6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals infield prospect
Thomas Saggese is swinging a hot bat to open the 2024 campaign. The 22-year-old is riding a solid .286/.349/.464 stat line with two home runs and 11 RBI. Saggese struggled in his first taste of Triple-A last season with a .207 AVG, so it is nice to see the 96th overall prospect begin to turn things around. The number four ranked prospect in the St. Louis pipeline is expected to make his major league debut later this summer and is worth stashing in keeper and dynasty leagues as he should find plenty of playing time in an infield utility role when given the call.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman went 3-for-5 with two singles and a grand slam home run in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. The slam cut the Orioles' deficit to 6-4 in the seventh inning, but it would end up being the only runs the O's would push across the plate in the contest. It was just the second home run of the season for the backstop, but he's hitting a solid .297 on the season with 11 RBI and 13 runs scored. After being drafted as the top catcher off the board in fantasy leagues this year, the 26-year-old is nearly holding up his end of the bargain, ranking as the second-highest scoring catcher in Yahoo leagues behind only
William Contreras.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoColorado Rockies pitching prospect
Carson Palmquist threw six shutout innings on Friday. He allowed only four hits, one free pass, and struck out ten. The number 15 overall prospect in the Colorado system has been dominant to begin the season as he has yet to allow a run and holds a minuscule 0.94 WHIP across 16 innings at Double-A. This is a vast improvement compared to the 22 ⅓ innings he logged at Double-A last season, where he posted a 4.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Palmquist is a name worth monitoring in dynasty leagues and could make a push for a late-season promotion if he continues to dominate the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto went 1-for-4 with a three run home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Rays. It was his only hit in the game, but sent the fans into a frenzy and gave the Yankees the cushion they needed after going up 2-1 earlier in the inning. It was also the 25-year-old's twelfth straight game getting on base at least once via hit or walk. The perennial All-Star is now slashing .347/.468/.600 with five home runs, 20 RBI, 13 runs scored, and a stolen base. He's also walking at an incredible rate, even for Soto's standards, with an 18:11 BB:K.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Travis d'Arnaud had a career night on Friday in an 8-3 win over the Rangers, going 3-for-4 with three home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored. The first two were solo shots, however, the third was a grand slam that broke a 3-3 tie. The veteran backstop didn't have a home run on the season before Friday's game. He hit a career-high 18 home runs in 2022, but just 11 last season. The Braves are hoping he can continue to produce while primary catcher
Sean Murphy is out with an injury and likely not back until sometime May. d'Arnaud now has a .245-3-10-8-0 line on the season and has five doubles in addition to his three home runs, so there is still pop in that 35-year-old bat.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
7 days agoAtlanta Braves right-hander
Spencer Strider's (elbow) UCL ligament was compromised by the unavoidable development of a bone fragment. But instead of having Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, Dr. Keith Meister fixed Strider's damaged UCL by inserting an internal brace last week. It could allow the Braves' hurler to pitch again early next season. The 25-year-old was the top-ranked fantasy starter coming into the 2024 season after leading all of baseball with 483 strikeouts from 2022-23. Strider was told he might have been pitching with the fragment in his ligament for at least a couple of years. He initially felt discomfort in his elbow in spring training before things deteriorated quickly early in the regular season. In single-year fantasy leagues, Strider can be dumped since he won't pitch again in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
7 days agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Tylor Megill (shoulder) threw his first bullpen assignment on Friday. Megill is ramping up his throwing activity as he recuperates from a strained right shoulder that's held him to one start so far in the 2024 regular season, which came in New York's opening series of the campaign. The big 28-year-old right-hander is probably not going to be activated from the injured list before the end of April at this rate, but Megill could be an option for the Mets sometime in early May. With righty
Jose Butto beginning to emerge in the rotation, Megill could be facing a long-relief role upon his eventual return. Butto has yielded a lone run while fanning 15 hitters and walking four covering 12 innings (two starts) in Queens this year, but he's a dangerous fantasy bet in Saturday's scheduled start against a high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers offense at Chavez Ravine.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoBaltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said before Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals that starting pitcher
John Means (forearm) still needs to get stretched out more in his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. Means' fourth rehab start on Wednesday compounded on his recent struggles, as he was blown up for five earned runs in one-third of an inning. He's now given up 15 runs (five homers) and five walks in 7 1/3 innings in the minors, so the O's likely want to see him sharpen things up before considering activating him from the injured list. The 30-year-old left-hander is working his way back from a strained left forearm and should still be able to rejoin Baltimore's rotation in late April or early May. After posting a 2.66 ERA (5.24 FIP) and 0.71 WHIP with 10 K's over 23 2/3 frames (four starts) late last season, Means is someone to consider stashing in mixed fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jacob Calvin Meyer - The Baltimore Sun
7 days agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game versus the Houston Astros that starting pitcher
Josiah Gray (elbow/forearm) was able to increase his throwing distance up to 60 feet on Thursday and Friday. Gray has been on the 15-day injured list since April 9 due to a right elbow/forearm flexor strain, and while he's eligible to come off the IL after the weekend, fantasy managers should not expect Gray to be available before May. The Nats could opt to send him on a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning him to the big-league roster, as it's fair to expect a cautious approach after the 26-year-old former top prospect allowed 13 runs in his first 8 1/3 innings of the year before going down. Rookie left-hander
Mitchell Parker is occupying Washington's rotation for now, but he won't be a recommended streamer in a tough matchup for Sunday's scheduled start against Houston.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports
7 days agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game versus the Houston Astros that catcher
Keibert Ruiz (influenza) is feeling a lot better after he recently played catch and took batting practice. Martinez said the backstop lost 20 pounds while battling the flu, so Ruiz still needs to build his strength back up. With that said, he's eligible to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list as early as Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers and seems unlikely to need a minor-league rehab assignment before getting back behind the dish for the Nats. The 26-year-old former top prospect was off to a sluggish start, however, batting .194 (6-for-31) with one home run and three RBI over eight games.
Riley Adams will get the bulk of the catching work in DC in the interim and is worth a look for fantasy managers in deep two-catcher leagues, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and five RBI in 10 outings this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports
7 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) departed Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning with an apparent injury to his left thumb. The injury occurred while Alvarez was hustling to second base on an errant
Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw to first base, and he went 0-for-1 with a run scored before veteran
Omar Narvaez replaced him and took over behind the plate. The Mets should offer another update on Alvarez's status following Friday's contest, and fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day until more is known about the issue. Expect the 22-year-old former top prospect to at least get the day off in the second matchup of the series on Saturday. Alvarez is off to a slow start at the dish this season, batting .236 (13-for-55) with one home run, four doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and one stolen base over 16 appearances.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo - MLB.com
7 days agoMiami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said on Friday that starting pitcher
Braxton Garrett (shoulder) is playing catch at 90 feet. Braxton could next advance to a bullpen session, but the Marlins will first re-evaluate him after the catch session before he moves ahead in his progression. Working his way back from a left shoulder impingement, Garrett made two minor-league rehab starts earlier in April before experiencing a "dead arm" after Monday's bullpen session. His return timetable is murky at the moment, but the team should provide another update in the coming days. The 26-year-old left-hander fully broke out a year ago, registering a 3.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a wonderful 156:29 K:BB through 159 2/3 innings (31 appearances) and should be stashed in the majority of fantasy leagues. The scuffling
A.J. Puk would be a prime candidate to move back to Miami's bullpen when Garrett ultimately makes his 2024 season debut.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Isaac Azout - Fish on First
7 days agoCleveland Guardians manager
Stephen Vogt said before Friday's game versus the Oakland Athletics that starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (elbow) will pitch on Saturday in Arizona. After throwing his first simulated game on Monday, Williams appears to be closing in on a minor-league rehab assignment if all continues to go smoothly in his recovery from right elbow discomfort. Although he has a chance to be activated from the injured list before April's end, an early-May return is probably more realistic. The 24-year-old former top prospect recorded a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guards in his rookie season in 2023, and it's about time to make sure he's not floating around any waiver wires in fantasy leagues. In the meantime, veterans
Carlos Carrasco and
Ben Lively will keep battling to hold down spots in Cleveland's rotation when Williams eventually makes his 2024 regular-season debut.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: CLEology on X
7 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Ceddanne Rafaela blasted a two-run home run for his first HR of the season in the Red Sox 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rafaela was starting at shortstop as Boston works to cover the absences of
Trevor Story and
Rafael Devers. Rafaela had a very subpar start to the season with just a .464 OPS coming into Friday, so hitting a bomb was a good sight to see for Rafaela and the Red Sox. The 23-year-old may not hold much current fantasy value but may be worth a stash in deeper leagues for fantasy managers who are willing to be patient. Rafaela will look to be in Boston's lineup tomorrow night vs Pirates starting pitcher
Mitch Keller.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitching
Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and recorded a win in the Phillies 7-0 victory on Friday night. Turnbull struck out six and only yielded one hit to
Gavin Sheets to end his no-hit bid. The righty bounced back from a so-so start in his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates and continued a very strong start to his 2024 campaign. Turnbull now has a 1.23 ERA in four starts and is posting up a 0.77 WHIP. Fantasy managers are certainly going to be interested in adding Turnbull if he's available on the waiver wire. By expected stats we can expect some negative regression to come his way, but at a 3.39 xERA the negative regression won't hit him too hard. Turnbull is worth the addition to your roster, even if it's just stashing him for a little longer. His next start will be Wednesday at Great American Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
RADIO
