10 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca is out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Red Sox in Boston at Fenway Park. Jose Siri is starting in center field again and is batting ninth against Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell. DeLuca has now been on the bench in three of the last four games as the Rays mix Siri back into center field on a more regular basis. It hasn't helped that both Josh Lowe and Jonathan Aranda have returned to the Rays recently. The 25-year-old DeLuca recently started nine games in a row in Tampa's outfield and is hitting .281 (9-for-32) with a homer, 10 RBI and two stolen bases in just 12 games in 2024. DeLuca could get another shot if an injury opens up more playing time, but for now, he appears to be the odd man out.Source: MLB.com
10 hours agoOakland Athletics first baseman Tyler Nevin and catcher Shea Langeliers are both getting a day off on Thursday in Houston against the Astros. Tyler Soderstrom will start at first base and bat cleanup,read more...
10 hours agoOakland Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Waldichuk will miss the rest of the 2024 season and probably won't be a candidate to return to games until around midseason in 2025. The 26-year-old southpaw was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his left elbow last October and underwent a minor surgery last year with hopes that he could avoid Tommy John surgery. That didn't end up being the case, so Waldichuk will be shut down for the foreseeable future. The former fifth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2019 out of Saint Mary's has recorded a 5.28 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with 81 walks and 165 strikeouts in 175 2/3 innings over 42 appearances (29 starts) in his two major-league seasons in Oakland.Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
10 hours agoBaltimore Orioles infield prospect Coby Mayo (undisclosed), the team's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was removed from the game on Thursday with Triple-A Norfolk as a precaution after he collided with part of the third base dugout. It's unclear exactly what type of injury Mayo is dealing with, but it doesn't sound serious. Fantasy managers stashing Mayo in their leagues will want to check back for more information later on Thursday or on Friday. The 22-year-old former fourth-round selection by the O's in 2020 entered Thursday's game with a strong .282/.353/.594 slash line with a .947 OPS, 13 home runs, 37 RBI, three steals and 29 runs scored in 41 games for the Tides. Mayo has been pushing for his first big-league promotion, but this injury could set him back some. The stacked nature of Baltimore's big-league roster will make it hard for Mayo to carve out significant playing time if he does get the call at any point in 2024.Source: MLB.com - Jake Rill
10 hours agoBoston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong and outfielder Tyler O'Neill will not be in the team's starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Reese McGuire will catch read more...
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies middle infielder Bryson Stott and outfielder Johan Rojas will both retreat to the bench on Thursday against the visiting New York Mets. With Stott out, Whit Merrifield will make the startread more...
10 hours agoThe New York Mets optioned left-hander Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A Syracuse after Wednesday night's game and recalled left-hander Josh Walker from Syracuse in a corresponding move. In his spot start on Wednesday versus the division-rival, Lucchesi didn't fare well, allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings of work while walking four and striking out two to take the loss. The 30-year-old southpaw was making his season debut for the Mets, but now he'll head back to the minors to serve as starting pitching depth for the organization. Walker, 29, will give the Mets' bullpen a fresh arm. He made his big-league debut last year and had an 8.10 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in just 10 innings. So far in 2024, Walker has tossed three shutout innings in relief while walking one and striking out three for the Mets.Source: New York Mets
10 hours agoNew York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader and catcher Tomas Nido are both taking the day off on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyron Taylor is getting the start in center field and is batting fifth, while Omar Narvaez is doing the catching and will hit ninth against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. So far this month, Bader is 8-for-34 (.235) with a double, no RBI, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 11 games to drop his season line to .265/.312/.316. The former third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Florida has been pretty mediocre offensively to this point, but he's been known to go on streaks and could heat up at any moment for the Mets. Taylor has a hit and an RBI in three career at-bats against Walker and has gone 22-for-81 (.272) in the early going with two homers and three steals.Source: New York Mets
13 hours agoThe Los Angeles Angels reinstated infielder Luis Rengifo (illness) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned infielder Niko Goodrum and right-hander Davis Daniel to Triple-A Salt Lake after Wednesday night's game in a corresponding move. Rengifo missed over a week with a viral illness that caused painful blisters on his feet. Now that the 27-year-old is recovered, he should return to everyday duties at third base for the Halos, starting on Friday for their series opener against the Rangers in Texas. Rengifo is due some regression after starting the year with a .330/.378/.462 slash line with two home runs and nine stolen bases in 28 games, but the fact that he's going to play regularly makes him at least a middle-infield bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues. He's most useful for his speed in AL-only formats.Source: Angels PR
13 hours agoThe Oakland Athletics acquired right-hander Brandon Bielak from the Houston Astros on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Astros had designated Bielak for assignment. The 28-year-old will stay in the American League West and will take his 5.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 17 1/3 relief innings to the Bay Area. Bielak has spent all five of his big-league seasons with the Astros since debuting in the big leagues in 2020. Over that time, he's posted a 4.65 ERA (5.25 FIP), a 1.52 WHIP, one save, 85 walks and 155 strikeouts in 191 2/3 innings over 70 appearances (21 starts). Bielak has some starting experience, but he's unlikely to be used as anything more than a spot starter with the A's when their rotation needs some help.Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
13 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Wednesday as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of 2023. Garcia started throwing bullpens in April and is taking a slow progression to eventually go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The expectation is that he will be able to rejoin Houston's starting rotation at some point in the middle of the season. The 27-year-old will mostly likely not be activated from the injured list until the second half of the season after the All-Star break in mid-July. When healthy, Garcia has been quite intriguing for fantasy managers because of his ability to create plenty of swings and misses. However, given his long layoff, you should temper expectations for him in 2024 as he returns from Tommy John surgery.Source: MLB.com
13 hours agoTexas Rangers infield prospect Echedry Vargas went 3-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday with his second home run of the season. Across his first extended look at Single-A, the 19-year-old has posted a .242/.290/.403 slash line with four stole bases. Vargas spent most of last season with the Rookie League and only played one game at Single-A, where he flashed his elite power and speed combination with 11 long balls, 17 swiped bags, and a .317/.388/.568 line. MLB Pipeline ranks Vargas as the 16th overall prospect in the Texas system and projects him to reach the major leagues in 2027. However, with how he is performing at Single-A, he could easily climb through the Texas system and develop into one of their top prospects. Dynasty fantasy managers should continue to monitor him to see if he can continue to showcase his power and speed combination.Source: MiLB.com
13 hours agoHouston Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo (wrist), the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was limited in major-league camp during spring training with a wrist injury and remains on a slow rehab plan. Dezenzo appeared in 31 games last year at High-A Asheville and 63 games for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .257 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI as a third baseman. The 24-year-old opened the year on Corpus Christi's seven-day injured list. Despite the power he displayed at Double-A last year, Dezenzo also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time. He has above-average raw power from the right side of the plate that could allow him to hit 30-plus home runs over a full season. Dezenzo's primary goal right now is just getting healthy, though.Source: MLB.com
13 hours agoHouston Astros shortstop Brice Matthews (back), the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was placed on the seven-day injured list on May 7 at High-A Asheville with lower-back tightness. Matthews, the team's first-round pick last year, was hitting just .229/.364/.286 with two doubles in 35 games for the Tourists before getting hurt. The 22-year-old has not played since late April after being taken with the 28th overall pick in 2023. Matthews stands at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and has plenty of power, enough to eventually be a 20-25-homer guy at the next level. He's an impressive athlete who also played quarterback in his senior season in high school, but his pull-heavy tendencies and high strikeout rate could be an issue as he advances higher up the Astros' minor-league system.Source: MLB.com
13 hours agoSeattle Mariners third base prospect Ben Williamson is being promoted to Double-A. Williamson has been progressing through the Seattle system very quickly over the past two seasons. Last season, he spent time in the Rookie League and Single-A and posted an overall .268/.318/.415 line. Then he began this season with High-A Modesto and posted a dominant .315/.408/.459 slash line through 29 games. He posted a strong 15:21 BB:K ratio, tallied eleven doubles, and swiped four bags. MLB Pipeline projects the 23-year-old to reach the major leagues in 2026, but that timeline could quickly change. He is moving through the Seattle Pipeline much faster than expected and could push for a major league promotion next season. Dynasty managers should monitor the former William and Mary graduate to see if he can carry this momentum into Double-A.Source: MiLB Central