12 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates second baseman
Nick Gonzales hit fifth in his season debut during Friday's loss to the division-rival Chicago Cubs, driving in two runs in the loss. In his first big-league at-bat of 2024, Gonzales hit a two-run single to plate
Andrew McCutchen and
Oneil Cruz to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead in the first inning before the advantage later evaporated. The 24-year-old former No. 7 overall pick was Pittsburgh's No. 5 prospect for 2023, per MLB Pipeline, and he figures to have a chance at carving out a consistent role in the Pirates' infield moving ahead. It's not like starting second baseman
Jared Triolo has done much this year, so fantasy managers should get Gonzales on watch lists after the young infielder's encouraging effort on Friday. Gonzales struggled in his MLB debut in 2023, hitting .209 (24-for-115) with two homers and 13 RBI in 35 games.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoBaltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Yennier Cano notched his second save of the season in Friday's 4-2 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing a scoreless ninth inning on one hit with a strikeout. The O's are searching for answers when it comes to
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12 hours agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Charlie Morton tossed seven strong innings in Friday's victory over the division-rival New York Mets, giving up one run on three hits (one home run) and one walk with seven strikeouts. Besides the seven punchouts, Morton's highlight of the night came when he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by striking out Mets third baseman
Brett Baty to end the frame. The 40-year-old right-hander remains a dependable fantasy starter at this stage of his career, featuring a rock-solid 3.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 40:14 K:BB through 43 frames (seven starts) during the fourth season of his second stint in Atlanta this year. Morton is slated to take the hill in Wednesday's series finale at home against the Chicago Cubs. In four starts against the Cubs since 2021, Morton has a dicey 6.16 ERA and 20:11 K:BB over 19 innings.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. crushed his third home run of the year in Friday's victory over the division-rival New York Mets. Acuna's homer was a 461-foot moonshot off Mets left-hander
Jose Quintana, getting the Braves on the board and catalyzing a four-run Atlanta third inning. The 26-year-old fantasy sensation's shortcomings in the power department during the early part of the season have been well-documented, as evidenced by his three bombs, six doubles, and nine RBI through 162 plate appearances, but Acuna's scored 32 runs and stolen 14 bases across 35 games atop this stacked lineup to make up for it in fantasy. Acuna gets two more shots at the Mets this weekend. In 35 games against New York since 2022, he's batting .321 with three round-trippers, 14 RBI, and 25 runs scored.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoNew York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor belted his seventh home run of the season in Friday's loss to the division-rival Atlanta Braves, continuing his recent rise from a sluggish start to the year. Lindor launched a solo homer to put the Mets on the board in the seventh inning. Over his last 14 games, the 30-year-old All-Star switch-hitter is batting a productive .278 with five long balls, four doubles, 15 RBI, and three stolen bases. Lindor has to deal with Braves pitching two more times during this series, and in 15 games against the Braves since 2023, he's hitting just .218 with three big flies, two doubles, and eight RBI. He does have five steals during this span, and fantasy managers should set and forget Lindor in all settings this weekend.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoAtlanta Braves closer
Raisel Iglesias finished off the division-rival New York Mets to preserve Friday's win, but he allowed one run on one hit and one walk before gaining the save in the ninth inning.
Starling Marte walked before
Pete Alonso singled him in later in the frame, and
J.D. Martinez just missed a game-tying home run that was fouled off during the final at-bat of the game before flying out. Despite Iglesias' shaky outing, he's been one of fantasy's most bankable closers with a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while fanning 10, walking four, and converting 10 of his 12 save opportunities over 15 1/3 innings for the Braves this season. The 34-year-old right-hander should remain a reliable option for saves for the remainder of the season.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Cody Bellinger tallied four hits during Friday's win on the road over the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, totaling nine bases in the victory. Bellinger opened the scoring with a solo home run to right field, crushing a
Jared Jones fastball and giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first inning, later doubling twice to add to a monster night. Over his last nine games, the 28-year-old All-Star slugger is hitting a sizzling .417 with five home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored. Bellinger gets two more dates with Pittsburgh this weekend, and in 12 games as a member of the Cubs versus the Pirates, he's batting .333 with two homers, eight doubles, and 14 RBI dating back to last season. Continue rolling with Bellinger in fantasy leagues as you normally would.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez authored yet another brilliant performance in Friday's victory over the division-rival Miami Marlins, throwing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. Suarez scattered only three hits and walked just two over 97 pitches, earning his seventh win of the campaign and his seventh in a row. The 28-year-old southpaw is enjoying a Cy Young-caliber start to the year, gathering a 1.50 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while punching out 55 and walking eight across 54 frames (eight starts) out of Philly's rotation thus far. Suarez will get the New York Mets next in a home start that's scheduled for Wednesday, when he'll be a locked-in fantasy start in all season-long leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
13 hours agoHouston Astros reliever
Josh Hader retired three of the four batters he faced on the way to his fifth save of the season in Friday's 5-2 win against the Detroit Tigers. Hader allowed one walk while striking out two as 10 of his 17 pitches went for strikes. Friday marked the fifth time in his last six outings that Hader did not allow a run, lowering his ERA to 5.29. He has struck out 11 batters in his last 7 1/3 innings, a sign that the free agent acquisition is returning to his All-Star form. Overall, Hader owns a 5.29 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 27:8 K: BB across 17 innings in 2024.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Michael Schwab, The Juice Box Journal
14 hours agoAtlanta Braves first baseman
Matt Olson homered during Friday's 4-2 win over the New York Mets, snapping a stretch that saw the All-Star go 26 straight games without going deep. Olson had not homered since he went deep off Diamondbacks hurler
Ryne Nelson in the second inning of a 5-2 win over Arizona on April 7. The home run, just Olson's fourth of the season, was only the fifth hit he had recorded in the month of May, entering Friday's game with a .190/.290/.190 slash line in 21 at-bats prior to Friday. Despite his recent struggles, Olson remains a must-start in all league formats. Overall, the 30-year-old slugger is slashing .202/.311/.372 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and 16 runs across 151 plate appearances in 2024.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Official Atlanta Braves Website
14 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Taj Bradley (pectoral) fanned seven New York Yankees in his 2024 debut on Friday but took the loss in the team's 2-0 defeat at Tropicana Field. Reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, the 23-year-old allowed one earned run on four hits over his six innings while also walking a pair of batters. Bradley tossed 93 pitches, with 59 crossing home plate for strikes. Bradley's fastball topped out at 99.2 mph. He is projected to remain in the Rays rotation and will make his next start this Wednesday when the Rays visit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Official Tampa Bay Rays Website
14 hours agoThe Houston Astros activated infielder
Grae Kessinger (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder
Jacob Amaya to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. Kessinger spent the minimum time on the injured list with right-shoulder discomfort and will now return to the Astros as infield depth. The 26-year-old played in only seven games (one start) with Houston this year before getting hurt, going hitless in 10 plate appearances with no walks and four strikeouts. The former second-rounder in 2019 out of Mississippi played in his first 26 big-league games in 2023 and hit .200/.289/.325 with a homer and an RBI before joining the 'Stros in the postseason as a bench player. Kessinger shouldn't be rostered outside of very deep AL-only and dynasty/keeper leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
15 hours agoNew York Mets left-hander
Brooks Raley (elbow) is "not close" to throwing, according to manager
Carlos Mendoza. Raley is going to see another doctor this week in hopes that he can be cleared to throw. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher that was originally placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21, especially since he was expected to return from the IL when he was first eligible. The 35-year-old southpaw reliever probably won't return until at least June now, depending on how things go when he's cleared to resume throwing. The former sixth-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in 2009 out of Texas A&M was a key weapon out of the Mets' bullpen in 2023 with three saves, a 2.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Raley hadn't allowed a run in seven innings with nine K's in eight appearances this year before getting hurt.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Tim Britton
15 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that left-hander
Bailey Falter will start on Sunday at home against the visiting division-rival Chicago Cubs. Shelton added that the team will decide on what they will do with their starting rotation moving forward after the weekend series against Chicago. Now that top prospect
Paul Skenes has entered the rotation and is set to make his major-league debut on Saturday, Falter may need to pitch well in the series finale in order to convince the coaching staff to keep him around. The 27-year-old southpaw has so far gone 2-2 with a 4.34 ERA (4.93 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with nine walks and 26 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over seven starts in 2024. It will likely be either Falter or
Quinn Priester who get bumped from the rotation now that Skenes is here.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Noah Hiles
15 hours agoBaltimore Orioles infield prospect
Connor Norby (wrist) was pulled from Friday's game at Triple-A Norfolk early as a precaution with a left-wrist injury. Norby, the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will probably undergo testing on his wrist, but as of right now, he should be considered day-to-day down on the farm. The 23-year-old entered Friday's contest with Norfolk hitting .275/.361/.497 with an .857 OPS, eight home runs, nine doubles, 26 RBI, four stolen bases and 29 runs scored in his first 172 plate appearances and 35 games. Norby is an average defender at both second base and left field and may find it hard to carve out regular playing time with Baltimore if he's called up to the majors at some point in 2024. For now, Norby is just a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
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