13 hours agoWashington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (upper body) will be a game-time decision for Friday's encounter with the Rangers. After missing seven games with an upper-body injury, Sandin skated in a regular jersey Friday morning, signaling that he could be ready to return to action. The Swedish blue-liner would add quality for Washington at both ends of the ice. He totaled 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 68 regular-season appearances and had 106 blocks with 75 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sammi Silber
13 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander
Walker Buehler (elbow) will make another minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City next Tuesday. If all goes well, Buehler will then be activated to make his 2024 debut with the Dodgers. The 29-year-old hasn't pitched in a major-league game since 2022, but he got up to 86 pitches in 4 1/4 innings in his latest rehab start on Wednesday at Oklahoma City despite giving up five runs (three earned). His numbers on his rehab start have been nothing to write home about -- a 4.86 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 16 2/3 innings -- but the most important thing is that he's healthy. Buehler could have some ups and downs early on with LA, but if he can show any of his pre-injury form in 2024, he has the potential to be a huge fantasy asset down the stretch.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM
13 hours agoWashington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen (upper body) skated in a regular jersey Friday morning and could return to the lineup for Friday's Game 3 against the Rangers. The 33-year-old had been out for four games with an upper-body injury. Jensen had the second-most blocks on the squad during the regular season (123) and finished with 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) across 78 games. He's yet to register any points through 26 career playoff appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sammi Silber
13 hours agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Brandon Drury (knee) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander
Bailey Ober, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth.
Miguel Sano is at third base for the Halos and is hitting cleanup. Drury didn't start at all during the recent three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles due to a knee injury but appeared on Wednesday late in the game and struck out in his only plate appearance. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will be hoping that Drury can show some signs of life at the plate this weekend, as he's started the 2024 season with a weak .194/.270/.269 slash line with a home run and four RBI in 74 plate appearances. He's never faced Ober in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
14 hours agoWashington Capitals winger Ivan Miroshnichenko will make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Friday's Game 3 against the Rangers. The 20-year-old will be drafted into the lineup for Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the fourth line. Miroshnichenko had his first 21 NHL appearances during the regular season, scoring twice and notching six points. He will hope to end an eight-game scoreless spell in Friday's crucial game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sammi Silber
14 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander
Wade Miley (elbow) needs Tommy John surgery and will spend the next 10 to 12 months rehabbing and then decide whether to continue his career. It's a tough break for the 37-year-old southpaw and the Brewers. Fantasy baseball managers that were stashing Miley in deeper leagues can now officially let go. "I've always said I want to go out on my own [terms]," Miley said. "I still feel like I've got more in the tank." While it sounds like the 14-year veteran wants to give it a shot to come back at some point in 2025, it's fair to wonder if he's already thrown his final pitch in the big leagues. Even if Miley rehabs for a comeback next season, he'll be off the radar in most fantasy formats. The former 43rd overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 out of Southeastern Louisiana gave up five earned runs with four walks and two K's in his two starts in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
14 hours agoWashington Capitals left wing Sonny Milano (undisclosed) will play against the Rangers in Game 3 on Friday. He's good to go despite skipping Thursday's practice session. Milano had a decent regular season with 15 goals and 23 points in 49 contests, but he's been quiet in the playoffs. Through the first two games of the series, Milano is without a point and boasts only one shot on goal with a minus-two rating across 11:33 of average ice time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sammi Silber
14 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks guard/forward
Khris Middleton (ankle) was originally listed as questionable after not practicing on Thursday but has officially been upgraded to available on Friday for Game 3 in Indiana. The Bucks will have to lean on Middleton a lot as the second scorer alongside
Damian Lillard since
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) has already been ruled out. So far, Middleton is averaging 19.0 points per game but hasn't been able to be a consistent threat from deep while he's shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. He'll likely play heavy minutes to try to get the offense kickstarted in their first road game of the series which is where this team has been the worst this year.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
14 hours agoNew York Rangers center Alex Wennberg (undisclosed) will be in the lineup for Game 3 against Washington on Friday. He was initially iffy for the game after not practicing on Thursday. However, Wennberg returned to the ice Friday morning and will be good to go. The Swedish forward is centering the third line and hasn't yet had any luck offensively so far in the playoffs, going scoreless in two games while averaging 16:17 of ice time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dan Rosen
14 hours agoCleveland Guardians second baseman
Andres Gimenez is not in the club's starting lineup on Friday for the start of a big series in Atlanta against the Braves. With Gimenez starting on the bench,
Gabriel Arias will start at the keystone and will hit seventh in the order against Braves left-hander
Chris Sale. Gimenez is hitting a modest .258 (24-for-93) on the year with no home runs, 14 RBI and three stolen bases in his first 24 games. The left-handed hitter is surprisingly hitting better against southpaws (.280) in 29 plate appearances than he is against righties (.250), but he'll still get the day off against the lefty Sale. Arias has gone 14-for-50 with a homer, eight RBI and two steals early on but is hitless in his two career at-bats versus Sale.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
14 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Jarred Kelenic is out of the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. Veteran
Adam Duvall will instead get the start in left field and will bat ninth against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen. Kelenic is hitting a strong .314 (16-for-51), although he has yet to clear the fences and has driven in only three runs in his first year in Atlanta. He's also only had one plate appearance against a southpaw this year, so fantasy managers should continue to expect him to sit regularly when Atlanta opposes a lefty. Duvall is a career .233 hitters against lefties in 921 plate appearances with 47 homers and 132 RBI. He has two home runs on the season but is a low-upside DFS play in the nine-hole against a pitcher he's never faced in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
14 hours agoPhoenix Suns guard
Grayson Allen (ankle) still hasn't been officially ruled out of Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The 28-year-old has been an important piece to the Suns' offense this season as he registered career-highs in points, threes, three-point percentage, field goal percentage, rebounds, and even assists. He also led the entire league in three-point percentage with a mark of 46.1%. Unfortunately, he hurt his ankle in Game 1 and has only been able to put up 3.5 points per game so far. As of right now, he's still considered questionable, but if he can't play, we may see some minutes for
Isaiah Thomas off of the bench while
Eric Gordon and
Royce O'Neale see more opportunities too.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
14 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward
Kyle Anderson (hip) has been listed as questionable for the Game 3 matchup on Friday against the Phoenix Suns. Anderson has only played five minutes across two games in this series so far, and it's unclear how he'd fit back into the rotation if he was upgraded to active. His minutes have fluctuated all season long and it could come down to matchups. If he remains sidelined, however,
Monte Morris,
Naz Reid, and
Nickeil Alexander-Walker will likely remain the main three players off of the bench.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
14 hours agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez wants to ease catcher
Keibert Ruiz in now that he's returned from a bad case of influenza that caused him to lose 18-20 pounds. It will also give the skipper the opportunity to keep catcher
Riley Adams' bat in the lineup on a regular basis after he posted a .793 OPS when he caught 11 of the last 13 games with Ruiz out. "We're definitely going to use him," Martinez said. "One, let him catch. And two, we can also DH Keibert like we've done in the past and let him continue to catch. He's done a great job. He's learned a lot over the years. He's really coming into his own. It's good to have him, to watch him play and to watch him get better every day he's out there." As long as the 27-year-old continues to play several times a week, he'll be valuable in two-catcher fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
14 hours agoFormer Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2024 NFL draft. Tennessee had a glaring need at left tackle, but Latham played on the right side for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. However, Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Latham is eager to play on the left side and has the traits to do so. Tennessee had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, but with Latham, second-year guard Peter Skoronski, and newly signed center Lloyd Cushenberry starting up front, the unit could be one of the biggest improvers in 2024. This bodes well for all of Tennessee's fantasy-relevant offensive skill players.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Paul Kuharsky
14 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) has been downgraded to out and will not play in Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. This doesn't come as a surprise since Antetokounmpo was already listed as doubtful, but this series gets even harder for the Bucks now that they don't have the two-time MVP for the first game on the road. The Bucks only had a record of 18-22 on the road and the Pacers have the momentum after grabbing a win in Game 2. With Antetokounmpo remaining on the bench,
Bobby Portis should stay in the starting lineup while
Khris Middleton will have to step up as a scorer alongside
Damian Lillard.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
14 hours agoWashington Nationals third baseman
Nick Senzel (illness) remains under the weather on Friday against the Miami Marlins and is not in the starting lineup. Rookie
Trey Lipscomb will get the nod at the hot corner and will hit out of the eight-hole against Marlins right-hander
Anthony Maldonado, who will be making his major-league debut. Senzel was scratched from Thursday's lineup, so this will be his second straight missed game. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to check back on Saturday to see if Senzel is feeling well enough to play. The 28-year-old opened the year on the injured list and has only five hits (two home runs) in his first 25 at-bats with the Nationals. Lipscomb has gone 11-for-53 (.208) with a homer, four RBI and four steals in his first 16 big-league games this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
14 hours agoLos Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford is seeking a reworked deal that includes more guaranteed money, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapaport. The 36-year-old has three years left on his current deal, though the Rams have a potential out following the 2025 season. The four-year contract that he signed ahead of the 2022 season included $130 million in total guarantees. The Super Bowl-winning QB has been present at voluntary workouts this offseason and a holdout does not appear to be imminent, but this is a situation worth monitoring. After posting nearly 4,000 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions en route to a playoff berth in 2023, Stafford believes he has plenty left in the tank.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
14 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Masyn Winn is getting the day off on Friday versus the New York Mets on the road. It's a standard rest day for Winn after he started the previous nine games. He's off to a great start in 2024 with a .313/.385/.418 slash line with an .803 OPS, no home runs, three doubles, two triples, six RBI, four stolen bases and nine runs scored in his first 23 games in his first full season as the team's starting shortstop. Despite the strong start, he's barely hitting over .200 in his last nine contests, so the rest day is warranted. The 22-year-old should be back in there on Saturday. Veteran
Brandon Crawford is at the 6 and is batting eighth on Friday against Mets right-hander
Jose Butto. Crawford will be facing Butto for the first time in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
15 hours agoBoston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas (rib) said he avoided a fracture in his left rib cage but instead suffered torn cartilage, which is an unusual injury without contact. Casas was told by a doctor that he "created my own car crash." He has a wide timetable for a return between three and nine weeks to start cardio activity/strengthening. Casas said he's very optimistic that he'll return this year, but fantasy managers could be waiting for a while to get the 24-year-old left-handed slugger back. The former 26th overall pick in 2018 is worth stashing in all fantasy formats, though, as he was already up to six home runs in his first 78 at-bats of 2024. For the foreseeable future,
Bobby Dalbec should continue to see most of the playing time at first base in Boston, with
Rob Refsnyder also potentially filling in.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Boston Globe - Alex Speier
15 hours agoFormer Southern California and South Carolina running back
MarShawn Lloyd is viewed as a top-five running back in the 2024 NFL Draft class, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero believes he could be the first ball carrier selected. The 23-year-old missed his entire freshman season at South Carolina with a torn ACL and handled just 196 touches for 1,021 yards and 12 total touchdowns over his next two seasons. He transferred to Southern Cal for the 2023 campaign and posted 820 rushing yards (7.1 YPC), 232 receiving yards (17.8 YPR), and nine total touchdowns. He turned heads at the 2024 NFL Combine with a 4.46 forty-yard dash time at 220 pounds, and in a weak running back draft class, that might have been enough to push him into the RB1 spot for some NFL squads.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
15 hours agoNew York Mets right-hander
Tylor Megill (shoulder) is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday and throw two innings for High-A Brooklyn. Megill is getting close to returning to the big leagues while recovering from a right-shoulder strain that he suffered during his season debut on March 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 28-year-old will probably need more than one rehab start before the Mets activate him from the injured list. When fully healthy, Megill should have a spot in New York's starting rotation, making him worth a deep-league pickup for pitching depth. He ended up making 25 starts for the Mets in 2023 and held a 4.70 ERA (4.96 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with a career-high 105 strikeouts and 58 walks in 126 1/3 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
15 hours agoFormer Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback
Spencer Rattler was once viewed as a potential first-round pick after being a five-star recruit in the high-school class of 2019. His career did not go as expected, but he's thought to be the next-best quarterback on the board in the 2024 NFL draft. The first round saw six signal-callers selected in the top 12 picks, and any other teams looking to take a flyer on a quarterback likely have Rattler on their radar. The Around The NFL staff at NFL.com expects the 23-year-old to be selected in Round 3, but the run of quarterbacks on Day 1 could push him up to Round 2. Rattler threw for 10,807 yards, 77 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 48 games with the Sooners and Gamecocks.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
15 hours agoNew York Mets right-hander
Kodai Senga (shoulder) threw an up-and-down bullpen session on Thursday and is scheduled to face hitters for the first time on Monday. Senga will be facing hitters for the first time since suffering a shoulder capsule strain in late February in spring training. It's good news for the 31-year-old, but he still has many boxes to check before he's able to embark on a minor-league rehab assignment. Because Senga is on the 60-day injured list, he won't be eligible to make his 2024 debut for the Mets until late May, if he's even ready by then. Fantasy baseball managers must continue to practice patience and keep him stashed in an IL spot after he posted a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 202 strikeouts and 77 walks in 166 1/3 innings over 29 starts in his first year in the majors in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
15 hours agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
J.D. Martinez (back) is hitting fifth in his debut with the team on Friday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander
Miles Mikolas. Martinez is getting a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the team late in March. The 36-year-old veteran then tweaked his back while playing in extended spring training, further delaying his debut. Martinez is back now, though, and will give first baseman
Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. Martinez hit a strong .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, and while he can still provide some decent pop in mixed fantasy leagues, nobody should be expecting him to be quite that good in New York. The Mets plan to ease Martinez back in, so don't be surprised to see him get frequent days of rest.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
15 hours agoThe Miami Marlins placed left-hander
Jesus Luzardo (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 23) on Friday with left-elbow tightness and recalled right-hander
Anthony Maldonado from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. The Marlins scratched Luzardo from his start on Friday against the Washington Nationals, and now he's going to miss at least the next two weeks. The 26-year-old southpaw first felt pain in his elbow while playing catch on Thursday but doesn't think he'll be out for too long. We should know more after the Marlins reveal the results of the tests on Luzardo's left arm. Maldonado is the team's No. 18 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he hasn't gone more than two innings in any of his minor-league appearances this year and is likely to be sent back to Jacksonville after his major-league debut on Friday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
16 hours agoMinnesota Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober will look to keep rolling on Friday when he hits the road for a matchup with the Los Angeles Angels. The towering 6-foor-9 righty was lit up for eight earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings in his season debut on March 31 but has since allowed all of two earned runs over his last three starts spanning 17 innings of work. He dominated the Tigers over his last two starts, tossing 12 innings of one-run ball by allowing just five hits and one walk against nine punchouts. He still owns a 4.91 ERA due to his first start of the season but he also sports a 3.98 SIERA and has walked just 5.3% of the hitters he has faced. He'll take on an Angels team that is tied for 19th with a .319 wOBA on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoThe Carolina Panthers officially picked up the fifth-year option for standout cornerback Jaycee Horn on Friday, according to sources. Despite playing in only six games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, Horn will have his fifth-year option picked up. The 24-year-old former eighth overall pick by Carolina in 2021 out of South Carolina had 27 tackles (20 solo) and five passes defensed in his six starts last season. He's only played in 22 games in his first three years in the league due to injuries, so picking up Horn's fifth-year option was far from a guarantee. In his three years in the NFL, Horn has produced 85 tackles (60 solo), four interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 22 starts. The Panthers are taking a bit of a gamble and are hoping the defensive back can avoid the injury bug moving forward.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
16 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals right-hander
Miles Mikolas will look to get straightened out when he takes the ball for a road contest against the New York Mets. The 35-year-old was knocked around for nine hits, including three homers, leading to five earned runs allowed in just 4 1/3 innings in a losing effort against the Brewers his last time out. It was the second consecutive outing and third of five on the season in which the veteran has allowed five earned runs in less than five innings this season. The rough outing raised his ERA to 6.49 through five starts, although his 4.05 xFIP, 4.28 SIERA, and solid 6% BB% suggest positive regression is likely moving forward.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
16 hours agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Chris Bassitt will be looking to get back into the win column for the third time this season on Friday versus the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran took a tough-luck loss his last time out after tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball but also allowed six hits and three walks against the Padres his last time out. While the 35-year-old owns a solid 3.90 ERA on the season, he also sports a 4.77 FIP and a 4.47 SIERA that both suggest some regression could be on the horizon. Of course, there's at least a decent chance of that happening on Friday against a Dodgers offense that ranks second in baseball with a .348 wOBA on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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