5 hours agoChicago Cubs third baseman
Christopher Morel went 1-for-4 and smashed a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning against Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Joe Ross in the Cubs' 3-1 loss on Friday. Morel's sixth homer of the season, and second in as many games, gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead at the time. The 24-year-old now has a .689 OPS on the season. Morel is hitting below his 2023 levels, but a .295 wOBA with a .338 xwOBA point towards some positive regression for the righty. He will get a matchup against Brewers rookie
Tobias Myers on Saturday.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher
Hayden Wesneski recorded eight strikeouts and gave up no runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The eight strikeouts matched a career-high for Wesneski, who was recently called up. The 26-year-old has been used in both the bullpen and as a starter in his career, but he has now made two starts in a row for the Cubs. Wesneski may make a decent bench option for fantasy managers needing help in deeper leagues, but he could be bumped from the rotation when
Justin Steele (hamstring) returns from the injured list next week. Wesneski's next scheduled start is Wednesday, May 8, against the San Diego Padres.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani is back in the Dodgers' lineup and batting second on Friday night after sitting vs Arizona Diamondbacks lefty
Jordan Montgomery on Wednesday night. It marked Ohtani's first day off of the 2024 season. The lefty gets a matchup against Atlanta Braves right-hander
Charlie Morton, who's posting up another solid season with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Ohtani is one-for-seven in his career against Morton and has struck out against the veteran in three of those at-bats. Fantasy managers should keep Ohtani in their lineups, but there may be sneakier options with cheaper costs in the late slate for DFS players.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
5 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner (hamstring) was removed from Friday's game early against the San Francisco Giants with left-hamstring soreness. Turner was removed prior to the top of the fifth inning after scoring from second base on a passed ball that resulted in a walk to
Bryce Harper in the bottom of the fourth. The 30-year-old was replaced by
Edmundo Sosa after going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring a run. Should Turner be forced to miss any time, Sosa would be the likely starter at shortstop. With just hamstring soreness, Turner should be expected to be day-to-day until the soreness subsides.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Matt Gelb
6 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Bobby Miller (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Friday, but manager Dave Roberts was unsure how many bullpens Miller will need before he's cleared to face live hitters. However, the skipper said Miller can ramp up quickly once that starts. The 25-year-old is trying to work his way back from right-shoulder inflammation that landed him on the injured list on April 13. Friday was the first time that Miller has thrown off a mound, so it's a notable step in his recovery. The former 29th overall pick in 2020 out of Louisville has a 5.40 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his first three starts in 2024, but his elite strikeout upside makes him stash-worthy in all fantasy formats. Miller struck out 18 and walked just six in 11 2/3 innings over his first three outings before going on the shelf.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
7 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers left-hander
Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) threw his first bullpen session post-surgery on Friday, according to manager Dave Roberts. Kershaw threw only 15 pitches in the session, but it's notable progress for the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer after he underwent left-shoulder surgery in the offseason. He still has a ways to go in his recovery, but Roberts said Kershaw "came out well" from the bullpen session. Fantasy managers stashing Kershaw in deeper leagues will need to remain patient, as the three-time Cy Young winner isn't expected to return to LA's big-league starting rotation until around the All-Star break in July. The 10-time All-Star is no longer at his peak, but he still went 13-5 last year with a 2.46 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 24 starts when he was healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
7 hours agoThe Toronto Blue Jays optioned third baseman/outfielder
Addison Barger to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and recalled outfielder
Nathan Lukes in a corresponding move. Barger, the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, didn't fare well in his first taste of big-league pitching, so he'll go back to the minors and work on his craft before potentially helping the Blue Jays as a utility option later in the year. In his first 18 major-league at-bats, the 24-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2018 had just one hit, a run scored, no walks and six strikeouts in five games played. Barger certainly has the look of a major-leaguer and is a physical specimen at 6-foot, 210 pounds, but he has some work to do before he's an option for fantasy managers outside of dynasty/keeper formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
7 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that outfielder
Alek Thomas (hamstring) is expected to come off the injured list and be back with the team at the start of the team's road trip to Cincinnati against the Reds that starts on Tuesday. Thomas is serving as the designated hitter on a minor-league rehab assignment for Triple-A Reno on Friday, so as long as he doesn't have a setback with his strained left hamstring over the weekend, he'll be back with the Snakes next week. The 24-year-old is more valuable to Arizona on defense in center field than he's been with his bat, as he's hit just .230/.273/.362 with 18 home runs, 82 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 242 games at the big-league level since debuting in 2022. When Thomas returns, it will mean less playing time for the likes of
Pavin Smith and
Jake McCarthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports - John Gambadoro
7 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Joey Gallo (shoulder) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Fredericksburg on Saturday. Gallo will return to live games after recently landing on the injured list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. If the 30-year-old left-handed slugger can avoid a setback with his shoulder, he could be off the injured list and back with the Nationals by early next week. Gallo still has plenty of power and is a lineup regular for the Nats when healthy, but it's hard to ignore his low batting average and swings and misses. Before going on the shelf, Gallo was sporting a .122/.286/.311 slash line with three home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and eight runs scored in 74 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
7 hours agoNew York Mets pitching prospect
Joander Suarez tossed 6 1/3 perfect innings of relief en route to his first victory of the season for Double-A Binghamton. Saurez relieved starter
Tylor Megill and proceeded to remain on the mound for the rest of the game and retire every batter consecutively. This amazing outing brings the 24-year-old to a 2.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 24 punchouts in 27 2/3 innings. After not allowing a run across 18 innings at Double-A last season, Suarez is picking up right where he left off this season. The 28th-ranked prospect in the New York system should be expected to reach Triple-A fairly soon and could push for a late-season promotion to the majors.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoWashington Nationals right-hander
Josiah Gray (elbow) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. It will be the first time that Gray has thrown off a mound since going on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow almost a month ago. It's good to see the 26-year-old making progress, but he still has a ways to go and will likely need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before the Nationals clear him to rejoin their big-league starting rotation. Gray, the former second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2018 out of Le Moyne College, had an absolute disastrous start to 2024 by giving up 13 earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking five and striking out nine in 8 1/3 innings in his first two starts before landing on the IL. When healthy, Gray should be able to bounce back and will have a spot waiting for him in Washington's rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Washington Post - Andrew Golden
7 hours agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman
Brandon Lowe (oblique) is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. Lowe is finally going to resume playing in live games after straining his right oblique on April 7. Once the Rays deem him healthy enough to come off the injured list, the 29-year-old should at least be on the strong side of a platoon at second base against right-handed pitching. In the meantime,
Amed Rosario and
Curtis Mead will continue to share playing time at the keystone in Tampa. There's a lot to like about Lowe in most fantasy leagues because of his pop from the second base position, but he has trouble staying on the field and has only played in 100-plus games in two of his six big-league seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
7 hours agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Luis Baez launched his third long ball of the season on Thursday. At just 20 years old, Baez currently has a .263/.314/.425 stat line with three swiped bags and 14 RBI through his first 19 games at High-A. Considered the number two prospect in the Houston system on MLB Pipeline, Baez has begun to show high upside power that he did not show at Single-A last year. He tallied just four round-trippers in 41 games and is already just one short of matching that total this season. In addition, Baez is currently riding a three-game RBI streak suggesting he has raw situational hitting ability. While he is not projected to reach the major leagues for several years, he could become a top prospect in the sport over time.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
7 hours agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that relief pitcher
Pete Fairbanks (arm), who is dealing with a nerve issue in his arm, is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. We don't know all the details on the exact nature of Fairbanks' injury, but he's obviously doing well and is getting close to a return to the major-league roster. The 30-year-old right-hander could be eased into high-leverage situations at the back of Tampa's bullpen when he returns, but when fully healthy, Fairbanks is this team's primary closer. In the meantime,
Jason Adam and
Garrett Cleavinger will split the save opportunities with the Rays. Fairbanks' injury could help explain his current 9.00 ERA and 2.29 WHIP in just seven innings pitched before he went on the injured list.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
7 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that an MRI exam showed a "protruding disc" in left-hander
Steven Matz's lower back. He received a pain-killing injection and will be re-evaluated early next week after being placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday. Matz was pitching through lower-back pain in his outing on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers and is now most certainly going to miss more than two weeks. On top of it, the 32-year-old veteran southpaw has opened his third year in St. Louis with a 1-2 record, a bloated 6.18 ERA (4.73 FIP), 1.73 WHIP, 11 walks and 17 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings over his first six starts. In shallow mixed leagues, Matz isn't a must-hold, especially given the nature of his injury, if you have bigger needs on your roster.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
RADIO
