19 hours agoCleveland Guardians second baseman
Andres Gimenez is back in the Guardians lineup and hitting second for Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. Gimenez was out on Friday against Braves' southpaw
Chris Sale but gets a matchup today against
Charlie Morton. The lefty has never faced Morton in his career. He's hitting for a fairly average .664 OPS but has been hitting better on the road, increasing his OPS to .785 away from Progressive Field. Charlie Morton has fared much worse against lefties in 2024, putting Gimenez in a favorable matchup. Those looking for an option in DFS formats may want to entertain adding the Guardians' lefty into their lineup on Saturday night.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
20 hours agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander
Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
20 hours agoTampa Bay Rays first baseman
Yandy Diaz (hand) is not in the Rays lineup on Saturday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. Diaz was hit by a pitch in the 8th inning on Friday night and was subsequently removed. X-rays showed up as negative on his left hand so the veteran avoided major damage. Diaz should be available to use today if needed and may be used for a pinch hit opportunity. He should be avoided in all DFS formats for Saturday, but fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that he won't be missing any time. His next potential start could come tomorrow against White Sox starter
Erick Fedde.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
20 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitching
Ronel Blanco looks to continue his hot start to the season when he faces the Colorado Rockies in Mexico City on Saturday. Blanco has been one of the bigger surprises of the season so far, starting off with a bang by throwing a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut. He's been the Astros' best starter, posting up a 1.33 ERA with 22 K in 27 innings pitched. His xwOBA of .232 ranks in the top 6% of the league, pointing to the fact that what we're seeing may be real results and Blanco hasn't been lucky. He'll face a tough test in Mexico City. Maybe not necessarily because of his bleak opponent, but because of the altitude at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu which sits nearly 2,000 feet higher than Coors Field. If he can keep control of his pitch mix then Blanco should keep on rolling on Saturday in what would normally be a very favorable matchup.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
20 hours agoSan Diego Padres center fielder
Jackson Merrill (groin) is back in the lineup on Saturday for a tilt against
Ranger Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies. Merrill had been dealing with groin tightness and was scratched prior to Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies. After missing two games the rookie appears to be in a better spot and his tightness has subsided. Merrill has had a solid start to the season, slashing .318/.378/.409 in 98 PA for the Padres. Expectations may need to be tempered in his return on Saturday, though, as Merrill has been much less effective against lefties. He should be avoided Saturday in DFS formats, but will have a string of right-handed matchups coming up over the next week that will make him a viable option in most fantasy formats.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padres
20 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs traded first baseman
Garrett Cooper to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on Saturday. The Red Sox will be taking on the remainder of Cooper's $1.75 million salary for 2024. Cooper was designated for assignment by the Cubs earlier in the week. Boston has been decimated by injuries to start the season, including their starting first baseman
Triston Casas who suffered a torn cartilage in his ribs last week. That injury spurred the need for Boston to add a first baseman to the roster and Garrett Cooper appears to be their man, at least in the immediate future. Cooper slashed .270/.341/.432 in 41 PA for the Cubs, a line that easily exceeds the production the Red Sox are seeing from
Bobby Dalbec. Fantasy managers should grab Cooper off the waiver wire as he should be thrust into a starting role fairly quickly.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Craig Mish
22 hours agoChicago Cubs left-hander
Justin Steele (hamstring) is moving on to the next step of his rehab and is likely to pitch for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, according to skipper Craig Counsell. The 28-year-old tossed 47 pitches in an extended spring game in Arizona on Friday and has seemingly come out of the outing feeling fine. The southpaw tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers but suffered a hamstring strain that has cost him significant time. Steele was in Cy Young contention for much of the 2023 season before struggling late in the year but still posted a 3.06 ERA and a 19.6% K-BB% on the back of an elite 5% BB% across 30 starts a season ago.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Meghan Montemurro
22 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Parker Meadows is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Royals. The young outfielder's tough season continued with an 0-for-2 effort in Friday's series opener, although he was robbed of a home run by the Royals'
Adam Frazier at the right field wall. Meadows has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers who took a chance on the 24-year-old in drafts this spring as he's hitting just .079 (5-for-63) with two homers, three steals, and a .400 OPS across 72 plate appearances. He has posted a 12.5% BB% and has been bitten by a tiny .127 BABIP but he has also struck out in a whopping 40.3% of his plate appearances. His elite defense in center field has kept him in the big leagues but it wouldn't be surprising to see the club option him to the minors if his disastrous start at the plate continues.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Aaron Civale will look for a bounce-back effort on Saturday when he takes on the Chicago White Sox on the road. Civale was touched up for five earned runs on eight hits and a hefty five walks while striking out five across just 4 2/3 innings in his last start against the Yankees. The rough outing was a rare one as the 28-year-old had allowed just seven runs across his first four starts of the season and he allowed two runs or fewer across his first three starts of the campaign. Civale will enter Saturday's contest sporting a 3.90 ERA and a healthy 19% K-BB% on the back of an increased 26.7% K% across 27 2/3 innings of work.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours agoTexas Rangers outfielder
Adolis Garcia is not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander
Hunter Greene. It appears it's simply a day off for the slugger after the two teams played a night game on Friday when Garcia went 0-for-3 as part of a 2-1 series-opening win. The 31-year-old is enjoying a massive start to the 2024 season, hitting .290 with seven home runs, four stolen bases, and a .906 OPS across 27 games and 110 trips to the plate. While he slugged a career-high 39 home runs last season, Garcia swiped just nine bags after a 25-steal 2022 season. Fantasy managers will certainly welcome back his speed to begin this season while he continues to offer big-time power as one of the top outfielders in fantasy baseball.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
23 hours agoThe New York Mets have placed outfielder
Starling Marte on the bereavement list while infielder
Mark Vientos has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the active roster. The 35-year-old has been off to a hot start this season, hitting .288 with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a .769 OPS across 111 trips to the plate, good for a 119 wRC+ that sits 19% above the league average. Marte plummeted down draft boards after a 2023 season that saw him hit .248 with only five homers alongside 24 stolen bases and a .625 OPS across 86 games in 2023, by far the worst offensive season of his career. However, he has rewarded managers who bet on a bounce back in drafts this spring.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
23 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish (elbow) is slated to rejoin the Baltimore rotation, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The 27-year-old made three rehab appearances with Triple-A over the past two weeks and is officially on his way to the major leagues. Bradish looked great in his final rehab appearance on Friday, where he tossed five innings of one-run ball with ten punchouts. Last season, Bradish posted an overall 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP but was especially outstanding down the stretch, where he posted a 2.34 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in the second half. Bradish should be rostered in all formats. He should be given ample opportunities to win games behind an excellent lineup and provide strong ratios.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Roch Kubatko
23 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Joey Gallo (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left-shoulder sprain on Saturday. Outfielder
Alex Call was promoted from Triple-A Rochester as a result. The 30-year-old has posted a .122/.286/.311 stat line with three home runs and five RBI. Even though Gallo has struggled at the plate, he still maintained an impressive 19.4% barrel rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among qualified hitters. Gallo should be expected to be sidelined for at least the next ten days. Call should make his season debut sometime next week. The 29-year-old flashed speed at times as he swiped nine bags last season and could be a target in NL-Only formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Blanco
23 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Taj Bradley (pectoral) is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment beginning on Sunday, April 28. Bradley felt tightness in his pectoral muscle before a scheduled start on March 12 and has remained on the sideline since. This a great sign for the 23-year-old as he is nearing the final step of his recovery process. Bradley made his major league debut last season and showcased high strikeout potential as he tallied 129 punchouts in 104 ⅔ innings. However, he did post a hefty 5.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Bradley should be expected to join the Rays rotation when cleared and could be worth rostering in deeper formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoTampa Bay Rays relief pitcher
Pete Fairbanks (hand) underwent several screenings over the past week, and the final results came back clean on Friday, per manager Kevin Cash. Even though all of the tests do not show any severe or structural damage, it is still very uncertain when the 30-year-old will begin to throw again, but it does suggest that his injured-list stint may not be that lengthy. Fairbanks served as the primary closer in Tampa Bay last season and finished with 25 saves and was placed in that role in the early part of this season.
Jason Adam should be expected to see the majority of save opportunities during his absence, especially since
Colin Poche (back) landed on the IL on Friday. Adam is worth picking up in all formats, as he is riding a stellar 1.50 ERA and 0.50 WHIP through 12 innings.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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