17 hours agoCincinnati Reds first baseman
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. The young slugger needs a rest day after going 1-for-14 over the last four games. The expectation is the 24-year-old will be back in the lineup following this one-game absence.
Spencer Steer will cover first base, while
Nick Martini serves as the designated hitter on Sunday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
17 hours agoLos Angeles Angels third baseman
Miguel Sano (knee) is still banged up after being pulled from Wednesday's game due to left knee soreness. The right-handed slugger was able to play on Friday but then sat out on Saturday. Sano had an MRI on his knee, which revealed inflammation in his left knee. The organization is currently considering Sano as day-to-day right now.
Luis Rengifo figures to see additional playing time until Sano is ready again.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Rhett Bollinger
17 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Alek Thomas (hamstring) started baserunning activities on April 24, with manager Torey Lovullo saying that Thomas is doing everything except running full speed. The skipper doesn't have a target date for Thomas' return, but he said Thomas is progressing well. The 24-year-old strained his left hamstring when he grounded into a double play on March 31 against the Colorado Rockies and underwent an MRI exam on April 1 that showed a strain that was greater than a Grade 1 strain. It sounds like he's getting close to being able to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Until Thomas is able to return,
Corbin Carroll will continue to operate as the team's center fielder, giving
Jake McCarthy and
Randal Grichuk more reps in the outfield. Thomas has still yet to show much offensively for fantasy managers, but he's a stud on defense when healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
18 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks right-hander
Zac Gallen (hamstring) left the series opener against the Seattle Mariners early on Friday with tightness in his right hamstring, but he is optimistic that he'll be able to make his next start. "I feel pretty encouraged," Gallen said. "So my plan is to make my next start." The 28-year-old apparently made some pretty good progress with his hamstring in just one day. It's not official just yet, but he's currently scheduled to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Arizona on Wednesday. Gallen is a fantasy ace, but managers will want to be hesitant in deploying him next week if he indeed gets the nod to face the first-place Dodgers, who have one of the most feared lineups in baseball. Through his first six starts of 2024, Gallen is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and nine walks in 32 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
18 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Randy Arozarena is not in the team's starting lineup on Sunday in the series finale against the Chicago White Sox. Arozarena will get a blow after starting the team's previous nine contests while going just 4-for-34 with 13 strikeouts to drop his season line to a rough .154/.228/.260. The 29-year-old Cuban slugger has added three home runs, nine RBI, four stolen bases and 12 runs scored in his first 104 at-bats in 2024. After the day off, hopefully Arozarena will be able to start picking things up offensively for the Rays and fantasy managers.
Harold Ramirez is starting in left field and batting fifth, while
Austin Shenton is the designated hitter and is batting sixth against White Sox right-hander
Erick Fedde. Ramirez has one hit in two career at-bats against Fedde, while Shenton has never faced Fedde.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
18 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Carlson has yet to make his season debut with the Cardinals due to a sprained left shoulder that he suffered in spring training, but he's getting closer and is now ready to play in live games. The 25-year-old switch-hitter could need extended minor-league action before the Cardinals are comfortable activating him from the 10-day injured list, but when he does return to the big-league roster, he could see pretty regular playing time in center field since
Tommy Edman (wrist) is still sidelined. Right now, rookie
Michael Siani has been seeing most of the starts in center for the Red Birds.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
18 hours agoThe Miami Marlins placed outfielder
Avisail Garcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a left-hamstring strain, according to a source. In a corresponding move, outfielder
Dane Myers was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. The team also selected the contract of right-hander
Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and designated left-hander
Kent Emanuel for assignment. Garcia was pulled from Saturday's contest against the Washington Nationals with his hammy injury and will now miss at least the next 10 days. At this stage of his career, the 32-year-old isn't much of a fantasy asset in mixed leagues. He's currently hitting .240 (12-for-50) with two home runs and two RBI. Myers immediately jumps into Miami's starting lineup on Sunday and will start in right field and hit seventh against Nationals left-hander
Patrick Corbin.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
18 hours agoTampa Bay Rays first baseman
Yandy Diaz (finger) is back at first base and is hitting in his customary leadoff spot for the Rays on Sunday versus the Chicago White Sox and right-hander
Erick Fedde. Diaz left Friday's contest early after being hit on the left pinkie finger with a pitch, and he sat out on Saturday as a precaution. But now that he's back on the field, fantasy managers will want to get the 32-year-old veteran back into their starting lineups in all formats. He's hitting just .241 (26-for-108) on the season so far, but he's been better recently, batting .324 in his last nine ball games. Diaz will be looking for his first home run since going deep on Opening Day. He's never faced Fedde in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
18 hours agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez will retreat to the bench on Sunday for the series finale against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez didn't make his 2024 debut with the Mets until Friday night after signing with the club late in spring training and then suffering a back injury while getting ramped up at extended spring training. The 36-year-old veteran right-handed went 3-for-8 in his first two games with an RBI, but he also struck out five times. The Mets plan on easing Martinez back into the fold, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's on the bench in only his third game back. With Martinez starting on the bench,
DJ Stewart will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat cleanup against Cardinals right-hander
Lance Lynn. The 30-year-old lefty hitter isn't a bad low-cost DFS option on Sunday in the cleanup spot. He's hitting .200 (9-for-45) on the year with three homers and 11 RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
18 hours agoDetroit Tigers shortstop
Javier Baez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Kansas City Royals for undisclosed reasons.
Zach McKinstry is now starting in his place and will hit seventh in the batting order against Royals right-hander
Michael Wacha. Baez will start on the bench after starting the team's previous seven games. If he's dealing with an injury, we'll update you on condition when we get word. The 31-year-old free swinger has been a disappointment pretty much ever since he landed in Detroit in 2022 and he is off to another bad start in 2024, hitting .193/.233/.277 with only one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases and 21 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances. McKinstry will be a poor sleeper option in DFS at shortstop. He's never faced Wacha in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit Tigers
20 hours agoMinnesota Twins first baseman
Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
20 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Max Kepler hit his first home run of the season in Saturday's 16-5 blowout win over the Angels. The 31-year-old was 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored in the contest. Since returning from injury just over a week ago, Kepler has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with seven RBI, four runs scored, and a 2:2 BB:K over six games. After blasting 24 home runs last season, fantasy managers were hoping for more from the lefty, but hopefully they'll start coming in bunches as he's still putting the bat on the ball at an above-average rate (81.1% Contact%). His HR/FB% has taken a step back though, just 5.6% compared to 16.1% from last season, and a Barrel% of 6.5% compared to last season's 12.2%. If you are buying into the hot streak he's on over the past week, the outfielder is available in 85% of Yahoo leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates closer
David Bednar picked up his fifth save of the season in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Giants. It wasn't without drama though. A day after allowing a walk, two hits, and three earned runs to the Giants, Bednar gave up a two-run home run to
Jorge Soler to lead off the bottom of the tenth inning to bring the Giants within a run. The 29-year-old was able to strike out three of the next four batters to preserve the win. This season has not gone at all to plan for the Pirates closer who was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Bednar's ERA has swelled to 11.70 with a 1.60 WHIP and three blown save opportunities to go along with his five saves. His job doesn't seem to be in jeopardy at this point, but the Pirates and fantasy managers alike would relish some clean innings going forward.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates third baseman
Ke'Bryan Hayes went 2-for-5 with his first home run of the season in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Giants. The home run was a solo shot that came off of Giants lefty reliever
Taylorread more...
21 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Bryan Reynolds blasted an extra-inning go-ahead two-run home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Giants. The switch-hitter went 2-for-5 in the game with the home run breaking a 1-1 tie in the top of the tenth inning. The home run came off of the Giants' LHP
Taylor Rogers and was the first home run of the year that Reynolds has hit off of a lefty with his other three coming off righties. The 29-year-old is having a solid season thus far, posting a .264/.372/.418 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases, and a strong 14.7% BB% through 28 games.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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