7 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Justin Verlander (neck) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday versus the visiting Detroit Tigers due to "neck discomfort." Rookie right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti will now make the start in his place. Fantasy managers will want to check back soon for updates on why Verlander isn't making his scheduled start. The 41-year-old veteran hasn't looked great in his two starts in June against the Cardinals and Angels, allowing a combined eight earned runs on 14 hits (three homers) while walking two and striking out only seven. It's possible that he may not be fully, in which case the Astros could consider placing him on the injured list to rest him for a while. In any event, make sure to pull him out of your lineups for Saturday. Arrighetti hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in his last four starts and will have a nice matchup against Detroit.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Julia Morales
7 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielders
Byron Buxton and
Max Kepler are both out of the lineup on Saturday against the visiting Oakland Athletics. Both Buxton and Kepler are swinging hot bats at the moment, but the Twins will give them a day off in the third game of the series. In his last four starts, Buxton has gone 7-for-15 with a homer, triple, six RBI and four runs scored. Kepler, meanwhile, has gone 4-for-7 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored in the first two games of the series.
Manuel Margot is starting in center field and is batting eighth, while
Trevor Larnach is in right field for the Twins and in the two-hole against A's right-hander
Joey Estes.
Austin Martin also draws into the lineup in left field and will bat ninth. None of Margot, Larnach or Martin has ever faced Estes in their career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman
Alec Bohm went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's 5-3 win over the Orioles. The first two hits were singles, but the last was a two-run double in the top of the 11th inning that would prove to be the game-winner. Bohm had been scuffling coming into the contest, having gone 4-for-33 (.121) over his last eight games, but overall is having the best season of his young career so far. The 27-year-old owns a .292-6-54-31-2 line with a .350 wOBA and 127 wRC+ on the season, while striking out at a low rate (13.7%) and leading all of baseball in doubles with 24.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies reliever
Seranthony Dominguez earned his first save of the season in Friday's 5-3 victory over the Orioles. Dominguez picked this one up in the 11th inning after usual closers
Jose Alvarado and
Jeff Hoffman had already been used. After starting the season with a 7.71 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over his first 16 appearances, Friday's outing marked the righty's 10th straight scoreless appearance in which he's posted a 0.00 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, and a 2:7 BB:K. Dominguez has been good of late, but don't count on too many more save chances unless something were to happen to Alvarado and Hoffman.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Anthony Santander went 2-for-5 with his 15th home run of the season in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Orioles. The home run was a big one that knotted the game at 2-2 in the eighth inning, and came off of reliever
Matt Strahm, who hadn't allowed an earned run in 27 consecutive appearances prior to Friday. After hitting .211 over the first couple months of the season, Santander has turned it on in June, hitting .273 with six home runs in 14 games. The switch-hitter now owns a .224-15-38-36-0 line with a .335 wOBA and 121 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez picked up his ninth quality start of the season in Friday's 5-3 victory over the Orioles. Suarez went six-and-two-thirds innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out six, but did not factor into the decision. The lefty now owns a 10-1 record with an impressive 1.77 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 21.8% K-BB% over 14 starts and has the second-best odds for the NL Cy Young Award, behind only teammate
Zack Wheeler. His next start lines up with the Padres at home next Wednesday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 hours agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Jackson Merrill went 1-for-3 with a home run in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Mets. It was his sixth home run of the season and third in his last two games. The former first-round draft pick has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games, a stretch in which he's gone 12-for-34 (.353) with four doubles, three home runs, five RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases. The left-handed hitter now has a .280-6-27-29-9 line on the season with a .313 wOBA and 108 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 hours agoMinnesota Twins starting pitching prospect
David Festa tallied 10 punchouts for the third time this season on Friday. He allowed two runs across five frames with five hits and one free pass. This strong outing brings him to a solid 3.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 24:81 BB:K ratio through 54 innings in his first extended look at Triple-A ball. He tossed 12 ⅓ innings at this level at the end of last summer and held a 2.92 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 9:15 BB:K ratio. Festa currently sits at number 100 on MLB.com's prospect ranking list and number five in the Minnesota system. With his strong performance at Triple-A, Festa should reach the majors during the second half of the season and is worth stashing in deeper redraft leagues for the time being.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
11 hours agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Matt Waldron produced his fourth consecutive quality start in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Mets. The knuckleballer went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two. It was also the seventh consecutive outing in which he allowed two earned runs or less, a phenomenal stretch in which he's posted a 1.91 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 19.1% K-BB%, and just a single home run allowed over 42 1/3 innings pitched. The righty's season ERA now stands at 3.66 with a 1.18 WHIP and a 23:70 BB:K in 76 1/3 innings (14 starts). Waldron will have a tough test his next time out, taking on the Phillies on the road next Wednesday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 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
11 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
12
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...
12 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
18 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
18 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
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