13 hours agoTampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda (finger) has been placed on the 10-day injured list. As expected, Aranda is going to miss some time after suffering a broken finger last week. The expectation is that Aranda should return around late April or early May. As a result, infielder Austin Shenton has been recalled from the minors. He'll likely be in the mix with Curtis Mead, and Harold Ramirez for more playing time with Aranda sidelined.Source: Ryan Bass
13 hours agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) continues making progress from his offseason back surgery and was able to play catch on Wednesday. The veteran right-hander won't be ready for Opening Day, but might not miss too much time. Rangers manager Chris Young doesn't believe that Scherzer will need to be placed on the 60-day injured list. Instead, Young suggested that Scherzer could be back as early as May. The Rangers are likely going to be cautious with the 39-year-old. His injury might push him back into the later rounds of fantasy drafts.Source: Buster Olney
14 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar (thumb) tore a ligament in his right thumb while trying to pick up a ball off the ground during a minor-league spring training game on Sunday and will need surgery, which will sideline him for at least the first two months of the season. It's bad news for the team's top prospect, who is slated to open the year at Triple-A Reno. He will have surgery on Thursday and could have a "full return to baseball activity in eight to 10 weeks," farm director Shaun Larkin said. The 21-year-old is the future at the shortstop position for the D-backs, but this injury news makes it very hard to recommend stashing the young infielder in single-year fantasy leagues because of the fact that if he does join the Snakes in the big league in 2024, it probably won't be until the tail end of the season now.Source: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
16 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies will be postponed on Thursday due to anticipated rain in the Philadelphia area. The game will be made up at 12:35 pm ET on Friday as outdoor clubs schedule an off day following Opening Day for this reason. Spencer Strider will get the ball for the Braves while Zack Wheeler will get the nod for the Phillies. The Braves won the NL East with a 104-58 record while the Phillies finished second with a 90-72 mark. However, the Phillies upset the Braves 3-1 in the NLDS before bowing out to the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.Source: Mark Bowman
16 hours agoOpening Day between the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday will be postponed due to heavy rain in the forecast in New York. The contest will be made up at 1:40 pm ET on Friday as outdoor teams schedule a buffer day following Opening Day for this reason. Left-hander Jose Quintana is scheduled to get the ball for the Mets while right-hander Freddy Peralta is the scheduled starter for the Brewers following the offseason trade that sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets disappointed to a 75-87 record after owner Steve Cohen invested heavily in the team in 2023 while the Brewers took down the NL Central with a 92-70 record.Source: Anthony DiComo
16 hours agoThe Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension. The 28-year-old has been one of the most productive offensive catchers since entering the big leagues in the 2019 season, putting together a career .263 average with 91 home runs and an .842 OPS across 486 games played. Most recently, he hit .261 with 19 home runs, 80 runs, 76 RBI, and a .797 OPS across 554 trips to the plate in the 2023 season. ATC projects Smith to club 21 home runs along with 74 RBI and an .823 OPS in 124 games in the 2024 season as he is every bit worthy of his 80.46 ADP as the fourth catcher off the draft board this spring.Source: Jeff Passan
17 hours agoThe Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Yankees on Wednesday in a three-team deal that also included the Miami Marlins, according to a source. The Marlins landed prospect Shane Sasaki from the Rays and prospect John Cruz from the Yankees. Rortvedt, 26, was out of minor-league options and wasn't going to make New York's Opening Day roster as a third catcher, so he now moves to Tampa, where he's expected to be the backup to starter Rene Pinto. He is more of a defense-first catcher and has hit just .146/.234/.255 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 71 major-league games in two seasons with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins. Rortvedt will be off the fantasy radar in two-catcher and AL-only leagues unless Pinto gets hurt and misses time.Source: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
17 hours agoLeft-handed reliever Parker Mushinski has made the Houston Astros' Opening Day roster out of spring training, according to a source. The 28-year-old southpaw was drafted by the Astros in the seventh round in 2017 out of Texas Tech. In his first two years in the majors with the club, he's posted a 4.91 ERA (5.71 FIP) and 1.41 WHIP with seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 22 innings out of the bullpen. He'll be the team's third left-handed reliever, joining All-Star closer Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa. Mushinski is hoping to take a step forward in his third major-league campaign in 2024 after throwing nine scoreless innings while walking five and striking out 10 in the Grapefruit League this spring. You can ignore him in all fantasy leagues.Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
17 hours agoHouston Astros manager Joe Espada said he told right-hander Ronel Blanco in the dugout after his outing on Tuesday against Triple-A Sugar Land that he has won a starting rotation spot to open the regular season. Blanco's performance on Tuesday (10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings) convinced Espada apparently. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler will grab the team's final rotation spot with both Justin Verlander (shoulder) and Jose Urquidy (forearm) starting the year on the injured list. Blanco will have at least several turns through the rotation to prove himself after going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA (5.99 FIP) and 1.48 WHIP with 28 walks and 52 strikeouts in 52 innings over 17 appearances (seven starts) for Houston a year ago. He had a 4.74 ERA and 1.37 WHIP as a starter and will only be worth a flier in AL-only fantasy leagues.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
17 hours agoThe New York Yankees acquired infielder Jon Berti from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, according to a source. It's unknown what the Marlins will receive in return. The Yankees are going to be without both DJ LeMahieu (foot) and Oswald Peraza (shoulder) for the start of the 2024 regular season, so the 34-year-old Berti will give the Yanks more infield depth until those two are able to return. Berti can also play in the outfield, but most of his playing time early in the season figures to come at third base for the Bombers. Berti stole a league-high 41 bags in 102 games for the Marlins in 2022 but came back down to Earth in that category last year with only 16 swipes, but he did manage to hit .294 (114-for-388) in 133 contests. He won't supply much power but his fantasy stock in AL-only leagues is now on the rise for his speed.Source: Sports Grid - Craig Mish
17 hours agoRelief pitcher Jackson Stephens elected free agency on Wednesday after the Atlanta Braves outrighted him to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The 29-year-old right-hander will now look to latch on with another organization with Opening Day in 2024 just one day away. The former 18th-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 out of high school was let go by the Braves after the signed veteran reliever Jesse Chavez just the other day. In the last two seasons with the Braves, Stephens went 3-3 with a decent 3.56 ERA (3.58 FIP), a 1.37 WHIP, two saves, 28 walks and 58 strikeouts in 65 2/3 frames over 44 appearances (one start). In his 12 Grapefruit League innings this spring, he allowed four earned runs on 13 hits while walking five and striking out 11.Source: The Athletic - David O'Brien
17 hours agoThe Miami Marlins acquired right-hander Burch Smith from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Smith had an assignment clause in his minor-league contract, and the Rays didn't have a spot for him on their major-league roster out of spring training. The Marlins selected Smith's contract from Triple-A Jacksonville after the trade. The 33-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2021 with the Oakland Athletics, posting a 5.40 ERA (4.21 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts in 43 1/3 relief innings. He'll be completely off the fantasy radar in what's expected to be a long-relief role for the Fish. In five big-league seasons, Smith has a poor 6.03 ERA, a 1.56 WHIP, one save, 87 walks and 184 strikeouts in 191 innings pitched.Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
17 hours agoNew York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) did some throwing at Citi Field on Wednesday. Senga continues to work his way back from a moderate posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder and is expected to take six weeks to ramp back up, so fantasy managers can expect him to miss at least the first month and a half of the 2024 campaign. The 31-year-old was extremely impressive in his first year in the big leagues with the Mets in 2023, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA (3.63 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP with 77 walks and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings over his 29 starts. While his shoulder injury this spring has dimmed his fantasy value for his sophomore season, Senga should be stashed in an injured list spot in all leagues.Source: SNY
18 hours agoCincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said on Wednesday that "Matt McLain had successful surgery to address the cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder. An exact timeline is still TBD as it has a wide range of possibilities. We hope to have Matt back this season." Even though the injury is to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, there's a fairly good chance we won't see the 24-year-old until the 2025 season, despite Krall's words. It's a tough blow for McLain after a very impressive debut in the big leagues for Cincy last year. Don't feel compelled to hang onto McLain in fantasy leagues if you have more pressing needs. McLain's injury now opens up the door for former National League Rookie of the Year, Jonathan India, to be the Reds' primary second baseman in 2024.Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
21 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman finished Spring Training with a 1-for-4 performance against the Los Angeles Angels. Freeman's lone hit was a solo home run. For the spring, the veteran finishes with four homers, 16 RBI and a .282 average. Although he is another year older, Freeman remains as consistent as they come. One of the safest picks this season, Freeman should once again put-up big power numbers with a healthy batting average. He remains as safe of a pick as there is entering 2024 and should have even more RBI opportunities with Shohei Ohtani joining Mookie Betts as the two batters in front of Freeman this season.Source: MLB.com