5 hours agoWashington Nationals catcher
Keibert Ruiz isn't in the starting lineup on Tuesday for the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. Washington will be starting
Riley Adams at catcher who will be batting seventh in replace of Ruiz. This season, Ruiz is slashing .145/.193/.410 with two home runs and four RBIs. In his last 15 games, Ruiz is slashing .102/.159/.153 with one run and one RBI as he has struggled to produce much offense this season. The 25-year-old is 28% owned in Yahoo fantasy leagues while is owned in 46% of ESPN's fantasy leagues. However, due to the lack of offense, Ruiz is producing right now, he isn't worth a fantasy look, especially with Adams stealing some starts from him.
--Cole SheltonSource: MLB
5 hours agoWashington Nationals DH and outfielder
Jesse Winker (back) is not in the starting lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. In Winker's absence, the Nationals will be starting
Nick Senzel at DH while he hits sixth. Winker is dealing with a back injury and has struggled at the plate this season, as he's slashing .235/.350/.736 with four home runs and 18 RBI. But in the last 15 games, he's slashing .167/.274/.315 with two home runs and nine RBI. The 30-year-old is a boom-or-bust fantasy option, as he can hit home runs, but he does strike out a ton and has struggled to put the ball in play of late. Winker is currently just 18% rostered in Yahoo leagues and 13% rostered in ESPN fantasy leagues.
--Cole SheltonSource: MLB
5 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates first baseman
Rowdy Tellez will not be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Derek Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan that
Connor Joe will start at first base in place of Tellez. The manager points to
Joe Ross being a reverse-split right-hander as the reason for Tellez not starting on Tuesday. Tellez has struggled as of late as he's 0-for-17 with six strikeouts in the last seven games while in the last 15 games, he's slashing .158/.214/.237 with zero home runs. Joe, meanwhile, will be getting the start at first base despite being primarily an outfielder. Whether or not Tellez will remain on the bench after Tuesday is to be seen, but he's not putting up much offense so he isn't worth a fantasy look at this time.
--Cole SheltonSource: MLB
6 hours agoTampa Bay Rays pitcher
Brendan McKay has suffered another arm injury, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. McKay was trying to get back to the MLB, but the right-hander has a flexor/pronator strain with an accompanying UCL sprain. The plan is for McKay to take five to six weeks off from throwing, with the goal of resuming full baseball activity in three months. McKay was drafted fourth overall in 2017 and was assigned to the minor leagues to hit and pitch. McKay made his MLB debut on June 29, 2019, as a pitcher and just two days later he made his MLB debut as a hitter. However, injuries have since been a problem as he had surgery in 2021 and then had Tommy John surgery in 2022.
--Cole SheltonSource: MLB
6 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals infield prospect
Michael Curialle launched three home runs and brought in seven runs in Sunday's victory. Curialle spent the previous two seasons entirely in Single-A with a combined .274/.385/.382 line with just two home runs. Through his first taste of High-A this season, the 22-year-old has posted a .280/.383/.480 line and has already surpassed his previous long ball count. In addition, he is showing a better eye at the plate this season with a 6:16 BB:K ratio compared to his hefty 51:108 BB:K ratio last season. Curialle remains several seasons away from the major leagues but could become a name to monitor if he can continue this success when he is promoted to Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 hours agoDetroit Tigers infield prospect
Hao-Yu Lee posted his first two-home run game of his career in Sunday's victory with five total RBI. In his first 28 games at Double-A, the 21-year-old has a .273/.357/.436 with three long balls and four swiped bags. Last season, Lee spent time in Single and High-A with a cumulative .273/.362/.399 line with six total home runs. Lee is considered the 13th overall prospect in the Tigers system on MLB Pipeline and is projected to make his major league debut in 2025. Dynasty managers should monitor Lee's power output as he approaches Triple-A, especially since he has never tallied more than ten home runs in a single minor league season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 hours agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Dylan Lesko has been off to a slow start to the 2024 season and took a significant drop in the recent MLB Pipeline rankings. He entered the season as the number 49 prospect but now sits as the number 72 prospect. Through 19 innings at High-A this season, he holds a poor 9.00 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and an ugly 23:22 BB:K ratio. This is a big difference from his 22:52 BB:K ratio he held through 33 innings last season at Single and High-A. He was in contention to reach Double-A this season, but due to his recent struggles, he may have to wait till next season to get that opportunity. Dynasty managers should follow Lesko closely to see if he could turn things around.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoDetroit Tigers starting pitching prospect
Jackson Jobe is now ranked in the top 10 of all MLB prospects on MLB Pipeline in their recently updated rankings. Jobe was previously ranked as the 21st overall prospect. Through five starts at Double-A this season, the 21-year-old has a strong 2.16 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 24:10 K:BB ratio. Jobe spent the majority of last season with Single and High-A with a cumulative 2.81 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and near-perfect 84:6 K:BB ratio across 64 innings. Jobe should be promoted to Triple-A fairly soon, which could open the door for a late-season major league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper (head) has been scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the New York Mets with a migraine headache. Fantasy baseball managers will need to quickly remove Harper from their lineups on Tuesday before the first game of the day starts. With Harper now out,
Alec Bohm will move across the diamond to first base and will hit cleanup, while
Whit Merrifield starts at third base and hits sixth against Mets right-hander
Jose Butto. Harper should be considered day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if he's back in the lineup for the third game of the series against the division rivals. Harper is hitting .259 (36-for-139) on the year with nine home runs, 29 RBI, two steals and 23 runs scored and is a must-start in all fantasy leagues when he's active.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Mike Puma
7 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder
James Wood has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues this season and is now ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline. Through 35 games at Triple-A this season, Wood has posted an incredible .346/.444/.581 slash line with seven long balls and nine stolen bases. The 21-year-old entered this season with major questions regarding his strikeout rate, as he posted a 124:39 K:BB last season at Double-A. However, he has put all of those doubts to rest so far this season with a significantly improved 32:25 K:BB. Wood has also been making headlines through the early part of May with an eye-catching .805 slugging percentage and five home runs. He should be considered a must-stash in all fantasy formats and could make an immediate impact at the major-league level when promoted.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 hours agoOakland Athletics pitchers
Aaron Brooks and
Joey Estes will be called up from the minors this week to make starts on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively against the Houston Astros. The A's currently have six starters on the injured
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7 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals right-hander
Keynan Middleton (forearm) will start his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Double-A Springfield. Middleton has yet to pitch for the Cardinals this year after he was diagnosed with a right-forearm strain in mid-March during spring training. However, the 30-year-old reliever is getting close to making his 2024 debut out of the Cardinals' bullpen if he can get through a rehab assignment without any setbacks. Typically, relievers don't need lengthy rehab assignments, but Middleton's case could be different since he's missed so much time. When healthy, he should occupy a key late-inning setup role for the Cards in front of closer
Ryan Helsley, making him appealing in fantasy leagues that count holds.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Daniel Guerrero
8 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has been throwing off a mound and has hit the mid-80s with his fastball while adding in some changeups. His next step will be to add in some breaking pitches to build up his pitch count and intensity in the coming weeks. McCullers didn't pitch at all in 2023 after having surgery on June 13 to fix his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but he had another setback that ultimately led to surgery. It's positive news for the 30-year-old starter, but McCullers still has a ways to go and probably won't start a minor-league rehab assignment for around another month, so fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire for now. In a best-case scenario, McCullers won't be back with Houston until after the All-Star break.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Jose Urquidy (forearm) allowed three runs on three hits while striking out three in 2 2/3 innings in his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. Urquidy threw 28 of his 46 pitches for strikes and will make another rehab start this Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi, where he's expected to throw 70 pitches. "When I finished the game, I didn't feel anything bad," said Urquidy, who was topping out at 90-93 mph. "I wasn't thinking to not put too much stress on my arm, but I think I've got more than that. I think next outing, I'm going to have more velocity for sure." The Mexican hurler went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) in 2023 and spent three months on the injured list with right-shoulder discomfort. Given all the injuries to Houston's rotation early this year, Urquidy figures to have a spot waiting for him when he's healthy enough to return.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoHouston Astros outfielder
Chas McCormick (hamstring) went 2-for-5 at designated hitter in his first minor-league rehab game for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. He said he tested his injured right hamstring on a double and had no issues. McCormick will continue his rehab assignment on Tuesday and Wednesday for Double-A Corpus Christi and is expected to play the outfield both days. "I felt really good," McCormick said. "I could stick in the ground and use my hamstring when I'm swinging, and that's really important. I hit a couple of balls hard and I was happy with my swing. I still feel like I need to play a couple of more games, work on some things and know where I'm at. The outfield tomorrow will be a good test." If McCormick doesn't suffer any setbacks while playing the outfield, he could return to the Astros lineup this weekend in Milwaukee. He has yet to homer in 72 big-league at-bats in 2024 and is carrying a .236/.325/.278 slash line.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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