7 hours agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Zach Plesac (1-0) picked up the quality start and win in his 2024 debut Monday night, giving up three runs in six innings on four hits and two walks with one strikeout in a 5-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. Plesac was incredibly efficient on the night, as he only needed 86 pitches to get through six innings. The only two blemishes on his stat sheet were a pair of home runs by
Jake Bauers and
Brice Turang. The veteran right-hander signed a minor-league deal in the offseason and has been pitching for the Triple-A Salt Lake City Bees since the beginning of the season. Plesac produced a 5.42 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 13 starts in Triple-A this season and only drew the start due to
Jose Soriano (abdomen) being a late-scratch earlier in the day. Although Plesac had an encouraging start, there's no clarity on whether he will remain in the rotation moving forward.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Yusei Kikuchi (4-6) surrendered five runs in four innings pitched, allowing seven hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in a 7-3 loss Monday night to the Boston Red Sox. The home run ball was the Japanese left-hander's worst enemy, as he gave up four of them on the evening. Kikuchi's ERA has progressively gotten worse over the season with a 4.86 June ERA after having a 3.62 ERA in May and a 2.45 ERA in April. Kikuchi will look to right the ship in a tough matchup against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoBoston Red Sox centerfielder
Ceddanne Rafaela continued his torrid June on Monday night, going 2-for-3 with a solo shot and a pair of runs scored in a 7-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rafaela's home run, his eighth on the season, was just his first of the month, but the rookie has made up for it with an impressive .351 batting average and .389 on-base percentage. The speedy outfielder will continue to have his ceiling suppressed by how low he hits in the lineup, but Rafaela has raised his batting average from .183 to .243 on the season in the last two months and has a solid 40 RBI on the season. He remains rostered in only 49% of leagues and could be a player to be looked at as an addition in deeper leagues or as an injury replacement in shallow leagues.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoAtlanta Braves relief pitcher
Joe Jimenez picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 2-1 win over the Tigers. Jimenez came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one and turned in a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout to end the game. Closer
Raisel Iglesias had pitched in three of the team's last four games, so Jimenez was called upon to close things out. The 29-year-old has pitched well this season, earning 14 holds with a 2.89 ERA, a 9.64 K/9 rate, and a 3.21 BB/9 rate in 28 innings pitched. He may not produce enough fantasy value for traditional leagues, but his overall high-leverage role should make him a worthwhile fantasy option in saves-plus-holds leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoAtlanta Braves second baseman
Ozzie Albies made his one hit count in Monday's 2-1 win over the Tigers. Albies went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead solo home run and a strikeout. The 27-year-old deposited an eighth-inning
Shelby Miller fastball deep into the right-field seats to put the Braves ahead for good. The HR was a welcome sight for fantasy managers, as Albies has not provided the power they are accustomed to. He is now slashing .260/.318/.400 with five HR, 33 RBI, and four stolen bases in 274 plate appearances. The entire Braves' lineup has started to pick things up lately, so hopefully Albies can get in on the action as well.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoBoston Red Sox second baseman prospect
Nick Yorke was promoted to Triple-A Worcester earlier this month, and in 11 games there, the 22-year-old is 17-for-42 (.405) with four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, and a 9:11 BB:K.
Romy Gonzalez came off the IL and got the start at second base for Boston on Monday, but it's just a matter of time until the Red Sox see what they have in Yorke at the major league level and it should be this season.
Vaughn Grissom, who was supposed to be Boston's second baseman this season, recently began baseball activities but doesn't seem close to returning. Regardless of when, though, Yorke should be opening eyes in dynasty leagues if not already stashed.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
13 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates closer
David Bednar picked up his 15th save of the season in Monday's 4-1 win over the Reds. Bednar entered the game to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three and delivered a 1-2-3 performance with a strikeout to end the game. The 29-year-old has converted all but three of his save opportunities this season, but he has not delivered as much as fantasy managers were expecting with a 5.34 ERA in 33 appearances and 30 1/3 innings pitched. The encouraging news is that Bednar has been much better in June, allowing just two runs in seven IP. Bednar has been a useful fantasy option each of the last two seasons and appears to have solid job security, so fantasy managers should continue to put their trust in him as he improves.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher rookie sensation
Paul Skenes continued to impress in Monday's 4-1 win over the Reds. Skenes pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. The 22-year-old has looked every bit like one of the top fantasy prospects in baseball, going 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA, a 12.13 K/9 rate, a 1.60 BB/9 rate, and four quality starts in seven starts and 39 1/3 IP. He should have a good opportunity to add another quality start to his season in his next scheduled start, which will be a favorable matchup against a struggling Rays lineup.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoBoston Red Sox closer
Kenley Jansen earned his 12th save of the season in Monday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jays. Jansen entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning up by four with two outs and runners on first and second. He induced a pop-out from
Davis Schneider to end the game. The 36-year-old veteran has once again been a steady fantasy contributor, converting all but one of his save opportunities with a 2.70 ERA, an 11.57 K/9 rate, and a 4.24 BB/9 rate in 23 1/3 innings pitched. The walks are on the high side for Jansen, but his strikeouts have taken a jump up and his ERA is lower than it has been the past several seasons. Overall, Jansen is still the high-end fantasy closer he has always been.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoBoston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter
Tyler O'Neill was in the middle of the home run parade in Monday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jays. O'Neill went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs, a walk, and an intentional walk. The 28-year-old clobbered a first-inning
Yusei Kikuchi fastball deep into the left-field seats and took him deep again to center field in the third. O'Neill has been somewhat of a fantasy disappointment since his stellar 2021 season, but he has slashed a solid .258/.354/.534 with 14 HR, 37 runs scored, 25 RBI, and one stolen base in 206 plate appearances this season. The stolen bases are not close to what he has provided before, but fantasy managers can't complain given his respectable batting average and high power contribution.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoChicago Cubs outfield prospect
Owen Caissie belted his fifth home run in the month of June and eighth of the season on Sunday for Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old also drove in four runs, giving him 16 RBI in June and 40 on the season. Pete-Crow Armstrong and
Alexander Canario have had multiple shots to make an impact with the big league club without great results, and with the offense scuffling, Caissie may be the next to get the call to the majors. Said to have some of the best power in the minors, the Cubs' top offensive prospect per MLB.com could have an immediate impact once he gets a shot, and the way he's hitting might force their hand.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
13 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez rebounded nicely in Monday's 9-2 win over the Padres, improving his record to 4-3. Sanchez pitched seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts. The 27-year-old has been a fantasy asset again this season with a 2.91 ERA, a 7.68 K/9 rate, and a 2.79 BB/9 rate in 14 starts and 77 1/3 IP. His low win total is a bit surprising given how well the Phillies' offense has performed, but everything else has been solid from a fantasy perspective. Sanchez is slated to face a hot Diamondbacks offense in his next start, but he has pitched well enough to make him worth starting to maximize his two-start week.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber put his power on display yet again in Monday's 9-2 win over the Padres. Schwarber went 2-for-3 with a pair of two-run home runs (including a 441-foot blast) and two walks. He was also caught trying to steal second base. The 31-year-old has provided plenty of counting stats as fantasy managers have come to expect, hitting 16 HR with 52 runs scored and 47 RBI. Surprisingly, he has also provided a decent .253 batting average with four stolen bases. Fantasy managers expected to take a hit in batting average with Schwarber in exchange for power, so his current production has been a bonus to an already solid fantasy profile.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13
hours
agoAfter
a
red-hot
May
in
which
he
slashed
.376/.424/.587,
Cleveland
Guardians
shortstop
prospect
Jose
Tena
cooled
off
to
begin
the
month,
slashing
just
.217/.294/.283
over
the
first
10
games.
Over
the
last
four
games,
however,
the
left-handed
hitter
has
gone
9-for-18
(.500)
read more...
14 hours agoOakland Athletics right-hander
Ross Stripling (elbow), who has been out since May 25 due to a strained right elbow, has begun throwing from 105 feet. However, manager Mark Kotsay has no timetable for Stripling to throw a bullpen session off of a mound. The A's sound like they are taking their sweet time with Stripling's rehab. At such a slow pace, the 34-year-old veteran is not going to be ready to return from the injured before the All-Star break in mid-July. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should have already moved on with Stripling starting the year 1-9 in Oakland with a 5.82 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 12 walks in 55 2/3 innings over his 11 starts for the A's. Stripling has pinpoint control with a 4.8% walk rate, but he's also down to a career-low 13.9% strikeout rate. That's just not going to cut it.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Associated Press
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