3 hours agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (hamstring) might only need one rehab start, according to manager Craig Counsell. The left-hander has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury on Opening Day. Steele is set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. It sounds like the left-hander could be back in the Cubs rotation at some point next week. Fantasy managers will have to wait and see how the rehab start goes before making any moves. Regardless, it doesn't sound like Steele is going to miss much more time.Source: Meghan Montemurro
3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels third baseman Miguel Sano (knee) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-handed slugger is still dealing with a lingering knee issue that forced him to exit early last Wednesday. He was able to return to the lineup later in the week but sat out on both Saturday and Sunday. The hope is that Sano will be able to avoid a trip to the injured list. Ehire Adrianza will cover third base during Monday's game.Source: MLB.com
3 hours agoCincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) will remain out of the lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. Encarnacion-Strand was hit on the hand during Saturday's game and will now miss two games because of it. The hope is that this is a minor issue that won't require a trip to the injured list. Jeimer Candelario wilL hold down first base while Santiago Espinal plays third base during Monday's game. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Tuesday for another update on Encarnacion-Strand.Source: MLB.com
3 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran backstop will take a seat after homering with three RBI on Sunday. The expectation is that Realmuto will be back in the lineup following this one-game absence. Garrett Stubbs will cover behind the plate and bat eighth on Monday.Source: MLB.com
3 hours agoSeattle Mariners outfield prospect Jonatan Clase has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday. The 21-year-old struggled during his brief stint with the team. He slashed .222/.250/.259 with zero home runs and three RBI in 28 plate appearances. Clase has plenty of potential and should get another shot later in the summer. In the meantime, outfielder Sam Haggerty has been recalled to take the spot on the active roster. He was hitting well in the minors, but is unlikely to do enough to carry viable fantasy value.Source: Mariners PR
3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder Aaron Hicks has been designated for assignment by the organization on Monday. The veteran outfielder struggled during his brief time with the organization. Hicks slashed .140/.222/.193 over 18 games with the Halos. He put together a solid stint with the Baltimore Orioles last season. Sadly, Hicks couldn't translate that success over to his new team. Hicks will either decide to take the option to Triple-A or elect free agency. In a corresponding move, infielder Cole Tucker has been recalled from Triple-A to join the active roster.Source: Angels PR
4 hours agoKansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (back) has been scratched from Monday's lineup against the Blue Jays in Toronto due to back tightness. Freddy Fermin will now catch right-hander Jonathan Bowlan and hit sixth in the batting order against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Yariel Rodriguez. For now, fantasy managers should consider Perez as day-to-day, but this is certainly something that could sideline the 33-year-old veteran for multiple days or even land him on the injured list. We'll keep an eye out for more updates on Perez, but for now, fantasy managers will obviously want to remove him from their starting lineups on Monday. Injury aside, Perez has been excellent through the season's first month, hitting .340/.398/.592 with a .990 OPS, seven home runs and 26 RBI in his first 103 at-bats.Source: Kansas City Royals
4 hours agoThe Colorado Rockies are officially calling up outfield prospect Jordan Beck to the major-league roster on Monday. Beck received the news on Sunday night and is traveling to Miami on Monday to join the team when they start their series with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. The team's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, gets his first big-league call-up after hitting .307 (31-for-101) with five homers, 10 doubles, 28 RBI, five stolen bases and 24 runs scored in 25 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. The 23-year-old former 38th overall pick in 2022 out of Tennessee should play every day with Nolan Jones (back) going on the injured list on Monday. Beck should immediately become attractive in most fantasy formats in the short term for his raw power from the right side of the plate as long as he's playing every day in Colorado.Source: Ben McKee
4 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson and outfielder Jake McCarthy are both out of the lineup on Monday against left-hander James Paxton and the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, rookie infielder Blaze Alexander is the DH and is batting leadoff, while outfielder Randal Grichuk is in right field and hitting sixth in the batting order. Pederson is hitting a nice .296 (16-for-54) to begin his first season with the D-backs, but he's been afforded just three at-bats against left-handers. Alexander has really impressed so far in his first season in the big leagues and will be a pretty attractive DFS option in the leadoff spot on Monday. Grichuk will be more of a deep sleeper in daily lineups, but he does have a homer and two RBI while hitting .267 against Paxton in 15 career at-bats.Source: Arizona Sports - Alex Weiner
4 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks rookie infielder Blaze Alexander is serving as the designated hitter and will bat leadoff on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander James Paxton. Alexander will serve as the club's DH instead of Joc Pederson with the veteran left-hander on the mound in the series opener in Arizona. The 24-year-old former 11th-round pick in 2018 has been great for the Snakes so far in 2024, hitting .322 (19-for-59) with three home runs, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 20 major-league contests. In his last seven games, he's gone 9-for-24 (.375) with a homer, five doubles, nine RBI and four runs scored. Against left-handers, he's gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two home runs and six RBI, so it's easy to see why he's hitting leadoff against Paxton on Monday.Source: Arizona Sports - Alex Weiner
4 hours agoThe contest between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers on Monday in Detroit has been postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on Tuesday, starting at 3:40 pm CT. The Cardinals were scheduled to send left-hander Steven Matz to the mound on Monday, while right-hander Kenta Maeda was Detroit's scheduled starter. Both pitchers will most likely be pushed back to Game 1 of the doubleheader on Tuesday. Fantasy managers will obviously want to remove any players from these two teams that they might have had in their starting lineups for Monday's slate of action.Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
4 hours agoNew York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is playing left field for the first time this season on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Judge is in his customary No. 3 spot in the batting order with Trent Grisham getting the start in center field and batting ninth. It's the 32-year-old Judge's first start in left field since 2016 with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. The move comes with normal left fielder Alex Verdugo being placed on the paternity list on Monday, so don't be surprised if Judge is in left field a couple more times this week. In his first 109 at-bats of the 2024 season, Judge is hitting just .211 (23-for-109) but with six home runs and 18 RBI in 133 plate appearances. He's gone hitless in his lone career at-bat against Rodriguez.Source: MLB.com
4 hours agoMinnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran (oblique) is with the team in Chicago, but there hasn't been immediate news about him being officially activated from the 15-day injured list. However, that move should be imminent during the team's series against the White Sox early this week. Duran should be activated from the IL after recovering from a right-oblique strain that kept him from being ready for the start of the 2024 season. The 26-year-old made two appearances on a minor-league rehab assignment, but it's possible the Twins choose to ease him into high-leverage, late-inning situations at first. Still, Duran should be returned to starting fantasy lineups once he's activated, as he has proven in recent seasons he's a high-end closer when he's healthy. UPDATE: Manager Rocco Baldelli said Duran will likely be activated on Tuesday.Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
5 hours agoThe Minnesota Twins reinstated shortstop Carlos Correa (intercostal) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and optioned utility man Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Correa is right back in Minnesota's starting lineup, playing shortstop and hitting in the two-hole on Monday versus the Chicago White Sox and left-hander Garrett Crochet. The 29-year-old is back from a right-intercostal strain. He didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for him right away. Plus, he's never faced Crochet in his career. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the two-time All-Star can pick up where he left off before his injury, as Correa was slashing .306/.432/.444 with an .876 OPS, a homer and four RBI in 11 games.Source: Minnesota Twins
5 hours agoWith Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet opposing them on Monday in the series opener, the Minnesota Twins are resting second baseman Edouard Julien and outfielders Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach and Max Kepler, who all hit from the left side. As a result, Ryan Jeffers is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff, Kyle Farmer is playing second base and hitting ninth, Manuel Margot is in right field and is batting fifth, and Willi Castro is in left field and is hitting seventh against Crochet. Castro notably has a homer and three RBI against Crochet in his career, albeit in just four at-bats. Jeffers will be a sneaky DFS play out of the leadoff spot, as he's gotten off to a .305 average (25-for-82) with five home runs and 17 RBI in 2024.Source: Minnesota Twins