6 hours agoThe New York Mets optioned left-hander
Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A Syracuse after Wednesday night's game and recalled left-hander
Josh Walker from Syracuse in a corresponding move. In his spot start on Wednesday versus the division-rival, Lucchesi didn't fare well, allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings of work while walking four and striking out two to take the loss. The 30-year-old southpaw was making his season debut for the Mets, but now he'll head back to the minors to serve as starting pitching depth for the organization. Walker, 29, will give the Mets' bullpen a fresh arm. He made his big-league debut last year and had an 8.10 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in just 10 innings. So far in 2024, Walker has tossed three shutout innings in relief while walking one and striking out three for the Mets.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
6 hours agoNew York Mets outfielder
Harrison Bader and catcher
Tomas Nido are both taking the day off on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyron Taylor is getting the start in center field and is batting fifth, while
Omar Narvaez is doing the catching and will hit ninth against Phillies right-hander
Taijuan Walker. So far this month, Bader is 8-for-34 (.235) with a double, no RBI, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 11 games to drop his season line to .265/.312/.316. The former third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Florida has been pretty mediocre offensively to this point, but he's been known to go on streaks and could heat up at any moment for the Mets. Taylor has a hit and an RBI in three career at-bats against Walker and has gone 22-for-81 (.272) in the early going with two homers and three steals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
8 hours agoThe Los Angeles Angels reinstated infielder
Luis Rengifo (illness) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned infielder
Niko Goodrum and right-hander
Davis Daniel to Triple-A Salt Lake after Wednesday night's game in a corresponding move. Rengifo missed over a week with a viral illness that caused painful blisters on his feet. Now that the 27-year-old is recovered, he should return to everyday duties at third base for the Halos, starting on Friday for their series opener against the Rangers in Texas. Rengifo is due some regression after starting the year with a .330/.378/.462 slash line with two home runs and nine stolen bases in 28 games, but the fact that he's going to play regularly makes him at least a middle-infield bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues. He's most useful for his speed in AL-only formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Angels PR
8 hours agoThe Oakland Athletics acquired right-hander
Brandon Bielak from the Houston Astros on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Astros had designated Bielak for assignment. The 28-year-old will stay in the American League West and will take his 5.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 17 1/3 relief innings to the Bay Area. Bielak has spent all five of his big-league seasons with the Astros since debuting in the big leagues in 2020. Over that time, he's posted a 4.65 ERA (5.25 FIP), a 1.52 WHIP, one save, 85 walks and 155 strikeouts in 191 2/3 innings over 70 appearances (21 starts). Bielak has some starting experience, but he's unlikely to be used as anything more than a spot starter with the A's when their rotation needs some help.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
9 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Luis Garcia (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Wednesday as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of 2023. Garcia started throwing bullpens in April and is taking a slow progression to eventually go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The expectation is that he will be able to rejoin Houston's starting rotation at some point in the middle of the season. The 27-year-old will mostly likely not be activated from the injured list until the second half of the season after the All-Star break in mid-July. When healthy, Garcia has been quite intriguing for fantasy managers because of his ability to create plenty of swings and misses. However, given his long layoff, you should temper expectations for him in 2024 as he returns from Tommy John surgery.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoTexas Rangers infield prospect
Echedry Vargas went 3-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday with his second home run of the season. Across his first extended look at Single-A, the 19-year-old has posted a .242/.290/.403 slash line with four stole bases. Vargas spent most of last season with the Rookie League and only played one game at Single-A, where he flashed his elite power and speed combination with 11 long balls, 17 swiped bags, and a .317/.388/.568 line. MLB Pipeline ranks Vargas as the 16th overall prospect in the Texas system and projects him to reach the major leagues in 2027. However, with how he is performing at Single-A, he could easily climb through the Texas system and develop into one of their top prospects. Dynasty fantasy managers should continue to monitor him to see if he can continue to showcase his power and speed combination.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9 hours agoHouston Astros infielder
Zach Dezenzo (wrist), the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was limited in major-league camp during spring training with a wrist injury and remains on a slow rehab plan. Dezenzo appeared in 31 games last year at High-A Asheville and 63 games for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .257 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI as a third baseman. The 24-year-old opened the year on Corpus Christi's seven-day injured list. Despite the power he displayed at Double-A last year, Dezenzo also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time. He has above-average raw power from the right side of the plate that could allow him to hit 30-plus home runs over a full season. Dezenzo's primary goal right now is just getting healthy, though.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoHouston Astros shortstop
Brice Matthews (back), the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was placed on the seven-day injured list on May 7 at High-A Asheville with lower-back tightness. Matthews, the team's first-round pick last year, was hitting just .229/.364/.286 with two doubles in 35 games for the Tourists before getting hurt. The 22-year-old has not played since late April after being taken with the 28th overall pick in 2023. Matthews stands at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and has plenty of power, enough to eventually be a 20-25-homer guy at the next level. He's an impressive athlete who also played quarterback in his senior season in high school, but his pull-heavy tendencies and high strikeout rate could be an issue as he advances higher up the Astros' minor-league system.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoSeattle Mariners third base prospect
Ben Williamson is being promoted to Double-A. Williamson has been progressing through the Seattle system very quickly over the past two seasons. Last season, he spent time in the Rookie League and Single-A and posted an overall .268/.318/.415 line. Then he began this season with High-A Modesto and posted a dominant .315/.408/.459 slash line through 29 games. He posted a strong 15:21 BB:K ratio, tallied eleven doubles, and swiped four bags. MLB Pipeline projects the 23-year-old to reach the major leagues in 2026, but that timeline could quickly change. He is moving through the Seattle Pipeline much faster than expected and could push for a major league promotion next season. Dynasty managers should monitor the former William and Mary graduate to see if he can carry this momentum into Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB Central
9 hours agoHouston Astros outfielder
Chas McCormick (hamstring) played in his second straight minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi and went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter. McCormick went 0-for-2 in five innings in center field on Tuesday after going 2-for-5 in his first rehab game on Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land. He'll have the day off on Thursday before playing for Corpus Christi again on Friday. If the 29-year-old outfielder comes out of Friday's game fine, there's a good chance the Astros will reinstate him from the injured list and have him available for Saturday's contest against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. When he returns to the majors, McCormick will continue to battle for playing time in Houston's outfield as a platoon option. Through his first 72 at-bats in 2024, he's hit .236 (17-for-72) and is still searching for his first home run.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoOakland Athletics outfield prospect
Colby Thomas went 3-for-6 at the plate on Wednesday with a two-run shot, which was his ninth of the season. Through his first 33 games at Double-A, the 23-year-old has posted a strong .281/.331/.540 slash line with 23 RBI and nine swiped bags. Last season, through a similar 54 games at High-A, Thomas posted a .290/.333/.516 line with 10 long balls and 11 stolen bases. This is a great sign for the former third-round selection, as he has yet to face any growing pains when facing harder competition. Thomas is projected to reach the major leagues next season but could see time in Triple-A late this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9 hours agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) will do a full workout on Thursday at Double-A Somerset with the expectation being that he will start his minor-league assignment on Friday. LeMahieu went on a rehab assignment in the minors last month before being shut down after just one game due to renewed soreness in his right foot, so hopefully this time around he'll be able to get through a handful of games and then be activated from the injured list in order to make his 2024 debut in the Bronx. The Yankees surely won't rush the 35-year-old veteran back to the majors, but when he's ready, he figures to be the team's primary option at the hot corner despite a disappointing performance at the plate in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Greg Joyce
9 hours agoTampa Bay Rays shortstop
Taylor Walls (hip) has started a spring training-type progression at the team's spring complex in Port Charlotte, Fla., which will take about two weeks before he starts getting into games. Manager Kevin Cash said the team received a "very good report" from Walls' visit with Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd on April 1. But given the amount of time that Walls has missed, it's likely he'll have to recreate a progression similar to spring training when he returns to game action. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 20 after having surgery on Oct. 27 of last year to fix a labral tear and to relieve discomfort from an impingement in his right hit. It's something that Walls had been dealing with for more than a year. It's unclear what Walls' role will be when he eventually returns to the majors, but it's likely to be a bench role.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitching prospect
Maddux Bruns tossed four shutout innings on Wednesday. He struck out seven and allowed just two hits and one free pass. After allowing just one earned run in his first start of the season, the 21-year-old has kept the scoresheet clean in his previous three starts. On the season, the former first-round selection holds a 0.71 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 12 ⅔ innings at High-A. Bruns struggled at this level last season with a hefty 4.74 ERA last season and has clearly begun to figure things out. He is ranked as the 14th overall prospect in the Dodger system on MLB Pipeline and is projected to reach the major leagues next season. Dynasty managers should pay close attention to see if Bruns carries this momentum into Double-A when he is prompted there later this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
9 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Chris Devenski (knee) is throwing pain-free bullpen sessions and will soon face hitters in live batting practice at the team's spring complex in Port Charlotte, Fla. Devenski landed on the injured list on April 29 (retroactive to April 26) with right-knee tendinitis. Devenski said he was optimistic that he wouldn't miss much time. An MRI exam on April 30 revealed what manager Kevin Cash called "pretty strong patella tendinitis." The 33-year-old swingman is now ramping up his throwing program and could return to the Rays before the end of May, barring any setbacks with his knee. When he's healthy enough to be reinstated from the injured list, Devenski will return to a relief role for Tampa. He's not on the fantasy radar, though, and was sporting a 7.71 ERA and 1.79 WHIP with 11 K's and six walks in 14 innings before his injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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