15 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz (elbow) looked sharp during his fourth minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings. This was Baz's fourth start in the minors as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, so there's an outside chance that his next appearance will come in the major-league rotation after tossing 76 pitches on Wednesday. In all likelihood, however, Baz will throw in one more rehab game before likely rejoining the Rays in early June. For his big-league career, the 24-year-old former top prospect sports an encouraging 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while punching out 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for Tampa Bay. Baz is worth stashing in the majority of competitive fantasy leagues with his return on the horizon.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Durham Bulls on X
16 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Garrett Mitchell (finger) will begin taking swings off a tee ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox. The next major steps would be for Mitchell to first log at-bats in the Arizona Complex League and then head out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he progresses from a fractured left index finger. Mitchell's goal is to return to the Brewers during a series against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on June 17. The speedy 25-year-old was in line to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter in 2024, and he could still slot into those roles upon his activation from the 60-day injured list. In 47 career major-league games, Mitchell is slashing a formidable .278/.343/.452 with five home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 126 ABs. He's a decent stash in NL-only fantasy leagues with most of the club's outfielders struggling besides
Christian Yelich.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Todd Rosiak - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
16 hours agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher
Adbert Alzolay (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday. No surprise here, as Alzolay has gone for a second opinion on his strained right flexor. The Cubs will follow a conservative treatment plan for the 29-year-old right-hander, and while surgery is not off the table, they'll know more after his down time. After posting a poor 4.67 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six walks, and six home runs allowed in 18 games over 17 1/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year and getting removed from the closer's role, Alzolay looks like a drop in shallow fantasy leagues and a weak stash in deeper formats.
Hector Neris owns a 2.50 ERA with six saves across 18 frames and is the current favorite for ninth-inning work in the Windy City.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Andy Martinez - Marquee Sports Network
16 hours agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is scheduled to take batting practice when the club opens a homestand that begins on Friday, and he has been catching pitches with a splint inside his mitt. Alvarez is progressing well and perhaps ahead of schedule as he recuperates from ligament surgery in his left thumb, and he's still on course for a mid-to-late June return to the Mets. The 22-year-old slugging backstop was hitting just .236 (13-for-55) with one home run as New York's primary catcher before heading to the sidelines, but he did have four doubles and one stolen base over 16 games and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues for his power upside at the catcher position. As long as Alvarez remains on the shelf, veterans
Omar Narvaez and
Tomas Nido will continue sharing work in a platoon for at-bats behind the dish.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mike Puma - New York Post
16 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner (hamstring) was taking grounders ahead of Wednesday's game versus the visiting Texas Rangers. Turner has been taking batting practice and also ran arcs in the outfield on Wednesday, which typically preludes running the bases, but he'll get a "pullback day" on Thursday before resuming his ramp-up during the club's weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Although there's no timeline yet for Turner's return from a strained left hamstring, he could potentially begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of May and rejoin Philly's lineup as early as June 8 for the start of the Phillies' two-game series against the division-rival New York Mets in London.
Edmundo Sosa is worth a look in deep mixed or NL-only leagues in the interim, slashing .296/.406/.481 with one home run, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 65 plate appearances this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: John Clark - NBC Sports Philadelphia
17 hours agoKansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia went 2-for-5 with two runs scored on Wednesday as the red-hot Royals won their sixth straight game at home to finish their sweep of the Tigers 8-3. After a monster game Tuesday night (4-for-5, three Runs), Garcia kept the good times rolling during the finale, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and chipping in a stolen base for good measure. Hitting over .300 for May, Garcia, a late-round sleeper in most drafts before the season, is making anyone who took a flier on him look pretty smart right about now. The young speedster is pacing towards a 15 HR/40 SB campaign, but with Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez batting behind him, don't be shocked if he finishes the year in the triple digits in runs scored.--Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
17 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler significantly impacted the Twins' 3-2 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. The lefty went 2-4 with a solo homer in the second inning to put the Twins in front early. Kepler doubled in the ninth and came around to score again on a single from Ryan Jeffers, who proved to be the difference maker in this one. While the .311 batting average he's currently sporting doesn't seem sustainable over the long haul, Kepler will be a valuable source of HRs & RBI for fantasy managers as long as he can stay healthy.--Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
17 hours agoCleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez was pivotal in igniting a six-run offensive outburst as Cleveland came from behind to sweep the New York Mets on Wednesday. Gimenez came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning against Jose Quintana and delivered a game-tying, three-run blast to help swing momentum to the Guardians dugout. Gimenez finished the day 1-for-3, scoring two runs and knocking in three while notching his fourth homer of the season. The 25-year-old is putting together a nice season for the American League Central-leading Guardians and is firmly entrenched at the top of a potent lineup. It wouldn't be surprising to see Gimenez surpass his career-highs in both runs (76) and RBI (69) in 2024. --Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
17 hours agoUpdating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto (elbow) said he has some concern about his right elbow because he's had issues with it before, but the training staff told him they didn't think the injury he suffered in Wednesday's win over the Houston Astros was serious. Neto will get some more tests on his elbow when the team returns home to Anaheim to start a series on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning after making an errant throw to first base. He went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout before departing. This could very well require a trip to the injured list for Neto, so his fantasy managers in deeper leagues need to be prepared. Both
Kyren Paris and
Cole Tucker could see playing time at short for the Halos if Neto's injury is more serious than the training staff thinks it is.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
17 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe (side) was taken out of Wednesday's game against the visiting Boston Red Sox early in the second inning due to right-side tightness. Lowe is considered day-to-day for now. As of right now, it doesn't seem like a serious
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17 hours agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will have his medical visit with Dr. Jeff Dugas next Wednesday, at which point it will be decided if he will have surgery. While on a minor-league rehab assignment to recover from a left-oblique strain, Whitlock suffered a right-elbow sprain last Wednesday with Triple-A Worcester and may now be forced to miss the rest of the 2024 season if he has to go under the knife. If the 27-year-old needs surgery to fix damage to his right UCL, he'll not only miss the rest of this year, but he probably won't be ready to go for Boston to start next year, either. It would be a serious blow for Boston's pitching depth, as the former 18th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2017 out of Alabama was 1-0 with a stingy 1.96 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings in 2024 in his four starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
18 hours agoLos Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Luis Garcia was tasked with holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The right-hander blew the lead during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game. Despite that, Garcia was given another chance and worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Garcia has been busy pitching in four of the last five games. The Angels bullpen situation is a little messy with
Carlos Estevez as the primary closer, but
Adam Cimber and Garcia are in the mix as well.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
18 hours agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Tyler Anderson was able to put together a solid outing during Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The left-hander allowed only one run over eight innings of work during Wednesday's victory. Anderson did allow six hits, but he was able to limit the damage. He now holds a 5-4 record with a 2.52 ERA to begin the season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoColorado Rockies starting pitcher
Kyle Freeland (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. This was the first time that Freeland was able to throw since landing on the injured list due to a left elbow strain. The expectation is that Freeland will throw a few more bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. There isn't a clear timetable for his return, but a return in middle or late June is possible.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Thomas Harding
19 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
John Means (elbow) has been removed early during Wednesday's outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-hander saw a decrease in velocity during his three innings before being taken out of the contest. The team is calling it left elbow discomfort, so the expectation is that Means will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Matt Weyrich
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