6 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber put his power on display yet again in Monday's 9-2 win over the Padres. Schwarber went 2-for-3 with a pair of two-run home runs (including a 441-foot blast) and two walks. He was also caught trying to steal second base. The 31-year-old has provided plenty of counting stats as fantasy managers have come to expect, hitting 16 HR with 52 runs scored and 47 RBI. Surprisingly, he has also provided a decent .253 batting average with four stolen bases. Fantasy managers expected to take a hit in batting average with Schwarber in exchange for power, so his current production has been a bonus to an already solid fantasy profile.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7
hours
agoAfter
a
red-hot
May
in
which
he
slashed
.376/.424/.587,
Cleveland
Guardians
shortstop
prospect
Jose
Tena
cooled
off
to
begin
the
month,
slashing
just
.217/.294/.283
over
the
first
10
games.
Over
the
last
four
games,
however,
the
left-handed
hitter
has
gone
9-for-18
(.500)
read more...
7 hours agoOakland Athletics right-hander
Ross Stripling (elbow), who has been out since May 25 due to a strained right elbow, has begun throwing from 105 feet. However, manager Mark Kotsay has no timetable for Stripling to throw a bullpen session off of a mound. The A's sound like they are taking their sweet time with Stripling's rehab. At such a slow pace, the 34-year-old veteran is not going to be ready to return from the injured before the All-Star break in mid-July. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should have already moved on with Stripling starting the year 1-9 in Oakland with a 5.82 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 12 walks in 55 2/3 innings over his 11 starts for the A's. Stripling has pinpoint control with a 4.8% walk rate, but he's also down to a career-low 13.9% strikeout rate. That's just not going to cut it.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Associated Press
8 hours agoKansas City Royals infielder
Michael Massey (back) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday night. Massey will begin playing in games again after receiving an injection in his back on May 31. The 26-year-old second baseman originally landed on the 10-day injured list due to a lower-back ligament sprain. There's a chance that we could see him back in the major-league lineup this weekend against the Texas Rangers on the road if he doesn't encounter a setback in Triple-A. When he's ready to come off the IL, the former fourth-round selection in 2019 should return to regular duties at the keystone in Kansas City. Massey was hitting a solid .294 (30-for-102) at the time of his injury with six home runs and 17 runs scored in 29 games.
Nick Loftin played two of the three games at the keystone over the weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
8 hours agoCleveland Guardians infield prospect
Angel Genao, who was recently promoted to High-A Lake County, has continued to hit since moving up. The 20-year-old has a .268-1-3-6-2 line in 10 games with High-A, and four of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases (three doubles, one home run). It was much of the same at Single-A, collecting 23 extra-base hits there (14 doubles, three triples, six home runs) and tallied 12 more stolen bases. The switch-hitter is the Guardians' 11th-ranked prospect with an ETA of 2026 per MLB.com's Top Prospects List, but with his hit tool and speed profile, he may have to be bumped up on dynasty watch lists.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Guardians Prospective
8 hours agoKansas City Royals right-hander
Michael Wacha (foot) was scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start in the Arizona Complex League on Monday. Depending on how Wacha feels after his outing on Monday in the Rookie League, there's a chance that the Royals will feel that he's ready to come off the 15-day injured list and rejoin their starting rotation. If that's indeed the case, the 32-year-old veteran would likely make his first start back in the big leagues this weekend in Texas against the Rangers. Wacha is attempting to return from a left-foot fracture that landed him on the injured list on June 2. The former first-rounder will surely be more risky as a fantasy starter in his first start back if he only makes the one rehab appearance. On the year in his first season in KC, Wacha is 4-5 with a 4.24 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and only 56 strikeouts in 68 innings over 12 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
8 hours agoSeattle Mariners second baseman
Jorge Polanco (hamstring) played second base in his second minor-league rehab game for High-A Everett on Sunday and went 0-for-1 with two walks out of the leadoff spot. Polanco will move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday and isn't far off from a return to the big-league lineup, barring a setback with his balky hamstring. In his absence in Seattle, rookie
Ryan Bliss has seen more of an opportunity for playing time at the keystone. The 30-year-old Polanco needs to pick things up offensively when he returns if he wants to remain the team's primary second baseman. Polanco has really struggled in his first year with the M's, batting .195 (31-for-159) with five home runs, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored in 159 at-bats. If he stays healthy on his rehab assignment, he could rejoin the Mariners by this weekend.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
8 hours agoAtlanta Braves rookie right-hander
Hurston Waldrep's (elbow) evaluation showed that it was what the Braves believed it to be, just right-elbow inflammation. It seems to be the best-case scenario for the young pitcher. Waldrep will be shut down for a week and then will begin building his arm back up again. The 22-year-old prospect won't be ready to return from the 15-day injured when he's eligible, and when he is ready to come back, there's a good chance that he'll be sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett at that time. The club's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, only made it through seven innings in his first two major-league starts against the Nationals and Rays and allowed 13 earned runs on nine hits (three homers) while walking eight and striking out only three. It seems more likely the Braves will send Waldrep back to the farm and use a different young arm for their big-league rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
8 hours agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl (hamstring) was forced to leave Monday's game early against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a hamstring injury. Friedl said he went through a series of tests on his hamstring and he had full range of motion and strength. "It was just tight," Friedl said. In the 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old went 0-for-3 with a strikeout out of the leadoff spot for the Reds and was eventually replaced in center field by
Will Benson when he left the contest early. Friedl appeared to initially injure his hamstring when he made a diving catch in center field in the bottom of the fifth inning. It sounds like Friedl's injury might not be too serious, but he's already missed time with injury this year and could be headed back to the injured list. He's hitting only .222 this year with four homers, 15 RBI and six stolen bases in just 81 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
8 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher prospect Spencer Giesting is being promoted to Double-A Amarillo. The former 11th-round draft pick pitched to a 4.00 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 10.1% K-BB% over 24 starts last season at High-A, but has looked like a different pitcher this season. Over 10 starts at High-A in 2024, the southpaw has posted a 1.50 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 23.2% K-BB%. He's lowered his BB% and HR/FB% significantly while increasing his SwStr% by a large margin, which has been a recipe for success. As an 11th-rounder and outside the Diamondbacks' Top 30, Giesting is exceeding expectations and if he continues to have success at Double-A, dynasty managers will want to start keeping tabs on the 22-year-old.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Hillsboro Hops
8 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers catcher
Willson Contreras (head) has avoided a concussion after he suffered a head injury during a collision at home plate with Cincinnati Reds outfielder
Stuart Fairchild as he applied a tag at the end of Sunday's win. Contreras was put through the league's concussion protocol after the game on Sunday. The 26-year-old backstop has since been cleared of a concussion, but he was held out of Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels as a precaution. It sounds like Contreras will avoided the concussion injured list and could be back in the starting lineup as soon as Tuesday. Manager Pat Murphy said that Contreras is "going to be fine." If he's back in action on Tuesday, fantasy managers will want to get the catcher back into their starting lineups, as he's been one of the most valuable players at his position so far this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Todd Rosiak
8 hours agoSan Francisco Giants catcher
Tom Murphy (knee) has resumed taking batting practice in the cage and is throwing out to 110 feet while recovering from a left-knee sprain. Murphy felt a pop in his knee after going down to block a wild pitch in the second inning of the team's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on May 4 and was put on the 10-day injured list the next day. An MRI revealed a Grade 1-2 sprain for Murphy, who was expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. He was moved to the 60-day IL on May 15. Signed to a two-year, $8.25 million deal in December, Murphy hit just .118 with a home run over his first 13 games with the Giants this year before getting hurt. When healthy, Murphy is merely a third catching option for the Giants behind starter
Patrick Bailey and backup
Curt Casali.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoSan Francisco Giants left-hander
Robbie Ray (elbow) will make his next minor-league rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday. The Giants have been pleased with Ray's progress from Tommy John surgery, but he's unlikely to be ready to join the starting rotation for his 2024 debut until around the All-Star break. He gave up three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings in his third rehab start in the ACL last Thursday. The 32-year-old southpaw still has a bit to go to build up his left arm, but he's on his way to making his season debut for the Giants and will be an option for fantasy managers in the second half due to his strikeout upside. However, there's also reason to be concerned about his command when he returns, especially since Ray has had issues pre-Tommy John surgery with his control.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoSan Francisco Giants right-hander
Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) threw another 30- to 35-pitch bullpen session on Friday, although it's unlikely that he'll return from the injured list to make his season debut until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Cobb was progressing well in his rehab from offseason hip surgery he had on Oct. 31, but he had another setback when he felt mild shoulder irritation before throwing a bullpen session on April 16. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on April 20 and tried to resume throwing after that, but he was shut down again after more soreness in his shoulder. Cobb resumed a throwing progression after receiving some nerve medication and looked "really good" during a 25-pitch bullpen session at Oracle Park on June 11. The 36-year-old has limited strikeout upside and is injury-prone at this point in his career, but he can have fantasy value as a matchup-based streamer when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoCleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (elbow) threw 52 pitches over 1 2/3 innings in his fourth rehab start at Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Over his first three rehab outings, Williams went a combined 6 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and gave up six earned runs on eight hits and four free passes. On pace to return from right elbow discomfort to Cleveland's rotation in late June, Williams could be one last rehab start away, which is scheduled for Friday, from making his 2024 debut with the Guardians. The 24-year-old former top prospect belongs on no fantasy waiver wires at this stage of his recovery, carrying a 3.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while striking out 81 and walking 37 through 16 starts (82 innings) during his rookie year a season ago.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: GuardsInsider on X
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