17 hours agoDetroit Tigers shortstop
Javier Baez is not in the starting lineup on Saturday versus the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The struggling Baez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday night's walk-off loss and is now slashing a miserable .183/.228/.258 with one home run, nine RBI, six stolen bases, six runs scored, five walks and 22 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances over his 28 games in 2024. The 31-year-old free swinger has fallen far since his last All-Star appearance in 2019 with the Chicago Cubs, and he's been a massive bust since joining the Tigers in 2022. About the only thing fantasy managers can count on him for now is some modest stolen base numbers.
Zach McKinstry is starting at the 6 on Saturday and is hitting eighth against Yankees right-hander
Clarke Schmidt.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit Tigers
18 hours agoThe Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres have agreed to a trade that sends second baseman
Luis Arraez to San Diego in exchange for relief pitcher
Woo-Suk Go and three prospects. The prospects San Diego is sending to Miami are
read more...
20 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. went 2-for-5 with a home run in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. The home run came in the eighth inning and knotted the game up at 2-2, although the Braves would go on to lose in extras. For managers that drafted the reigning MVP first overall, he's been a disappointment for fantasy with just two home runs and eight RBI on the year. The 26-year-old has scored 30 times and has stolen 13 bases, so it hasn't been all bad. Hopefully Acuna can up the power production going forward, although it could be a tall task Saturday against
Tyler Glasnow and his league-leading 53 strikeouts.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
20 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Andy Pages collected four hits in Friday's 4-3 win over the Braves, including a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning. Pages was the only Dodger with more than one hit in the game and he's now riding a nine-game hit streak that includes three doubles and two home runs. The 23-year-old is now slashing .333/.354/.567 through his first 60 MLB at-bats with three home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored. He's been an excellent waiver-wire addition for fantasy managers, but it will be interesting to see what they do once
Jason Heyward (back) is healthy, although with Pages hitting from the right and Heyward hitting from the left side, it could make for a good platoon situation.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits in five at-bats and drove in three runs in Friday's 7-1 win over the Diamondbacks. One of the hits was a two-run home run, his seventh of the year. It was the fourth time he's collected three hits in a game in 2024, although you might not know it from his .246 batting average. Despite the low average, the 25-year-old is having a solid season with a .333 OBP, .455 SLG, and 131 wRC+. In addition to his seven home runs, the former All-Star has 20 RBI, 20 runs scored, and four stolen bases so far so he's been a multi-category contributor for fantasy.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitching prospect
Chayce McDermott led the way on Friday evening with 6 2/3 clean innings to combine for a no-hitter with relief pitchers
Nolan Hoffman and
Kaleb Ort. McDermott struck out 11 batters and allowed just two free passes. Hoffman and Ort did not allow any baserunners. This incredible outing lowered McDermott's ratios to a solid 2.89 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 41 punchouts across 28 innings. The 25-year-old southpaw has gone under the radar this season with Triple-A Norfolk due to the emerging stars on the offensive side of the team. Nonetheless, McDermott should be expected to make his major-league debut later in the summer and may be worth picking up in AL-only leagues when he is promoted.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
21 hours agoDetroit Tigers second/third base prospect
Jace Jung broke out of his power slump on Friday by launching his fifth home run of the season. Jung had gone without tallying a long ball for ten games. In his first season at Triple-A, the 23-year-old has posted a solid .257/.373/.486 line with one swiped bag and 25 RBI in 30 games. Jung is on pace to fall just short of 28 home run count from last season, which he tallied across High and Double-A, but he has maintained a very similar batting average this season. The number four prospect in the Detroit pipeline and 54th overall should be expected to reach the majors this season and is worth monitoring closely in deeper redraft formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
21 hours agoBaltimore Orioles catching prospect
Samuel Basallo has been showcasing his elite power potential this past week and added another home run on Friday. Basallo is now up to five home runs on the season and has hit four of them in his past four games. The 19-year-old has a .256/.284/.456 stat line with two stolen bases and 14 RBI in his first full taste of Double-A. He played only four games at this level last year and spent the majority of his time with Single and High-A, hitting a combined .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs. The 16th-ranked prospect in baseball is beginning to show his incredible power at Double-A but needs to show more consistency at the plate to reach Triple-A this summer. He should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats but will have a hard path to seeing relevancy in redraft this year.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
21 hours agoColorado Rockies outfield prospect
Braiden Ward swiped six bags on Friday evening to increase his season total to 15. Ward has now stolen at least one base in eight games this season and is emerging as one of the top baserunning threats in the minor leagues. In the batter's box, the 25-year-old has posted a solid .333/.460/.608 stat line with six doubles and four triples. Ward swiped 44 bags in High-A last season and is on pace to smash that feat. If Ward can continue to succeed at the plate, he should be promoted to Double-A this summer and could be worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues due to his elite speed alone.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
21 hours agoHouston Astros second baseman
Jose Altuve went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored, and stole his seventh base of the season in Friday's 5-3 win over the Mariners. The steal was No. 300 for his career, and along with his 2000+ career hits as well as a career batting average over .300, he joins some of the best names to play the game of baseball in
Derek Jeter, Paul Molitor, Willie Mays, and Roberto Alomar. Now slashing .348/.411/.576 on the season, his wRC+ of 185 is fifth-best thus far, and the 33-year-old is the top-scoring second baseman in fantasy aside from
Mookie Betts who is eligible at the position.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoKansas City Royals first baseman
Salvador Perez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Rangers. It was the eighth time he's gone deep this season and the three RBI put him at 30, good for third-most in all of baseball. The 33-year-old is having a fantastic season thus far, slashing .351/.413/.605 with a .438 wOBA and 184 wRC+. After an 86 wRC+ season last year, the veteran has cut down his K% to a measly 10.3% and his Contact% of 83.2% is his best since 2015. The 8x All-Star has hit safely in 25 of the 32 games he's played and has 11 multi-hit efforts. Ranking behind only
William Contreras for top fantasy catcher, Perez is looking like an early AL MVP contender and probable All-Star.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
21 hours agoSeattle Mariners catching prospect
Harry Ford extended his hitting streak to 11 games in Friday's doubleheader. In the first game, Ford knocked a double, and in the second game, he tallied his fourth round-tripper of the season and laced another double, his eighth of the season. After tallying just one hit in his first five games at Double-A this season, Ford has posted a strong .256/.413/.488 slash line with four swiped bags and 22 total hits in 23 games. The 21-year-old has fully adjusted to Double-A pitching and could be up with Triple-A Tacoma by the end of the summer. The second overall prospect in the Seattle system and 35th overall prospect should be rostered in all dynasty leagues but will not be relevant in redraft until next season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
22 hours agoSeattle Mariners shortstop prospect
Cole Young launched his first Double-A home run with a grand slam on Friday evening. After hitting 11 long balls across Single and High-A last summer, it took Young 23 games to tally his first in Double-A this season. The 20-year-old has a .245/.336/.337 stat line with six stolen bases in his first month of Double-A games. Young opened the campaign with an impressive nine-game hitting streak but then tallied just five hits in his next nine games. The top prospect in the Seattle system seems to have bounced back lately, not just in power production but also in knocking six hits in his past three games. MLB Pipeline projects Young to reach the majors in 2025, but he could make a push for a late-season promotion and is well worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Jacob Young (back) left Friday's game early against the Toronto Blue Jays with back spasms. He's getting treatment, and the team will see how he's doing on Saturday. Young was hitting leadoff in Friday's game for the first time since April 19, going 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in the eventual 9-3 victory before departing early. If the 24-year-old continues to swing the bat well, he could find himself atop Washington's batting order more often against left-handed pitchers as a right-handed swinger. Young raised his batting average to .311 and his OPS to .732 on the year with the one-hit night. It doesn't sound like his injury is very serious, but if the back spasms linger and Young is forced to the injured list, the Nats could bring up outfield prospect
James Wood, who is hitting .314/.422/.461 at Triple-A Rochester.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
1 day agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Jose Soriano recorded his first win of the 2024 regular season in Friday's 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, firing six scoreless innings on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts. The Angels gave Soriano plenty of run support on Friday, and he most notably escaped from a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with no damage. It was a great rebound performance after Soriano was chased for four runs and couldn't get through two innings in his last appearance at home against the Minnesota Twins. With the effort, the 25-year-old right-hander now sports a decent 3.77 ERA and 1.29 WHIP while fanning 26 and walking 15 over 28 2/3 frames (seven appearances) for the Halos this year. Soriano will aim to build on this showing in Wednesday's projected start on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are scoring a pathetic 2.4 runs per game over their last 22 contests since April 9.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoNew York Mets third baseman
Brett Baty erupted for nine total bases in Friday's 10-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Baty homered to deep right field in the second inning to score
Jeff McNeil and
Tyrone Taylor and give the Mets a temporary 3-0 lead before going yard to right field once more in the ninth to make things interesting late. It's been an up-and-down season for Baty, but the 24-year-old former top prospect is producing a respectable .271/.340/.385 triple-slash line with three long balls, two doubles, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored over 96 at-bats (30 games) for the Mets during his second full year in the major leagues. He's only a viable fantasy option for those in NL-only leagues, holding limited upside while batting in the lower part of New York's lineup, but Baty's certainly worth watching in all leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoColorado Rockies starting pitcher
Cal Quantrill silenced the Pittsburgh Pirates in Friday's 3-1 victory, tossing 7 2/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball with no walks on a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his first win of the year. Although he's not known for his bat-missing stuff, Quantrill dominated Pittsburgh for his longest start of the 2024 regular season on Friday and a big bounce-back effort after surrendering six runs in his last appearance at home versus the Houston Astros. The soft-throwing 29-year-old right-hander improved his ERA to 4.31 with a 1.29 WHIP and 26:14 K:BB over 39 2/3 frames (seven starts) this season from Colorado's rotation. Despite the strong showing, Quantrill still won't be the most exciting streaming option for fantasy purposes in his next projected start on Thursday at Coors Field against the division-rival San Francisco Giants.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitchers
Jeffrey Springs (elbow) and
Drew Rasmussen (elbow) are both scheduled to throw in an extended spring game around May 20. The Rays' rotation is arguably ruined by injury more than any other in baseball, but at least two of their key arms are progressing toward a return at some point later this summer. Springs is likely closer to doing so in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and barring any setbacks, he could be in line to rejoin Tampa Bay's rotation by July's All-Star break. Rasmussen, on the other hand, is a weaker stash in fantasy leagues because his return from a hybrid internal brace procedure last July is not expected to arrive until the final months of the year. Over his last three seasons (196 innings), Springs owns a 2.53 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and 231:49 K:BB and can be stashed in deep competitive leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby (knee) has been dealing with a right knee issue, manager Scott Servais said following Friday's 5-3 road loss to the division-rival Houston Astros. Servais said that it's not a major problem, but it's one that the team is monitoring. It likely explains why the M's opted to turn to their bullpen with Kirby pitching well on just 88 pitches through six innings, as the hurler had given up only one run on four hits and zero walks with three strikeouts for a no-decision on Friday. The 26-year-old right-hander's status is worth keeping an eye on ahead of his next scheduled start, which tentatively lines up for Wednesday against the surging Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Over his last four starts, Kirby holds a 1.13 ERA with a sparkling 28:2 K:BB across 24 innings, but the Twins are scoring 7.3 runs per game during their current 11-game winning streak.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Daniel Kramer - MLB.com
1 day agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Taj Bradley (pectoral) made his second and perhaps final minor-league rehab appearance on Friday with Triple-A Durham, throwing six scoreless innings of two-hit ball on two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. After throwing 94 pitches in this outing, Bradley's next appearance could very well come with the big-league club as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a strained right pectoral. While the 23-year-old former top prospect mostly floundered during his first taste of major-league action with a 5.59 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 23 starts during his rookie year last season, he struck out 129 batters and walked only 39 across 104 2/3 frames. If Bradley's next start comes with the Rays, he would likely be making his 2024 regular-season debut at home next Friday versus the division-rival New York Yankees, where a wait-and-see approach would be recommended from a fantasy perspective.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Eric Cross
1 day agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Braxton Garrett (shoulder) is scheduled to throw six innings or 75 pitches at the club's Florida Complex League in rookie ball on Monday. Although Garrett tossed five scoreless innings of one-hit ball on 61 pitches with Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, his next appearance will not come with the major-league roster as some may have anticipated. The Marlins appear to be taking a cautious approach with Garrett, who has previously experienced "dead arm" on his way back from a left shoulder impingement. He's looking at a mid-to-late May return to Miami's rotation. Unheralded rookie
Roddery Munoz will get at least one more turn in the big-league rotation, carrying an impressive 2.45 ERA (3.77 FIP), 0.72 WHIP, and 14:3 K:BB over 11 innings (two starts), but he'll have his work cut out in his next projected start on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Sean Murphy (oblique) swung off a tee in Seattle during the team's series earlier this week against the Mariners. Murphy felt good, and he's going to keep building up from there. There was originally some hope that Murphy would have been over his Grade 1 left oblique strain, which he suffered back on March 29, by early May, but there's no clear timeline for his return at this stage of his recovery. The 29-year-old All-Star backstop probably won't be back with the Braves until the mid-to-late portion of May. In Murphy's stead, former All-Star
Travis d'Arnaud has operated as Atlanta's primary catcher and is worth streaming in all fantasy formats in the meantime. d'Arnaud is slashing a robust .282/.358/.592 with five home runs, seven doubles, 16 RBI, and 12 runs scored in 81 trips to the plate (25 games) this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Justin Toscano - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1 day agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Jesus Luzardo (elbow) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start with Single-A Jupiter on Sunday in Port St Lucie. After tossing 22 pitches in Thursday's bullpen session, Luzardo has a target of four innings and 60 pitches for Sunday's appearance as he works his way back from tightness in his left elbow. Assuming all goes well there, and he only needs one outing in the minors before rejoining Miami's rotation, Luzardo is a candidate to start at some point during next weekend's three-game series at home versus the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. With the 26-year-old former top prospect struggling to a 6.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while fanning 27 batters and walking 13 through 26 innings (five starts) for the Fish this season, Luzardo would be a risky fantasy play across the board if he faces this difficult matchup for his first start back.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich's (back) goal is to return to play before the end of the team's current road trip, which runs until Wednesday's series finale against the Kansas City Royals. Yelich had already been doing better running and throwing before having his best session yet swinging the bat in the cage before Friday's game versus the division-rival Chicago Cubs, giving him a chance to re-enter Milwaukee's lineup in the middle of next week. A strained lower back has kept Yelich on the shelf since mid-April, but the 32-year-old star outfielder is returning first-round value on a .333/.422/.744 triple-slash line with five home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases in 46 plate appearances (11 games) this year. Until Yelich returns, the switch-hitting
Blake Perkins is worth a look for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues for his decent power/speed combination.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoHeading into Friday night's series opener against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, San Diego Padres second baseman
Xander Bogaerts was hitting just .217/.284/.287 with two home runs, 11 RBI, two stolen bases and 17 runs scored in 141 plate appearances over 32 games. The Friars made a big trade to acquire second baseman
Luis Arraez from the Marlins on Friday night, but Bogaerts, who is a superior defender, should remain as the starter at second moving forward. But the 31-year-old four-time All-Star will likely drop further down the batting order with the addition of Arraez. Bogaerts managed to hit 19 homers and steal 19 bases in his first year in SD in 2023, but a lot more was expected from him after he signed an 11-year, $280 million deal last offseason. He's going to need to start making more consistent hard contact at the plate to turn around his slow start now that the calendar has flipped to May.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
1 day agoThe Miami Marlins sent All-Star second baseman
Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres on Friday night in exchange for outfield prospects
Dillon Head,
Jakob Marsee and
Nathan Martorella, and relief pitcher
read more...
1 day agoThe Miami Marlins traded second baseman
Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for relief pitcher
Woo-Suk Go and three prospects on Friday. The prospects are outfielder
Dillon Head, outfielder
read more...
1 day agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley struggled in Friday's loss to Orlando. The 2021 No. 3 overall pick had a stellar night on Tuesday, so expectations were high entering this one. Unfortunately, he couldn't get anything going offensively, ending the contest with just three points off 1-for-5 shooting from the field. Mobley at least had seven rebounds and five blocks. But it was still a subpar effort from the 22-year-old, who had added responsibility due to the absence of
Jarrett Allen (rib). At any rate, Mobley has had a double-double in two of his three appearances on his home court during this series, meaning he has an excellent chance to turn things around on Sunday afternoon for Game 7.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Darius Garland played well in Friday's loss to Orlando. The 24-year-old scored 21 points, finishing second on his team in scoring behind
Donovan Mitchell, who had 50. He added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Garland struggled during the first four games of the series. However, he's now combined for 44 points in the last two contests. While the 2019 No. 5 overall pick has lost the trust of some DFS managers, he deserves fantasy consideration for Game 7 on Sunday, primarily since Orlando will likely focus on keeping Mitchell from having another explosive performance.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoColorado Rockies third baseman
Ryan McMahon went 2-for-5 and hit a solo shot in the Rockies' 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. The solo shot was McMahon's fifth homer of the season, and he's now hitting for a .920 OPS on the season. This would be the best mark of the lefty's career. Fantasy managers weary of starting McMahon on the road should note that the 29-year-old is hitting for a higher OPS on the road (.956) than he is at Coors Field (.878). That may be put to the test on Saturday, though, as McMahon gets a matchup against dominant Pirates rookie
Jared Jones.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
RADIO
