5 hours agoThe St. Louis Cardinals scratched outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) from their game on Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Cubs after he felt a twinge in his hamstring on Saturday. Manager Oliver Marmol said Nootbaar could easily play through it, but he thought it best to rest Nootbaar in the series finale. St. Louis' starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds isn't posted yet, so fantasy managers will need to check back to see if Nootbaar is back in there before returning him to your starting lineups. With the 26-year-old out on Sunday, veteran
Matt Carpenter served as the team's designated hitter in the win. Nootbaar got a late start to the season due to injury and is now hitting .227 (30-for-132) with five home runs, 19 RBI, three stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 2024 in his first 37 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
5 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves reinstated catcher
Sean Murphy (oblique) from the injured list on Monday and placed outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. The team also recalled outfielder
J.P. Martinez from the minors and designated infielder
Joey Wendle for assignment. Murphy is finally back with the team after suffering a Grade 1 left-oblique strain on Opening Day. Murphy is right back in the starting lineup for Monday's Memorial Day game against the visiting Washington Nationals and left-hander
Mitchell Parker, getting the start behind the plate and batting fifth for the Braves. He could be eased back into the fold for the Braves behind the plate, but Murphy should be rostered in all fantasy leagues. His return means less playing time for veteran
Travis d'Arnaud, who finds himself on the bench Monday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
5 hours agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer is in right field and is batting seventh in the lineup on Monday against the White Sox on the road in Chicago. Given Springer's struggles at the plate this year, the Blue Jays feel that it justifies moving him down as low in the lineup as he's ever been in his career. The 34-year-old four-time All-Star hasn't homered since April 24 and is slashing .188/.264/.273 with three home runs, nine RBI and seven stolen bases in 197 plate appearances. Springer hasn't had a single multi-hit game so far in the month of May and has gone 9-for-62 (.145) with no homers, four RBI, 12 strikeouts and four stolen bases in 17 games since May 1. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues should probably keep him on their benches until he shows some kind of spark. Springer has never faced rookie right-hander
Nick Nastrini, who he will be facing on Monday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoToronto Blue Jays designated hitter
Justin Turner and outfielder
Kevin Kiermaier are both starting on the bench for Monday's contest in Chicago against the White Sox. Turner has lost playing time of late, with this being the third time in the last five games that he finds himself on the bench to start. Kiermaier, meanwhile, will ride the pine for the second straight day.
Daniel Vogelbach is serving as the DH and will hit fifth, while
Daulton Varsho starts in center field and bats sixth against White Sox right-handed rookie
Nick Nastrini.
Davis Schneider is in left field and is batting leadoff for the Jays. Turner has had a disastrous month of May, hitting .102 (6-for-59) without a home run to drop his season line to .222/.301/.359. Kiermaier hasn't been much better in 2024, hitting .226 (.21-for-93) with only one homer and seven RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 hours agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter
Anthony Santander is getting a day off on Memorial Day on Monday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. It looks to be a normal day of rest for Santander, who has gone deep twice in the last four games. The 29-year-old switch-hitting Dominican outfielder has supplied nine home runs, 29 RBI and 25 runs scored in 179 at-bats this year, but he's hitting just .201 (36-for-179) with 40 strikeouts and a 19.9 percent strikeout rate in 201 plate appearances so far in 2024. Santander has fanned in almost half of his last 25 plate appearances. With Santander out on Monday,
Kyle Stowers will start in right field and bat seventh against Red Sox right-hander
Cooper Criswell. Stowers has three hits in his first 12 at-bats this year and is looking for his first home run in the big leagues since his rookie campaign in 2022.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoBoston Red Sox No. 6 prospect
Miguel Bleis has been on a hot streak of late for Single-A Salem. The 20-year-old outfielder has 20 hits over his last 43 at-bats with two homers, six RBI and four stolen bases over his last 10 games. Bleis was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and has shown good power with his quick swing, but he also has had bad plate discipline early on in his professional career. Bleis has already gained 20 pounds since becoming a member of the Red Sox organization and his power should continue to grow as his body does, but that also may slow the potential five-tool star down on the basepaths. Bleis spent 2023 with Salem and could earn a promotion to Double-A if he continues to swing a hot bat. His exciting potential makes him a possibility in dynasty leagues, but redraft managers won't have to worry about Bleis for a few seasons.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoMiami Marlins pitching prospect
Noble Meyer was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2023 draft and has been off to an impressive start in his young career. Meyer, 19, is the team's No. 1 prospect and his recent success is a big reason why. Over his last four starts for Single-A Jupiter, Meyer has tossed five innings in each start and recorded 33 strikeouts, but he has allowed 10 walks in that span with only one run allowed. Meyer has had a 180 from the beginning of the season and his increase in strikeouts has played a big role in that. The right-hander can hit up to 100 MPH with his fastball, but his best pitch thus far has been his slider. Even though he is very young, Meyer has shown advanced skills for his age and could rise through the Marlins system over the next couple of seasons. For now, Meyer is a rising name in dynasty leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect
Chayce McDermott has put together a strong season on the hill for Triple-A Norfolk. The club's No. 8 prospect has suited up for 10 games (nine games) and has been a strikeout machine for Norfolk. McDermott has a healthy 3.77 ERA and more impressive has 67 strikeouts in 43 innings. As dominant as the strikeouts are, McDermott has struggled with command at points with a 1.47 WHIP. However, over his last four starts, the right-hander has struck out 37 batters with just four walks, but 18 hits. McDermott has been able to get out of a lot of jams with his ability strike batters out and the Orioles could be calling his name soon with
John Means (forearm) and
Dean Kremer (oblique) both sidelined. McDermott offers strikeout potential, but is more of a wait-and-see prospect if promoted this season.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoColorado Rockies shortstop prospect
Adael Amador has begun to heat up for Double-A Hartford. Over his last 10 games, the 21-year-old is hitting .282 with four homers, 10 RBI, eight walks and four stolen bases. Amador is currently the Rockies No. 1 prospect per MLB.com and has really stepped it up of late after a sluggish start to the season. Amador is a switch-hitting middle infielder and possesses a very strong eye when he steps to the plate. His strong plate discipline is a strong sign for his potential big-league success, but he is likely a year or two away from making an impact for the Rockies and fantasy managers. He should be rostered in dynasty leagues, but can be avoided in redraft formats this season.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoTampa Bay Rays infield prospect
Junior Caminero continued his success for Triple-A Durham on Sunday with a 1-for-5 performance versus the Memphis Red Birds. Caminero's lone hit was a solo homer and it would be his eighth of the season for the consensus top-5 prospect. Caminero, 20, has practically done everything one can to earn a big-league promotion since last season, but the Rays have continued to pass over him, even with many injuries to their infield at the big-league level. On the year, Caminero is now hitting .269 with 8 homers and 24 RBI. It is questionable if the Rays will finally cave in and give Caminero a fair chance, but if he does gets promoted, managers should sprint the waiver wire to grab the talented infielder.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
9 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Sonny Gray tossed five shutout innings on Sunday Night Baseball and allowed just one hit and two free passes to lead St. Louis to a series sweep. He struck out eight. This dominant outing brings Gray to a stellar 2.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 67:12 K:BB ratio through his first nine starts with his new club. Gray's underlying metrics are quite strong, suggesting that the 34-year-old could be in for a nice summer. He currently holds a 34.1% hard-hit rate and 32.4% K rate, which place him in the top 79th percentile and 93rd percentile, respectively. Gray should continue to be started in all formats and will usually be a solid choice in DFS formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoNew York Yankees infielder
Jon Berti (calf) is expected to be out for an extended period of time according to New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone. Berti exited Friday's game due to a lower leg injury that caused him to collapse in serious pain. He was unable to walk on it and had to be helped to the dugout. As a result,
Jahmai Jones will replace Berti as the utility man on the Yankees roster and will occasionally slot into the lineup. However, with the return of
DJ LeMahieu,
Oswaldo Cabrera may overtake that utility role fairly soon, making playing time hard for Jones to find. Nonetheless, Jones and Berti should be left on all waiver wires for the foreseeable future.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoNew York Yankees relief pitcher
Ian Hamilton (illness) is expected to be activated from the seven-day injured list before Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton has been sidelined since May 19 with an illness, and his symptoms lingered through the week, which resulted in him being placed on the injured list. The 28-year-old has performed well in an eighth-inning setup role, posting a 3.18 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and tallying 19 punchouts across 22 ⅔ innings. The right-hander is worth adding in leagues that score holds, as he should return to his typical eighth-inning role when activated on Tuesday.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Jeffrey Springs (elbow) was removed from his second rehab start in the Rookie-Level Florida Complex League on May 25 after facing one batter with left shoulder tightness. However, Rays Manager Kevin Cash clarified that it was more of a "lat issue" and further explained that "We'll probably shut him down for a couple of days, get some heavy doses of treatment in, and we're pretty optimistic he'll get a ball back in his hand real soon." While this setback is not ideal, the southpaw could still be able to meet is projected June return date if this setback does not linger. Springs underwent Tommy John surgery last April and is nearing the end of his long recovery process. The 31-year-old should be expected to immediately rejoin the Tampa Bay rotation when activated and is worth stashing in an injured reserve spot on your roster.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zach Eflin (back) was seen playing catch on May 26, per MLB.com. Eflin was placed on the injured list on May 20 due to experiencing discomfort on his start on May 18 in Toronto. The 30-year-old compared this injury to similar lower back tightness he dealt with last April that forced him to miss two weeks. Manager Kevin Cash said he expects his ace to return to the mound in "two to four weeks." While it is an excellent sign to see Eflin playing catch and not experiencing any setbacks, he might need to speed up his recovery to meet the projected return date slightly. Eflin looked quite strong in his Tampa Bay debut last summer with a 3.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 186:24 K:BB ratio. However, he did get off to a slow start this spring with a 4.12 ERA, and 1.17 WHIP. Nonetheless, he should remain stashed in all formats as he should return to his 2023 form after he recovers from this minor setback.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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