3 hours agoNew York Yankees relief pitcher Nick Burdi (elbow) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday. This is a tough blow to the Yankees bullpen that is already dealing with injuries. Burdi was pitching well as he hasn't allowed a run through 6 1/3 innings this season. The Yankees are hopeful that it'll be a minimal stint on the injured list for Burdi. In a corresponding move, right-hander Cody Morris has been recalled from Triple-A to take the spot on the active roster.Source: Yankees PR
3 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish (elbow) is set to make his next rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. The right-hander looked sharp during his most recent rehab outing on Tuesday. The organization has bumped him up to Triple-A, but he'll likely need at least one or two more outings before he's ready to return to the O's rotation. Fantasy managers should continue to hold Bradish and be hopeful for a return in early May.Source: Jake Rill
3 hours agoSan Diego Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth (calf) has returned to the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old has missed each of the last two games due to a minor right-calf issue. However, Cronenworth will be back in there at first base and batting third against right-hander Yariel Rodriguez on Friday. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Cronenworth back in their lineups.Source: MLB.com
3 hours agoMinnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran (oblique) threw 21 pitches of live batting practice before Friday's game at Target Field against the Detroit Tigers and didn't feel any discomfort. Duran is close to embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment. "He was supposed to throw 20 and he wanted an extra one, so that tells you he's feeling good," manager Rocco Baldelli said. Once the 26-year-old goes on a rehab assignment, it might not be long before Duran is able to make his 2024 debut. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats despite getting a late start to the season. While Duran can be a high-end fantasy closer when he's healthy, don't be surprised if the Twins ease him into late-inning situations when he initially returns to the big-league bullpen.Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
3 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins. This appears to be a rare rest day for the 23-year-old outfielder. Greene has started the first 19 games of the season, so he has earned a day off on Friday. Wenceel Perez will bat second and cover right field versus right-hander Joe Ryan on Friday. Fantasy managers and DFS players should be able to find a better option than Perez for Friday's slate.Source: MLB.com
5 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (hamstring) was pulled in the seventh inning of Friday's win over the visiting Miami Marlins due to right-hamstring tightness, according to manager Craig Counsell. Happ's status for the rest of the weekend is now to be determined. Given the fact that Happ also missed time in spring training with a left-hamstring strain, fantasy managers should not be surprised at all if this ends up being an injured-list situation for the switch-hitting outfielder. For now, the 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day. There's a good chance he won't play on Saturday, but check back anyway to see if he's active. With Seiya Suzuki (oblique) already on the IL, the Cubbies would be down to Cody Bellinger, Mike Tauchman and rookie Alexander Canario in their outfield, although Garrett Cooper and Patrick Wisdom could also be used out there.Source: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
5 hours agoHouston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) played catch on Friday, and manager Joe Espada said the hope is that Valdez could throw off a mound on Saturday or Sunday. Valdez is currently on the injured list while dealing with left-elbow inflammation, but there's no structural damage and he's already throwing again after being sidelined on April 9. The 30-year-old southpaw won't come off the IL when he's eligible next week, but a minor-league rehab assignment may not be far off. In the meantime, his fantasy managers will be hoping he'll return sometime in May. Keep Valdez stashed in all fantasy formats until then. The Dominican starter had picked up where he left off in 2023 through his first two starts before his elbow injury, giving up just three earned runs while striking out 10 in 12 1/3 innings.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
5 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that right-hander Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will make a third minor-league rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. If Walker comes out of that outing without any setbacks, he's expected to rejoin the Phillies' starting rotation after that to make his 2024 debut. The Phillies aren't going to rush the 31-year-old veteran back into the fold, especially with Spencer Turnbull pitching well right now as he fills in for Walker. Fantasy baseball managers looking for extra rotation depth in deeper mixed leagues may want to consider picking Walker up now and stashing him. Walker's 4.83 xFIP last year shows he was pretty lucky to come away with a 4.38 ERA in his 31 starts in 2023. He'll be a matchup-based streamer once he returns to the majors.Source: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
5 hours agoThe game between the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners in Colorado on Friday has been postponed due to inclement weather. The contest is being rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Sunday at 1:10 pm and 6:10 pm. Right-hander Dakota Hudson was scheduled to pitch for the Rockies on Friday, with right-hander Emerson Hancock set to take the bump for the visiting Mariners. Both pitchers will presumably be pushed back to start in what will now be the series opener on Saturday. Fantasy baseball managers will want to make sure they remove any players from these two teams from their starting lineups for Friday's slate of action.Source: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
5 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman's suspension has been reduced to one game after he settled with the league. Chapman will serve his one-game suspension on Friday night against the Boston Red Sox and won't be available out of the bullpen. The league suspended the 36-year-old southpaw for getting into a confrontation with an umpire during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The Cuban hurler does have a save on the season but has also allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits while walking six and striking out 11 in 5 2/3 innings pitched so far in 2024. The seven-time All-Star isn't Pittsburgh's primary closer but he can still be useful for his strikeout numbers and holds in deeper fantasy leagues.Source: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
5 hours agoThe Kansas City Royals reinstated infielder Michael Massey (back) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Massey is immediately back in the Royals' starting lineup on Friday, starting at second base and batting seventh against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. Massey is back in Kansas City after a back strain caused him to miss the start of the 2024 regular season. The 26-year-old looked good on his minor-league rehab assignment and figures to split playing time at the keystone with veteran left-handed hitter Adam Frazier. In 129 games with the Royals in 2023, Massey slashed an underwhelming .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI and six stolen bases in 461 plate appearances. He's worth a pickup in AL-only leagues, at least, for middle infield depth.Source: Kansas City Royals
6 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is on the bench on Friday with the team facing a left-hander. With Kelenic starting on the bench, Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for Atlanta and hit sixth in the batting order versus Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney. It's not out of the ordinary for Kelenic to get benched against a left-handed pitcher and he could use the break right now after going 2-for-13 with six strikeouts in his last four games played. The 24-year-old former Seattle Mariner has otherwise enjoyed his time so far in Atlanta, going 14-for-39 (.359) but with no home runs and only three RBI to show for it in his first 14 games. Duvall is hitless in his two career at-bats against Heaney.Source: Atlanta Braves
6 hours agoOakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hander on the mound. Ruiz has started just one of his four games since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, and that one start came against a left-handed pitcher. The 25-year-old speedster has gone 2-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored since returning from the minors, but the A's apparently view him only as a platoon outfielder for now on the short side against lefties. Seth Brown, JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler are starting from left field to right field across Oakland's outfield on Friday. For his speed alone, Ruiz is probably still worth keeping stashed as a bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.Source: MLB.com
6 hours agoThe Texas Rangers have optioned right-handed pitching prospect Jack Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and called up No. 9 prospect Owen White from Round Rock in a corresponding move. Leiter made his major-league debut on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and didn't do so well, allowing seven runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three in 3 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old wasn't fooling many hitters and allowed a lot of hard contact in his first taste of big-league hitters. He'll surely be back at some point in 2024, but for now will head back to the farm to hone his craft. White, 24, gave up five earned runs in four relief innings in his major-league debut in 2023. It's unclear what role the Rangers plan on having him fill in his first call-up of 2024.Source: MLB Pipeline
6 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has returned from his back injury and is playing third base while hitting third on Friday in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Brayan Bello. Hayes is back in the lineup after missing the last two games with lower-back tightness. It obviously wasn't a serious issue for the 27-year-old, who will now look to get on track at the plate after an off day on Thursday. Hayes has hit .277 (18-for-65) in the early going but has yet to clear the fences and went 3-for-17 with five walks and six strikeouts in the previous five games before his back injury. Hayes has never faced Bello in his career.Source: Pittsburgh Pirates