislocated his shoulder when he crashed into the outfield wall early in Sunday's game and was placed on the injured list on Monday. Now that he's dealing with structural damage in his shoulder with the possibility of needing to go under the knife, fantasy managers may want to prepare for him to miss extended time. Lee has left a lot to be desired over the first month and a half in the big leagues with a .262/.310/.331 slash line with two homers, eight RBI and two steals.
Luis Matos has started both games in center field from San Fran since Lee was hurt and figures to see much more playing time moving forward.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Andrew Baggarly
6 days agoTexas Rangers outfielder
Evan Carter (back) received a cortisone injection in his back on Tuesday and remains out of the starting lineup against the Cleveland Guardians. According to the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant, it seems as though Friday is a realistic date for Carter to return to the lineup. The 21-year-old has not played since last Saturday and was diagnosed with lower-back inflammation after undergoing an MRI exam on Monday. While Carter could miss a few more days, it seems like he has a chance to avoid going on the injured list.
Ezequiel Duran is starting in left field again on Tuesday and is batting eighth against Guardians right-hander
Ben Lively. Despite hitting just .216 (27-for-125) to begin his first full year in the big leagues, Carter should be held onto in the majority of fantasy leagues as an everyday player when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays shortstop prospect
Leo Jimenez has settled in quite nicely in his first extended look at Triple-A and is making a case to join the major league roster later in the summer. Over the past week, Jimenez is riding a solid .263/.417/.632 line with two long balls and an impressive 4:3 BB:K ratio. On the season, he is sporting a .237/.413/.392 line with four home runs and a 23:21 BB:K ratio. This is a big step forward as the 22-year-old posted a disappointing .190/.338/.238 line through his first taste of Triple-A ball last season. Jimenez is projected to reach the major leagues this season and is worth monitoring in AL-only formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoChicago Cubs infielder
Nico Hoerner (hamstring) has been scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Atlanta Braves due to left-hamstring tightness. With Hoerner now out,
Miles Mastrobuoni will handle the starting duties at shortstop and will bat eighth against Braves left-hander
Chris Sale. It remains to be seen how serious Hoerner's hamstring injury is, so his fantasy managers will want to check back later on Tuesday or early Wednesday. Either way, there's a good chance the 27-year-old will be given the day off on Wednesday. The former 24th overall pick in 2018 out of Stanford is having a solid season, slashing .269/.361/.391 with two home runs, 12 RBI and five stolen bases in 156 at-bats. With
Dansby Swanson (knee) currently on the injured list, Hoerner has slid over from second base to the 6.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Watch Marquee - Taylor McGregor
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto (knee) will return to Wednesday's starting lineup against the New York Mets, barring anything unexpected, according to manager Rob Thomson. Realmuto was held out of action for a third straight game due to right-knee soreness in Tuesday's shutout win over the New York Mets but he should be back in there for the third game of the series on Wednesday. Fantasy baseball managers will want to get the 33-year-old veteran backstop back in all starting lineups on Wednesday, as he's still one of the best offensive-minded catchers in the game. Realmuto is hitting .364 (12-for-33) in the month of May in eight games and is currently riding a six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 11-for-26 with no homers and one RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
6 days agoChicago Cubs third base/shortstop prospect
Matt Shaw got off to a strong start to the campaign in April but has struggled through the early part of May. In April, he posted a solid .237/.387/.424 line with three long balls and a 12:19 BB:K ratio. However, in May he has a disappointing .159/.309/.227 line with no home runs and a 10:10 BB:K ratio. Through 13 games in May, he has only tallied seven hits compared to the 14 he knocked in 18 games in April. Shaw, who is ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the Chicago system on MLB Pipeline, looked to be on a fast track to Triple-A early this season, but that has taken a bit of a halt. The 22-year-old is projected to reach the major leagues in 2025 but may have to wait until late in the summer to join Triple-A Iowa due to his recent struggles.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper (head) is feeling better, according to manager Rob Thomson, after he was scratched from Tuesday's win over the New York Mets due to a migraine headache. Harper's migraine was not related to him being hit in the head by a throw on Monday night. The former MVP was available to pinch hit on Tuesday and will play on Wednesday against the Mets, so fantasy managers will want to get him back in their starting lineups then. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has been better so far in May, going 13-for-39 (.333) with three home runs and 11 RBI. On the season as a whole, Harper is slashing .259/.381/.496 with an .877 OPS, nine home runs, 29 RBI and two stolen bases in 168 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Masyn Winn is hitting leadoff on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander
Reid Detmers. This will be the first time this year that Winn has hit leadoff for the Red Birds. St. Louis is looking to jump-start their offense after putting up double-digit runs for the first time this year in Monday's win over the Halos. The 22-year-old Winn has hit well for the Cardinals this year in his first full season as their starting shortstop, going 32-for-113 (.283) with no home runs, eight RBI and six stolen bases in 37 games played. The young shortstop will definitely see a boost in his season-long and DFS fantasy value if he sticks in the leadoff spot, but managers considering using him in DFS on Tuesday must consider that he's only hitting .216 (8-for-37) on the year against southpaws like Detmers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Aaron Nola looked outstanding during Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. The right-hander struck out eight batters as he tossed a complete game in an 109-pitch outing. The Mets started to get something going with the bats in the ninth, but Nola was able to work around the base runners. This shutout by Nola is now the fifth one thrown in the league this season. He'll take his 3-2 record and 3.10 ERA into his next outing.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox third baseman
Bryan Ramos (quad) was removed early during Tuesday's game against the Washington Nationals. This is a shame considering Ramos has been one of the few bright spots for this team lately. The 22-year-old was pulled out of the contest mid-way due to left quad tightness. The White Sox are already fairly banged up at third base. If Ramos misses time,
Zach Remillard figures to see increased playing time at the hot corner. Fantasy managers should get more information on Ramos following Tuesday's game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: LaMond Pope
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