4 hours agoWith Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) likely to land on the injured list, right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) is looking likely to come off the injured list in a corresponding move to make his 2024 debut on Friday against the New York Yankees. Bradley is finally ready to return to Tampa's starting rotation after missing the start of the season due to a right pectoral strain. The 23-year-old struck out eight batters in six innings while giving up one run in his final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Durham last Friday and appears ready to roll. Friday's matchup against the Yankees isn't the most friendliest, but Bradley should be picked up off the waiver wire in at least deep-mixed leagues if you're in need of starting pitching help. Bradley struck out 129 hitters in just 104 2/3 innings in 2023 for the Rays.Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
4 hours agoSan Diego Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas went 2-for-4 in the batter's box with a double and his first triple of the season on Tuesday. He also tallied his eighth RBI of the season off a sacrifice fly. Salas has had a rough start to the 2024 season at High-A with a .205/.301/.284 slash line. The top prospect in the San Diego system performed very well in Single-A last season with a .267/.350/.487 line but struggled when he was promoted to High-A, and even in a brief stint in Double-A. The 17-year-old looks to have carried those struggles into the early part of the season, but his performance on Tuesday could be an excellent way for him to get back on track. Salas is considered one of the best prospects in baseball, and these struggles should not be exaggerated, as he is just 17 years old and is still several years away from his major-league debut.Source: MiLB.com
4 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers second base/shortstop prospect Austin Gauthier made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday. After performing very well at Double-A last season and in the early part of this year, he got the call to move up to Triple-A and is now quickly approaching his major league debut. Gauthier posted a stellar .280/.445/.488 line with four home runs and a 22:16 BB:K ratio in 24 games in Double-A this season. The 25th-ranked prospect in the Dodgers pipeline could make a push for a late season promotion, especially with his strong contact skills and elite plate discipline. When he is promoted, he could become worth adding in deeper redraft leagues.Source: MiLB.com
4 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (illness) is back behind the plate and is batting seventh on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Moreno had the day off on Sunday against the San Diego Padres and also sat out the series opener on Tuesday against the Reds while being under the weather, but the 24-year-old backstop is feeling good enough to play on Wednesday. Moreno has yet to clear the fences so far in 2024 and is currently hitting .241/.340/.322 with five doubles, one triple, 14 RBI and nine runs scored in 100 plate appearances over 29 games played. He has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Ashcraft.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoThe Oakland Athletics placed rookie infield prospect Darell Hernaiz (ankle) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a left-ankle injury and recalled catcher/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The A's also selected left-hander Easton Lucas' contract from Vegas and added right-hander Osvaldi Bido as the 27th man for their doubleheader on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. Right-hander Alex Speas was designated for assignment. It's a tough break for Hernaiz, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the A's No. 4 prospect. With Hernaiz out, Max Schuemann is making the start at shortstop in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, but Brett Harris is also a candidate to see playing time there until Hernaiz is able to return. Hernaiz was hitting just .182 (12-for-66) with no homers and six RBI in his first 29 MLB games.Source: Oakland A's Communications
4 hours agoNew York Yankees catching prospect Agustin Ramirez has been showing both excellent power and plate discipline in his first extended look at Double-A pitching. The 22-year-old went 3-3 at the plate with two walks and launched his tenth home run of the season on Tuesday which brings him to an overall .258/.405/.618 line. Ramirez is on pace to smash his previous season-high of 18 long balls that he set last season across Single, High, and a brief stint with Double-A. In addition to his power potential, Ramirez has shown excellent plate discipline. This season, he sports a 21:20 BB:K ratio, and during the early part of May, he has a 7:2 ratio. The 20th-ranked prospect in the Yankee system is still several years away from the major leagues but could become worth watching in dynasty if he continues to show this strong combination of power and plate discipline.Source: MiLB.com
4 hours agoThe Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, according to the Rangers. The 34-year-old switch-hitting veteran will return to the Rangers after he hit .238/.340/.394 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 115 regular-season games with the World Series champions last year. In 25 games with the White Sox this year, Grossman had gone 15-for-71 (.211) with no home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases in 85 plate appearances. Grossman isn't going to hit for average but has solid on-base skills and will give the Rangers another bat off the bench for the time being with rookie Wyatt Langford (oblique) currently on the 10-day injured list.Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
5 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect Drew Thorpe continued his excellent start to the season with another shutout performance. In this outing, he tossed five ⅔ innings with five strikeouts and allowed just two hits and two free passes en route to his fifth victory of the season. The 23-year-old performed very well in Double-A last season and has carried that dominance into this season with a stellar 1.01 ERA, 0.84, and 33:9 K:BB ratio in 35 ⅔ innings. The third-ranked prospect in the White Sox system is on the verge of being promoted to Triple-A, making him an intriguing stash candidate in redraft formats in the coming months as he could push for a late-season promotion and should be able to make an immediate impact with his elite strikeout potential.Source: MiLB.com
5 hours agoChicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) "tweaked something in his right knee (and) has been bugging him a little bit," according to manager Craig Counsell, which is why Swanson is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting San Diego Padres. Counsell said Swanson hurt his knee on a slide in the game on April 25 against the Houston Astros. With a scheduled off day on Thursday, the Cubs are hoping to get Swanson back for the series opener on Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Check back to see if the 30-year-old Swanson is back in there on Friday. With him resting on Wednesday, Nico Hoerner is starting at the 6 and batting leadoff, while Miles Mastrobuoni will play second and hit seventh against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease.Source: Watch Marquee - Andy Martinez
5 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers infield prospect Tyler Black has been optioned back to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday with outfielder Christian Yelich (back) being reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Black, the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, went 5-for-22 (.227) with two doubles, no RBI, two stolen bases, a run scored, one walk and eight strikeouts in his first seven major-league games with the Brew Crew. The 23-year-old started five of the seven games he was with the team but will now head back to the farm to hone his craft for the next time the Brewers call on him. The former 33rd overall pick in 2021 out of Wright State broke out in the minors last year and will likely be the next man up to the big leagues if the Brewers suffer another injury to their position-player crop. The left-handed-hitting corner infielder has displayed great plate discipline in his rise up the system.Source: Milwaukee Brewers
5 hours agoBaltimore Orioles outfield prospect Jud Fabian went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and five RBI in Tuesday's victory. After disappointing in his first taste of Double-A ball last season with a .176/.314/.399 slash line, the No. 12 prospect in the Baltimore system has begun to settle in with a strong .264/.350/.517 line with six total long balls and two swiped bags. The former Florida Gator has been an excellent power hitter throughout his time in the minors, and it is beginning to show once again this season. Fabian is projected to reach the majors next season but could push for a Triple-A promotion later this summer, which could make him worth looking into in dynasty formats.Source: MiLB.com
5 hours agoThe Milwaukee Brewers activated outfielder Christian Yelich (back) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and he's right back into the starting lineup against Kansas City Royals right-hander Brady Singer, serving as the designated hitter and batting third. Yelich will return to Milwaukee after landing on the injured list on April 16 with a lower-back strain. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed swinger didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment, so it will be interesting to see how he performs jumping right back into the action. Fantasy baseball managers are hoping he picks up right where he left off, as Yelich will return to a .333/.422/.744 slash line with a 1.166 OPS, five home runs, 11 RBI, two steals and seven runs scored in his first 39 at-bats. Get him back into your fantasy lineups in all single-year formats.Source: Milwaukee Brewers
5 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder Mark Canha (illness) is out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians due to an upper respiratory infection. "He's not feeling well. It hasn't been a great road trip health-wise (for the team), so we're kind of quarantining him at this point to get him away from the rest of us until further notice," manager A.J. Hinch said. It will be the second straight game missed for the 35-year-old, who is hitting .248 (29-for-117) so far in 2024 with five home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored for the Tigers. Check back on Friday to see if Canha is feeling good enough to play in the series opener against the Houston Astros after a scheduled off day on Thursday. Colt Keith will serve as the designated hitter and will bat fifth on Wednesday against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee.Source: Detroit Free Press - Evan Petzold
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan (forearm) hasn't thrown off a mound yet, but he's progressing well and has been ramping up the intensity of his long-toss program. Sheehan has been throwing after being shut down in the middle of April due to a right-forearm injury that he suffered in mid-March in spring training. The 24-year-old will be eligible to return from the 60-day injured list on May 18, but that's probably not going to happen given the fact that he has yet to pitch all season to this point. But if Sheehan can avoid any setbacks from here on out, he should be able to rejoin the Dodgers' big-league roster before the All-Star break. He debuted in the majors in 2023 and went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 26 walks and 64 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings over 13 appearances (11 starts).Source: Los Angeles Time - Jack Harris
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Monday. "Velocity was good. He'll throw another one. ... From everything I've seen (a rehab assignment) is coming pretty quickly, which is really encouraging," manager Dave Roberts said. This was Miller's second bullpen session since he was placed on the injured list on April 13 due to right-shoulder inflammation. The 25-year-old is going to need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment soon, but it's unclear if he'll need to make more than one start on the farm before rejoining the Dodgers' starting rotation. Despite posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings in his first three starts in 2024 before getting hurt, Miller needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats for his high-end strikeout upside with the best offense in baseball backing him each time out.Source: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett