11 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers shortstop
Willy Adames clubbed his ninth homer of the season of the two-run variety while going 2-for-3 with an RBI single and another run scored in a 10-6 win over the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night. Adames is currently riding an eight-game hit streak in which he's gone 12-for-31 with two home runs and 10 RBI. The 28-year-old has been productive out of the cleanup spot this season for the Brewers with his .255 batting average, nine home runs, and 39 RBI. That RBI total is tied for 10th in MLB this season. The hot-hitting shortstop will look to continue his hitting streak with matchups against the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies to begin the month of June.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielder/infielder
Willi Castro collected three hits in Wednesday's loss to the division-rival Kansas City Royals, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the defeat. The three-hit attack should help get Castro back on track after he went hitless in five of his past six outings. With
Royce Lewis (quad) sidelined, the 27-year-old switch-hitter has taken on a more pronounced role across the diamond for the Twins, slashing a respectable .258/.332/.419 with four home runs, 16 RBI, 27 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 208 plate appearances (55 games) in 2024. Castro is worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues for his speed and positional eligibility until Lewis returns from his minor-league rehab assignment.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoKansas City starting pitcher
Seth Lugo (9-1) picked up his ninth win Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The ninth win leads the American League in that category and ties him for the MLB lead with Philadelphia Phillies starter
Ranger Suarez. Safe to say, Lugo has been a bargain for the Royals after signing the veteran right-hander to a three-year $45 million contract in the offseason. He currently lies at the top in wins, ERA, and innings pitched on the season while having an impressive 1.01 WHIP as well. His next start will put him against the red-hot Cleveland Guardians next Tuesday, whom he has yet to match up against this season.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jose Siri played the role of hero in Wednesday's victory over the visiting Oakland Athletics, ripping a single to left to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was a banner evening out of Siri, who also robbed a home run from A's second baseman
Zack Gelof in the top of the ninth before delivering the game-winning knock for the Rays. The speedy 28-year-old center fielder has taken a step back following his breakout 2023 campaign, slashing a paltry .180/.272/.289 with three long balls, 15 RBI, 16 runs scored, and seven stolen bases over 128 at-bats (44 games) overall this season. Consistently batting ninth in Tampa Bay's lineup in a platoon for at-bats, Siri isn't worth rostering outside of deep AL-only fantasy leagues at the moment.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoTampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (1-2) picked up the win after the Rays walked it off for a 4-3 victory in the ninth inning Wednesday night. Fairbanks was able to work around a leadoff double to Miguel Andujar to give up no runs and didn't even need a strikeout to do so. Since Fairbanks has returned from the injured list, he's been excellent, with a 0.63 WHIP in eight scoreless innings of work and eight strikeouts. Before his IL stint, the right-hander had allowed seven earned runs in only six innings pitched while blowing multiple saves. It was unclear whether he would return to the closer role upon activation, given how well Jason Adam has performed this season, but Fairbanks seems to have locked down the closer role for himself once again. Fairbanks is worth starting in most leagues, but you can expect manager Kevin Cash to throw Adam into the closer role occasionally.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoMiami Marlins pitching prospect
Thomas White was promoted to High-A Beloit on Tuesday. White was the 35th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and is currently the team's third-ranked prospect (MLB No. 88). So far this season at Single-A, the 19-year-old has made eight starts, posting a 3.18 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and a 44:17 K:BB over 34 innings pitched. The 44 strikeouts equate to a good 28.0% K%, but the walks settle at a 10.8% BB%, so that's something he could try to improve on at the next level. MLB.com's Top Prospects list gives him an ETA of 2027, but the southpaw has the makings of a front-of-the-rotation starter, so dynasty managers should be keeping close tabs on his ascent.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB Pipeline
12 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter (toe) finally returned to game action on Tuesday after missing a month with a fractured left foot. The Guardians' top prospect made two plate appearances, going 0-for-1 with a walk, before leaving the game with a sprained toe. The 22-year-old injured his right toe on the outfield wall while making a play on a fly ball. The former first-round draft pick is considered day-to-day for now, and while it may not cause him to miss too much time, he was absent from Wednesday's lineup for Double-A Akron. There was a shot DeLauter could make his big-league debut this season, but injuries are pushing that debut further down the road. Hopefully he can bounce back from this one quickly and at least get on track to make the jump to Triple-A before season's end.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB Pipeline
12 hours agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (5-3) picked up the loss Wednesday night, giving up six runs in five innings with four strikeouts, no walks, and nine hits in a 6-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals. The big blow of his day was a four-run third inning in which he gave up a three-run homer to Nelson Velazquez, moving his ERA up on the season to 4.89. After having a 1.48 ERA in April, Ober struggled to the tune of a 5.46 ERA in May. He's also given up seven home runs in five starts this month compared to no home runs in April. Things won't get any easier as his first start of June will be against a hot Bronx Bombers, a team that leads the MLB in long balls this season.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoBaltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson smacked a grand slam on Wednesday night versus the Boston Red Sox, going 1-for-4 in a 6-1 victory. Henderson crushed his 18th home run on the season and has continued to provide plenty of power out of the leadoff spot for the Orioles. Despite his power consistency, his overall consistency with the bat has taken a huge dip in May, with a .218 batting average after batting a solid .280 in April. To this date, the 22-year-old has a modest .254 batting average, along with those 18 long balls, 41 RBI, and seven stolen bases on the season. If he can get that batting average back up into the .280 range or higher next month, Henderson should be right back at the top of the American League MVP race.--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder/infielder
Matt Vierling was busy on Wednesday, going 4-for-8 with two home runs, three runs scored, and five RBI across two games of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vierling increased the Tigers' lead with a fifth-inning, three-run homer in Game 1, later continuing his hot hitting with a solo home run in the third inning of Game 2. The big day raised his triple-slash line to .289/.320/.503 with seven homers, 28 RBI, and 22 runs scored through 159 at-bats this year. The 27-year-old utility man is worth riding in fantasy while he's hot at the dish, but Vierling doesn't seem like much of a long-term solution in Detroit's low-scoring offense.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith put on a power display in Wednesday's blowout win over the hosting New York Mets, going 3-for-5 with two solo home runs. Smith launched his eighth and ninth homers on Wednesday, first belting a solo home run to left field to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the second inning and later smacking a go-ahead home run to left-center field to give the team a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. The 29-year-old slugging backstop is now slashing .296/.360/.516 with nine home runs, 14 doubles, 36 RBI, and 32 runs scored over 186 at-bats (49 games) as LA's primary option behind the dish. Continue to roll with Smith in all fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoChicago Cubs pitching prospect
Cade Horton (back) exited Wednesday's start with Triple-A Iowa due to back soreness. Horton gave up a two-run homer in the first inning on Wednesday and returned to the mound for warmups prior to the second, but he departed under his own power after tossing several pitches. Horton was making his fifth start for Iowa and ninth overall in 2024 after tearing up the Double-A competition earlier this season. The 22-year-old right-hander is Chicago's No. 1 prospect and MLB's No. 18 prospect for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and he's struck out 40 batters over 34 1/3 innings. It remains to be seen if Horton is dealing with a significant setback, but his major-league debut could be delayed a bit as a result. Even so, Horton is unlikely to be called up until he improves on his 7.50 ERA and 1.56 WHIP at the Triple-A level.
UPDATE: Horton was removed with lat soreness and will head to Chicago to be checked out.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Rogers - ESPN.com
13 hours agoSan Francisco Giants shortstop
Marco Luciano (hamstring) exited Wednesday's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies with tightness in his right hamstring. Luciano exited in the third inning of Wednesday's series finale and is considered day-to-day, as the Giants will use Thursday's off-day to determine the severity of the injury. San Fran's No. 1 prospect for 2024, the 22-year-old slugging infielder has gone 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, one triple, and six runs scored over 10 games but is currently stuck on the weak side of a platoon with the lefty-hitting Blake Wisely for at-bats at shortstop. Until his playing time increases, Luciano isn't a fantasy option even in the deepest of redraft leagues. He may even head back to the minor leagues when veteran
Nick Ahmed (wrist) comes back from the injured list.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Alex Pavlovic - NBC Sports Bay Area
14 hours agoWashington Nationals third baseman
Nick Senzel (knee) exited Wednesday's game against the division-rival Atlanta Braves in the second inning with an apparent knee injury. Senzel fouled a ball off his right knee before drawing a walk in his first at-bat of the game, and he appeared to be in pain before he was removed from the contest. Utility man
Ildemaro Vargas pinch-ran for Senzel and took over at third base for the Nats. The 28-year-old lefty-mashing Senzel hasn't been a consistent member of Washington's lineup this year, slashing a middling .224/.336/.402 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored in 126 plate appearances (34 games) as a part-time player at the hot corner. Vargas would be worth a look in NL-only leagues if Senzel needs to miss time, slashing .301/.387/.409 with 10 doubles, 11 RBI, and four stolen bases over 93 at-bats.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Blanco - MASN Sports
14 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Alek Manoah (elbow) left Wednesday's game against the hosting Chicago White Sox due to right elbow discomfort in the second inning after striking out three over 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work. There was nothing obvious as to why
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