4 hours agoCincinnati Reds left-hander
Andrew Abbott (shoulder) is not expected to return from the injured list to pitch again this year, but he will continue his throwing program to build into a healthy, normal offseason. The Reds are out of postseason contention with just over a week left to play in the regular season, so Abbott will continue to rehab his left shoulder in hopes of being 100 percent ready to go for spring training next February. The 25-year-old southpaw saw his strikeout rate drop from 26.1% in his rookie season in 2023 to 19.5% this year, but otherwise his surface numbers were very similar in his second year in the big leagues. Abbott went 10-10 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and a 114:52 K:BB in 138 innings over his 25 starts. His 5.05 FIP suggests he was very fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00. As long as he's healthy in 2025, Abbott should have a starting role locked up in Cincy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Gordon Wittenmyer
4 hours agoCincinnati Reds right-hander
Hunter Greene (elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list on Sunday on a controlled workload to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. Greene is recovering from right-elbow soreness and threw 52 games in a simulated game on Tuesday. Still, the 25-year-old hasn't been fully stretched out, so despite the plus matchup against Pittsburgh this weekend, he won't be a recommended fantasy start for those still playing for a championship late in the year. If Greene doesn't suffer a setback on Sunday, he'll be more appealing in fantasy lineups for his final start of the year next week, which is lined up against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Before his elbow injury, Greene took a step forward in 2024 as a first-time All-Star with a 9-4 record, career-best 2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 162:53 K:BB in 143 1/3 innings over his 24 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Gordon Wittenmyer
4 hours agoThe San Francisco Giants placed right-hander
Jordan Hicks (shoulder) back on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled pitcher
Austin Warren from the minors in a corresponding move. Given the fact that there is just over a week left in the regular season, Hicks will not pitch again in 2024. The 28-year-old's elevated workload in his first year in the Bay Area as a starter has certainly caught up with him, and it's the same injury that he returned from less than a week ago. Because of Hicks' elevated workload, the Giants moved him to a relief role in the second half, and he has struggled out of the bullpen. Hicks was solid for fantasy managers early on as a starter, though, and he'll finish his first year with San Fran with a 4-7 record, 4.10 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and 47 walks in a career-high 109 2/3 frames over 29 outings (20 starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Shayna Rubin
4 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs placed left-hander
Jordan Wicks (oblique) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 18) on Friday with a right-oblique strain and recalled pitcher
Trey Wingenter from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Wicks will not pitch again this year after already spending two-plus months on the IL earlier this season with the same injury. The 25-year-old southpaw returned on Sept. 1 and allowed 15 earned runs on 24 hits (seven home runs) while walking 10 and striking out 10 over 18 innings in his four starts versus the Nationals, Yankees, Dodgers and A's. His oblique issues limited him to 11 outings (10 starts) at the big-league level in 2024, and Wicks wasn't very effective with a 5.48 ERA (5.32 FIP), a 1.63 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and 20 walks in 46 innings in his second year in the big leagues. He will now rehab his oblique this offseason and hope to be at full health for spring training in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: CHGO Sports - Ryan Herrera
4 hours agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks reinstated outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and designated veteran infielder
Luis Guillorme for assignment in a corresponding move. The Diamondbacks haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, but there's a good chance Gurriel will be back in left field. The 30-year-old right-handed slugger will return from a calf strain that has kept him out since earlier this month. Fantasy managers still playing for something with the season in its final stretch will be hoping that Gurriel can pick up where he left off offensively. Going into Friday's contest, the D-backs are in the second wild-card spot for the National League postseason. Gurriel has only faced Milwaukee's starting pitch on Friday, right-hander
Colin Rea, three times in his career and is hitless.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said that two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is "very unlikely" to be an option to pitch for the Dodgers in the postseason in October. Ohtani has been throwing off a mound in his recovery from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is expected to start facing live hitters soon. However, it appears the Dodgers aren't going to risk bringing the 30-year-old Japanese All-Star back for his first big-league appearance on the mound until 2025, even with a glaring need for pitching depth heading into postseason play. Even though he hasn't contributed on the mound in 2024, he's the MVP front-runner in the National League. Ohtani had a historical day on Thursday against the Miami Marlins to become the first player in the history of the sport to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett
5
hours
agoNew
York
Mets
shortstop
Francisco
Lindor
(back)
is
still
absent
from
the
team's
starting
lineup
for
Friday's
contest
at
Citi
Field
against
the
division-rival
Philadelphia
Phillies.
Rookie
infielder
Luisangel
Acuna
will
make
another
start
at
short
and
bat
ninth
against
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8 hours agoWashington Nationals right-hander
Trevor Williams (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday and is starting at Wrigley Field against the hosting Chicago Cubs. Williams was looking excellent earlier this year before suffering a flexor strain in his right elbow and missing the last four months. Because of all the time away, the 32-year-old veteran will be a pretty risky fantasy streamer on the road on Friday. He was able to get up to 73 pitches in his last minor-league rehab start, though, so he should be pretty stretched out in his return to Washington's starting rotation. In his first 11 starts in 2024 before getting hurt, Williams had gone 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA (2.82 FIP) and a 1.08 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and 16 walks over his 56 2/3 innings thrown. Williams' last start for the Nats came all the way back on May 30.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoOakland Athletics right-hander
Ross Stripling (back) felt his back "lock up" during the team's 4-3 win over the Houston Astros back on Sept. 10. Stripling threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday, which mostly consisted of fastballs while also mixing in each of his offspeed pitches. He said afterward that he felt good and that he's scheduled to throw a longer bullpen on Saturday. With Stripling's injured-list placement retroactive to Sept. 9, he's hopeful of making his return when first eligible to come off the IL on Sept. 24. It looks like the 34-year-old veteran will be able to return to the big-league roster before the end of the 2024 season, but Stripling is well off the fantasy radar already. In his 21 outings (14 starts) in Oakland in 2024, Stripling has gone 2-11 with a career-worst 6.08 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 84 1/3 innings. He also has a career-worst 13% strikeout rate.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoChicago Cubs catcher
Miguel Amaya will start Friday's contest on the bench at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals in the second game of a four-game series.
Christian Bethancourt will do the catching for right-hander
Jameson Taillon and will bat out of the nine-hole versus Nationals right-hander
Trevor Williams. In his first full big-league season, Amaya has slashed .227/.286/.347 with a below-average .633 OPS, seven home runs, 43 RBI, 29 runs scored, 22 walks and 60 strikeouts in 111 games played and 341 trips to the plate. The long season has apparently worn him down, too, as he's gone 5-for-37 (.135) with a double, triple, six RBI and five strikeouts in 15 games in the final month of the regular season. DFS gamers should be able to find better sleeper options at catcher than Bethancourt, who has hit .203 (26-for-128) on the year with five homers and 22 RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoChicago Cubs third baseman
Isaac Paredes (hand) will retreat to the bench for Friday's game at Wrigley Field against the visiting Washington Nationals in the second game of the series.
Patrick Wisdom will draw the start at third base for the Cubbies and will hit eighth in the batting order versus Nationals right-hander
Trevor Williams. Although the injury doesn't appear serious, Paredes had his left hand spiked in Thursday's victory over Washington, and it's possible the team is giving him the day off on Friday because of that. He has struggled with the Cubs since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, as he's hit just .212 (33-for-156) with three homers, 23 RBI and 32 strikeouts in 45 games since the trade. Wisdom is a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the eight-hole on Friday. He has faced Williams six times in his career and has yet to pick up a hit.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs activated right-hander
Hayden Wesneski (forearm) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and designated right-hander
Shawn Armstrong for assignment in a corresponding move. Wesneski will return to Chicago's bullpen for the final stretch of the 2024 season over the next week and a half. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since late July with a strained right forearm and should slot into a middle-relief role for the Cubbies, leaving him with virtually zero fantasy appeal to close out the season. Wesneski made four minor-league rehab appearances with Triple-A Iowa before being activated and will return to a 3-6 record with a 3.94 ERA (4.73 FIP), a 1.20 WHIP and a 58:21 K:BB over 61 2/3 innings in 25 appearances (seven starts) in 2024 in his third year in the majors with Chicago.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
9 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals right-hander
Sonny Gray's (undisclosed) final start of the 2024 season is in jeopardy after he said he pitched through "lingering" soreness during his last start on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he allowed four earned runs on nine hits while walking none and striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings for a no-decision. It's unclear where exactly Gray's soreness is, but it puts his final start in jeopardy next week. We won't know for sure whether the 34-year-old will make his final start until after he attempts to throw a bullpen session this weekend. If Gray feels better during his bullpen session this weekend, his final start of the year would come next week at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the last-place Colorado Rockies. Gray hasn't been nearly as good as he was last year in Minnesota in his first year in St. Louis, posting a 3.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 203 K's in 28 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
17 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Yusei Kikuchi pitched a solid game against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, allowing just one run over six innings. Kikuchi struck out nine and walked just one while allowing five hits. The lefty has been one of the best trade deadline acquisitions in baseball, as the Astros have gone 9-0 in games he has started since they got him from the Blue Jays. The lefty lines up for one final regular-season start against the Seattle Mariners, and he should be started across the board in fantasy. Consider him a solid fourth starter in fantasy heading into next season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
17 hours agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
Blake Dunn had a game to remember on Thursday, hitting his first major league homer and swiping his first two major league bases in a 15-3 loss against the Atlanta Braves. Dunn hit the homer off
Chris Sale, so it wasn't a cheapy. The 26-year-old has mostly been a bench bat for the Reds in his brief major league time, so opportunities have been limited. He also hasn't hit well, but maybe this game will spark something. He won't matter for fantasy unless something big changes, but this was a nice little game for Dunn nonetheless.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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