16 hours agoThe San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) is now dealing with mild shoulder irritation amid his recovery from offseason surgery on his left hip. Cobb says his arm is just still a little "cranky" as he ramps back up, but he doesn't believe his timetable has changed much. It's still yet another minor setback for Cobb, who just resumed throwing on Monday following a brief shutdown due to a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 and should still be able to return at some point in the month of May. Until Cobb is ready to re-enter San Fran's rotation, swingman Jordan Hicks should remain locked in as a starter for the Giants. Hicks features a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB through 23 innings (four starts) and is a must-roster fantasy player ahead of Sunday's scheduled start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.Source: Alex Pavlovic - NBC Sports Bay Area
16 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher George Klassen overpowered Low-A hitters again on Thursday in Clearwater. The right-hander struck out seven batters and allowed just two hits and two walks against Dunedin. Klassen has yet to allow an earned run over 15 innings this season and has struck out 24 batters to just four walks. The former sixth-round pick appears to be ready to move up in the Minor League ranks, and with elite stuff, he could be a fast riser in the fantasy community. While it is unlikely that Klassen will make an impact in 2024, fantasy managers should get in now before he takes off at the higher levels.Source: MiLB.com
16 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs activated starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday, optioning right-hander Hayden Wesneski to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Taillon was set to make his 2024 regular-season debut before Thursday's series opener versus the Miami Marlins was postponed, so he'll instead get the ball in Friday's contest against Miami. While the Cubs hope the 32-year-old right-hander gives their rotation a lift in the absence of ace Justin Steele (hamstring), he isn't the most attractive option from a fantasy perspective after recording a career-worst 4.84 ERA with just 140 strikeouts over 154 1/3 innings (30 appearances) during his debut season in the Windy City last year. Friday still presents a good matchup at home against the 4-15 Marlins, however, and Taillon's 0.54 ERA in 16 2/3 career frames (three starts) versus the Fish is his best mark against any specific club.Source: Chicago Cubs on X
16 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers infielder Tyler Black is making an early case for a big-league promotion. Through the first few weeks of the 2024 season, Black is hitting .333/.432/.467 with a homer and two steals. The Wright State product is coming off a breakout 2023 season with 18 home runs and 55 steals and appears to be knocking on the door in Milwaukee. With Jake Bauers struggling at the plate, The Brew Crew could be looking for more production at first base. Black is a potential multi-category contributor for fantasy managers and the situation should be monitored closely.Source: MiLB.com
18 hours agoChicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom (back) was activated off of the 10-day injured list on Thursday evening. The 32-year-old slugger recently embarked on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and will be back with the big club ahead of Friday's series opener against the Miami Marlins. Wisdom is a boom-or-bust bat that combines serious home run power with undesirable strikeout numbers. The Cubs infield is already crowded with Christopher Morel and the recently surging Michael Busch, so it is unclear exactly where Wisdom fits in. He would have slightly more value if he found an everyday role, but until then, he is a waiver-wire option for fantasy managers needing power in deeper leagues.Source: Chicago Cubs
18 hours agoNew York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had a dreadful start to the 2024 season, but signs of life are finally starting to show. The 30-year-old kicked off his campaign mired in a remarkable 1-for-31 slump. Thankfully, since April 7 he has managed to bat .261 with one home run, eight runs scored and a 5/3 BB/K. His production is still a far cry from the 31 homer, 31 stolen base season he produced in 2023, but Lindor is simply too talented to not turn things around. Fantasy managers should expect him to hit a true hot streak soon.Source: MLB.com
19 hours agoBoston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (concussion) told reporters on Thursday that he hopes to be activated off of the 7-day injured list on Tuesday when he is first eligible. O'Neill was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday and admitted he has been dealing with dizziness and lightheadedness, but he still seemed confident about a quick return. There is no guarantee that O'Neill will be back for Tuesday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians as head injuries are notoriously finicky. Nevertheless, it seems like fantasy managers will not have to wait too long to get one of the hottest early hitters back in their lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats until that time.Source: Gabrielle Starr
19 hours agoCleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez went 2-for-5 with two RBI during Thursday's 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox. The 25-year-old has not cleared the fences yet this season, but he is enjoying a strong start nonetheless. Gimenez is slashing .293/.360/.387 with 11 RBI, 13 runs scored and two stolen bases through 19 games. He should continue to add in all those categories for the remainder of 2024 while reaching double-digits in home runs for the third straight year. Gimenez is comfortably a top-10 second base option for the rest of the season.Source: MLB.com
19 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman was hit with a two-game suspension and fine for his actions during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The veteran fireballer got into an altercation with one of the umpires and was ejected from the game in the eighth inning. Chapman is permitted to appeal the suspension, but there is no word yet whether he will. The 36-year-old has pitched well in a set-up role this season, although he was tagged with the loss on Monday after giving up three runs. He is worth rostering in any leagues that track holds as a scoring category as he has five holds and one save through nine appearances in 2024.Source: Jon Heyman
19 hours agoThursday's game between the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, with games at 1:20 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. in Chicago. The probable starters from today, A.J. Puk and Jameson Taillon, will likely pitch tomorrow in the series opener. Shota Imanaga is expected to start one of Saturday's games for Chicago, while Jesus Luzardo and Edward Cabrera could take the mound for Miami. Fantasy managers should remove any players from these teams from their Thursday lineups.Source: Maddie Lee
20 hours agoIt was announced on Wednesday night that Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow) would miss the rest of the 2024 season, and now we know why. The Angels revealed on Thursday that Stephenson will undergo elbow surgery, although the exact nature of the elbow surgery isn't known. If it's Tommy John surgery, the 31-year-old probably won't be able to return until next summer at some point. The Halos signed Stephenson in the offseason hoping that he could be a strong late-inning bridge to closer Carlos Estevez, but instead, Stephenson wasn't able to appear in a single big-league game in 2024. The former 27th overall pick in 2011 by the Cincinnati Reds had one of the best cut fastballs in baseball in 2023.Source: Bally Sports West - Erica Weston
20 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester is expected to be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his first major-league start of the year on Friday against the Boston Red Sox, according to a source. The former 18th overall pick in 2019 out of high school struggled in his big-league debut last year by going 3-3 with a 7.74 ERA (6.74 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with 27 walks and 36 strikeouts in 50 innings over 10 appearances (eight starts) for the Bucs. However, the 23-year-old was looking better with a 3.95 ERA, five walks and 20 K's in 13 2/3 innings in his first three starts for Indy this year. Priester could stick in Pittsburgh's starting rotation until left-hander Marco Gonzales (forearm) is able to return, but at best, he'll be a shaky streaming option in deeper fantasy leagues.Source: Pittsburgh PG - Noah Hiles
20 hours agoIt wasn't the major-league debut that Texas Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter was hoping for on Thursday in Detroit against the Tigers. The former second overall pick in 2021 out of Vanderbilt only made it through 3 2/3 frames in his first big-league start, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three. This one start won't define Leiter's first year in the majors or his career, but he wasn't missing many bats and gave up a lot of hard contact on the day. It remains to be seen if Leiter will get another turn through Texas' rotation after the disappointing performance, but if he does, it should come next week against the Seattle Mariners in a good matchup.Source: MLB.com
21 hours agoBoston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers' (knee) MRI exam showed only a bone bruise, and the Red Sox don't expect him to need a trip to the injured list. Devers was pulled from Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians early with left-knee discomfort and served as the club's designated hitter on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before being held out for the series finale on Thursday while he had an MRI exam. There's thankfully nothing structurally wrong with the 27-year-old's knee, but fantasy managers will need to check back on Friday to see if he's back in there for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Devers has started slow in 2024 and is currently hitting just .188 (9-for-48) with two homers and five RBI.Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
21 hours agoTampa Bay Rays reliever Colin Poche picked up his second save of the year in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels by tossing a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout. It wasn't perfect, though, as he did allow two hits. The 30-year-old got the save opportunity in the series finale after regular closer Pete Fairbanks tossed 28 pitches in a save attempt on Wednesday. The left-handed Pache gave up four runs in his first three outings of the 2024 campaign, but since then he hasn't given up a run in five straight appearances out of Tampa's bullpen. As long as Fairbanks and Jason Adam remain healthy, Poche isn't going to see very many save chances for the Rays.Source: MLB.com