15 hours agoAfter Jorge Soler was placed on the 10-Day IL, the San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Ramos was immediately slotted into the lineup for the Giants and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored batting out of the seventh spot in the order. The 24-year-old has seen a limited amount of action with the Giants before in parts of 2022 and 2023, but this is his first action of 2024. He hadn't done much of anything with his prior 82 plate appearances in the majors, but was hitting well for Sacramento so far this season before the call-up, slashing .296/.388/.565 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in 30 games played. Hopefully he can get things going while Soler is out and perhaps make a push to stick around this time. The right-handed hitter should remain on the waiver wire for now.Source: ESPN
15 hours agoThe Cincinnati Reds promoted pitching prospect Rhett Lowder to Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday. Lowder was the Reds' first-round draft pick from 2023 and has quickly become a highly-ranked prospect. The righty is the Reds' highest-rated pitching prospect and is ranked 30th overall by MLB.com. Lowder was having a great season so far at High-A, going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 22.5% K-BB% over five starts. With his type of stuff there's a chance the 22-year-old sees the big leagues this season, albeit much later in the season, so he should certainly be on dynasty managers' radar.Source: ESPN
16 hours agoThe St. Louis Cardinals have recalled catcher Pedro Pages from Triple-A Memphis to work as the backup to Ivan Herrera after Willson Contreras was placed on the IL. Pages was penciled into the eighth spot in the lineup Wednesday night before the game was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up August 5, so we'll see who gets the start Thursday against the Brewers and RHP Tobias Myers. Pages offers little fantasy relevance at this point, although he's got some power as he hit 16 home runs in 2023 over 117 games at Double-A, and he posts solid BB% numbers which provide a solid OBP. The 25-year-old does have four major league plate appearances, however, whenever he does draw a start it will be his first in the big leagues.Source: St. Louis Cardinals on X
16 hours agoSeattle Mariners outfielder Lazaro Montes was once a highly regarded international prospect who ultimately signed with the club in 2022. He possesses solid discipline and awareness at the plate, but he really makes his mark in the power department, slugging homers left and right. On the other hand, his defense is holding him back and will likely require him to play left field, first base, or designated hitter long-term. Montes went on a tear last week, hitting 10-for-22 (.454) with three homers, 14 RBI, four walks, and three strikeouts. These statistics are amazing, and even if Montes can't quite replicate them again going forward, he has certainly shown the Mariners organization that he could be a superstar hitter someday. For now, don't be surprised if Montes earns a promotion to Double-A.Source: FanGraphs
16 hours agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Will Schomberg signed with the club as a non-drafted free agent out of Davidson in 2022 and is already making waves as an impactful prospect in the depths of the farm system. The right-handed hurler has flashed decent velocity with his fastball and gets good movement on his slider. One of his biggest weaknesses is allowing fly balls and other loud contact. In fact, he owns a measly 29.4 percent walk rate so far this season. This past week, Schomberg was quite effective. He tossed six full innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and just one walk. He also found the zone quite often, finishing his day with double-digit strikeouts. If Schomberg can continue to grow his K/BB rate while keeping his ERA in check, he'll earn a promotion very quickly.Source: FanGraphs
16 hours agoAtlanta Braves infield prospect E.J. Exposito is a former 16th-round pick who played college ball at Long Island University. He has decent contact and power skills, continuing to spray the ball to all parts of the field and showing legitimate pop. Defensively, he offers the Braves versatility in the infield. While he'll likely play second base long-term, he's already seen plenty of action at first base, third base, and shortstop, too. Last week was huge for Exposito as he ultimately hit 11-for-23 (.478) with three home runs and five RBI. He also contributed plenty of value on the basepaths by stealing five bases on five attempts last week. The 23-year-old's biggest weakness is his tendency to strike out (3.0 K/BB last week), which he'll need to address before any potential promotion.Source: FanGraphs
16 hours agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect Chayce McDermott, dealt from Houston to Baltimore in the Trey Mancini trade, is a former fourth-round pick who gets good velocity behind his fastball, slider, and curveball. The jury is still out on whether McDermott will be a starter or reliever in Baltimore, but he can help his case by developing a fourth offering (changeup) and drastically improving his control. Pitching last Friday, McDermott went 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and just two walks. He also attacked the strike zone, finishing his outing with a whopping 11 strikeouts, good for an average of 1.65 per inning.Source: FanGraphs
16 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III is a former first-round pick who was flipped to Washington during the trade that made Juan Soto a Padre. The talented left-hander gets good speed behind each of his swings whileread more...
17 hours agoLos Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez nailed down his sixth save of the season in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, slamming the door with two strikeouts in a clean ninth inning. Working on back-to-back days, Estevez continued his encouraging start to the month of May with another scoreless appearance after yielding seven runs with two blown saves across 7 2/3 innings during a rough April. The 31-year-old right-hander owns a dodgy 5.06 ERA through 10 2/3 frames on the season as a whole, but he's remarkably walked zero while striking out 13 over 11 appearances. Estevez is an unrestricted free agent next year, so the 14-23 Halos could opt to move the veteran reliever at the trade deadline later this summer. He'll be an obvious sell-high candidate in fantasy as we get closer to July.Source: MLB.com
17 hours agoChicago White Sox closer Michael Kopech locked down Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, firing a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory. Kopech got Randy Arozarena to fly out before giving up a single to Harold Ramirez, but the hurler managed to induce a game-ending double play out of Isaac Paredes. It's been a mixed bag from the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander as a reliever for the last-place ChiSox this season, but he does have three saves as well as a serviceable 3.93 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while fanning 25 and walking 10 over 18 1/3 frames as Chicago's preferred ninth-inning weapon. Rookie righty Jordan Leasure and veteran John Brebbia are also in the mix for save opportunities on the South Side, making Kopech a fringe hold in fantasy leagues for saves desperados.Source: MLB.com
17 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt delivered an outstanding performance in Wednesday's 5-3 victory on the road over the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out six and allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks for his third win of the season. That's back-to-back quality starts now for Bassitt, who was hammered for seven runs at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his prior appearance on April 26. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander still has work to do to enhance his 5.06 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 40:20 K:BB through 42 2/3 frames (eight starts) for the Jays this season, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. Tuesday's scheduled start against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards unfortunately looks like a nightmarish spot for Bassitt, who went 0-2 and gave up 12 runs across nine innings (two starts) against Baltimore a year ago.Source: MLB.com
17 hours agoKansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. stayed hot in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double while scoring three runs. After doubling in the first inning, Witt greeted Brewers right-hander Joel Payamps with a solo shot to deep left center in the eighth frame. The 23-year-old former top prospect has been spectacular all year long, but over his last 15 games since April 23, he's batting .377 with the aforementioned homer, 12 RBI, 16 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. A four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim starting on Thursday is on tap for Witt. In nine games against the Angels in his career, Witt is surprisingly hitting just .237 with three taters, 10 RBI, three runs scored, and zero steals.Source: MLB.com
17 hours agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (oblique) is scheduled to throw live batting practice ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals. If all goes well, Whitlock could make a minor-league rehab start five days later on May 15 and potentially be back with the Red Sox by May 20. Before suffering a strained left oblique, the 27-year-old right-hander registered an outstanding 1.96 ERA (3.31 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking seven in four starts (18 1/3 innings) out of Boston's rotation this season, and he remains a strong stash in all fantasy leagues. Swingman Cooper Criswell has filled in well during Whitlock's absence, compiling a 1.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 16:4 K:BB through 20 2/3 frames (four starts), and he'll be a prime streaming candidate for Sunday's series finale against a middling Nats lineup.Source: Jones & Mego with Arcand - WEEI
18 hours agoThe hope is that Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) will start defensive practice and resuming hitting in the cage this weekend. As he prepares to ramp up his baseball activities, Jones will "more than likely" need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning from a strained lower back. Following a 2023 breakout campaign, the 26-year-old left-handed hitter was slashing an icy .170/.243/.277 with one home run, five doubles, seven RBI, and two stolen bases through 94 at-bats (26 games) as Colorado's primary left fielder but remains a recommended stash with a mid-May return still a possibility. Top prospect Jordan Beck should continue receiving the lion's share of the reps in left field until Jones is ready to return, but he's hitting an empty .125 (3-for-24) over seven outings during his first stint in the major leagues.Source: Luke Zahlmann - Denver Gazette
18 hours agoTampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (arm) is set to make another minor-league rehab appearance on Friday. After throwing a scoreless inning for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Fairbanks is scheduled for another outing in the minors before returning from a nerve-related issue and rejoining Tampa Bay's bullpen. Barring any setbacks, the Rays could activate the hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander from the injured list following that assignment. Although he's given up seven earned runs and walked eight over seven innings this year, Fairbanks has three saves as well as a respectable 3.72 FIP and should reclaim the closing gig upon his return. Until then, Jason Adam should remain the favorite for saves and is worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues.Source: MLB.com