8 hours agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitching prospect
Caden Dana continued his impressive run in June with another strong performance on Friday. He tossed seven innings of one-run ball with four hits, two walks, and struck out nine. Since June 1, the 2022 draft pick holds a 1.71 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 4:25 BB:K ratio through three starts (21 innings). Dana has looked quite sharp through his first look at Double-A this season with a 2.44 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 21:72 BB:K ratio in 70 frames. MLB Pipeline projects the number two prospect in the Angeles system to reach the majors in 2026 but could push for a debut next summer if he carries this success into Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz posted another dominant outing at Triple-A on Friday evening, where he tossed six one-run frames with eight punchouts and allowed just four hits and one free pass. Baz carried his momentum from his previous outing, where he struck out 10 batters across five one-run innings on June 8. The 24-year-old has now completed his extensive Tommy John recovery process and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. He has not pitched in Tampa Bay since the 2022 season, where he logged just 27 innings, and should be on his way back to the majors very soon. He is a must-stash candidate in all leagues, as he possesses elite strikeout upside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9
hours
agoHouston
Astros
outfield
prospect
Joey
Loperfido
went
3-for-5
with
a
triple
and
two
RBI
in
Friday's
victory.
The
25-year-old
recently
returned
to
the
minor
leagues
on
June
12
and
has
already
continued
his
dominance
at
this
level.
Through
three
games,
he
has
tallied
read more...
9 hours agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo (ribs) went 2-for-3 on Thursday evening during his second rehab game with a double and a home run. The 22-year-old has been on the injured list with a fractured rib since May 17 but recently embarked on a rehab assignment on June 13 with High-A Aberdeen. Before the injury, Mayo was on the verge of making his major league debut as he was riding a stellar .291/.359/.605 slash line with 13 long balls, 37 RBI, and three swiped bags. However, he did hold a poor 17:53 BB:K ratio. Once he completes his rehab assignment, the 19th-ranked prospect on MLB.com should be expected to return to Triple-A Norfolk but continue to be on the brink of his major league debut. He should remain stashed in all leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
16 hours agoAtlanta Braves closer
Raisel Iglesias earned Friday's save in the win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, recording the final out of the ballgame in the ninth inning. Iglesias needed just three pitches to put this one away for the Braves on Friday, gaining his 18th save of the campaign. The 34-year-old veteran right-hander remains as reliable as any stopper in the game in 2024, compiling a 2.10 ERA and 0.90 WHIP while fanning 17 batters, walking just five, and converting 18 of his 20 save opportunities over 25 2/3 innings as Atlanta's top ninth-inning arm. Despite a career-low strikeout rate, Iglesias doesn't make a habit of lending free passes, and his microscopic 1.3% barrel rate against means his four-pitch arsenal is still as effective as ever.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoAtlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley revived in Friday night's win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, tallying three hits with a home run and three RBI in the victory. After lining an RBI double to left field to push the Braves' lead to 4-1 in the first inning, Riley crushed a two-run homer to left field to extend Atlanta's lead to 7-1 in the second inning. The 27-year-old star slugger has been one of fantasy's biggest busts this year, so hopefully Friday's performance gets him back on track. Riley hadn't gone deep since May 3 before this one, now slashing .230/.296/.357 with four long balls, 11 doubles, and 23 RBI over 213 at-bats. He's a .271 hitter with a .496 slugging percentage for his major-league career, so there's plenty of reason to buy low on Riley before it's too late.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoAtlanta Braves designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna kept crushing it in Friday night's win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, crushing his league-leading 19th home run of the season with three RBI. Taking Rays right-hander
Zack Littell deep during the opening frame, Ozuna hammered a three-run homer to right field to put the Braves ahead 3-1 early on Friday. The 33-year-old Dominican slugger has been stellar in 2024, slashing .321/.396/.610 with 60 RBI, 15 doubles, and 41 runs scored over 249 at-bats for the Braves as Atlanta's primary No. 3 batter. He's shaping up as one of the best picks out of the middle rounds of fantasy drafts this past spring. Well on his way to Arlington later this summer for the third All-Star nod of his career, Ozuna's .663 xSLG on Baseball Savant is somehow better than what he's actually slugging.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Max Kepler enjoyed a special night during Friday's extra-inning victory over the visiting Oakland Athletics, walking it off and also smashing his fifth home run of the season. Before hitting a walk-off single to right field to win the game for the Twins 6-5 in 10 innings, Kepler became Target Field's all-time leader in homers by slugging a three-run game-tying shot off Athletics right-hander
Mitch Spence to right-center field to draw the game even at 4-4 in the sixth. The 31-year-old righty masher is Minnesota's primary right fielder against left-handed pitching, limiting his overall fantasy appeal with a .263/.326/.433 triple-slash line alongside 27 RBI, 14 doubles, 21 runs scored, and one stolen bag over 51 appearances (171 at-bats) this season. Despite Friday's heroics, Kepler remains more of an AL-only option.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoKansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez (knee) left Friday night's game against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers with discomfort in his right knee. Before the team removed him from the contest, Perez hammered a three-run home run to left field off Dodgers right-hander
Gavin Stone to give the Royals a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning of Friday's loss. He'll be further evaluated ahead of Saturday's showdown in LA, and fantasy managers should deem the veteran slugging backstop day-to-day for now. The 34-year-old Perez has been as good as ever in 2024, slashing a robust .297/.375/.490 with 11 homers, 15 doubles, and 45 RBI covering 249 at-bats (66 games) as KC's everyday cleanup hitter.
Freddy Fermin would be worth a look in two-catcher formats if Perez needs to miss more action, batting .294 (35-for-119) over 41 outings this season, and corner outfielder
MJ Melendez could also see some work behind the plate in this case.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals on X
16 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates catcher
Henry Davis (concussion) was removed from Friday night's game against the hosting Colorado Rockies due to concussion-like symptoms. Davis is currently being examined by Pittsburgh's medical staff, and veteran
Yasmani Grandal replaced him behind the plate after Davis went 0-for-2 on Friday. The 24-year-old former No. 1 overall just hasn't been able to put it together this season and is watching his stock swiftly decline, slashing a frigid .153/.267/.235 with one home run and five RBI through 102 plate appearances for the Pirates. Consider him day-to-day until more is known ahead of Saturday's clash with Colorado. Grandal would get all the action he could handle as the backstop for any time Davis needs to miss, but the switch-hitter has gone just 14-for-85 (.165) in 27 outings and wouldn't be a viable option in two-catcher leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates on X
16 hours agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Alex Verdugo had a nice homecoming in Boston on Friday night where the lefty went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, four RBI, and a run scored in an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Verdugo smacked a two-run home run in his first at-bat in his return to Fenway and followed that with an RBI double in the fifth inning and an RBI single in the ninth inning. Verdugo has been scorching-hot over the last week with four multi-hit games with a .355 batting average while driving in seven runs. Verdugo has been excellent hitting cleanup for the Yankees this season and will look to continue his hot June against the Red Sox the rest of this weekend with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves heading to New York next week.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish (elbow) said his elbow was bothering him after the fifth inning of Friday's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Brandon Hyde said Baltimore will have Bradish undergo further tests to determine what the problem is. Considering Bradish missed the first month of the year with a UCL sprain during spring training, it's not exactly what the O's or fantasy managers want to be hearing. With five strong innings on Friday against the Phillies, the 27-year-old right-hander sports a 2.75 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 53 punchouts and 15 walks through 39 1/3 innings in 2024. Bradish is tentatively slated to start next Friday's matchup against the Houston Astros, though his test results would need to come back clean for that to happen.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Andy Kostka - TheBaltimoreBanner.com
17 hours agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Yu Darvish (groin) threw 60 pitches in the bullpen on Friday afternoon ahead of the series opener against the hosting New York Mets, simulating three innings of work. Darvish said earlier in the afternoon that he felt the simulation would be a sufficient ramp-up for him to be ready to have his next step be starting a game, and that return from a strained left groin will likely come during the team's upcoming homestand that begins with Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He'll throw a regular between-starts bullpen session before then, and it sounds like Darvish may not need a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining San Diego's rotation perhaps as early as late next week. The 37-year-old five-time All-Star right-hander owns a solid 3.20 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 53:15 K:BB through 56 1/3 innings for the Padres this year, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Acee - San Diego Union-Tribune
17 hours agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Shaun Anderson (0-1) imploded Friday night, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in two innings pitched with no walks while recording just one strikeout in an 8-1 loss against the Washington Nationals. The debut was one to forget for the 29-year-old journeyman, who had started this season with the Rangers in the bullpen before being traded to the Marlins for cash a couple of weeks ago. Anderson may not get another turn in the rotation after this outing, though, despite
Edward Cabrera (shoulder),
Ryan Weathers (finger), and
Sixto Sanchez (shoulder) being out. Anderson had excellent numbers in Triple-A Jacksonville for the Marlins with a 2.51 ERA, but the right-hander should remain a mainstay on your league's waiver wire for the foreseeable future.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
17 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Hunter Brown (3-5) dominated on the mound Friday night, earning the win after hurling seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts, no walks, and five hits in a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. It's safe to say Brown is red-hot after having a lackluster first month and a half of the season. He's now logged five straight quality starts dating back to May 22 after only having one total quality start in his first nine outings. Brown's ERA has lowered to 5.00 on the season, but he still has a long way to go to get his ERA back to a respectable level. Look for Brown to get that ERA to continue to trend in the right direction when he faces the Chicago White Sox in his next projected matchup.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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