May 8, 2025
Baltimore Orioles right-hander
Zach Eflin (lat) will "more than likely" return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to face the Los Angeles Angels in the series finale on Sunday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles announced on Wednesday that Eflin would be returning from the IL this weekend after throwing a successful bullpen session, but now we know the exact date. Although the matchup will be an excellent one for the 31-year-old veteran -- the Angels rank 25th in MLB with a .665 team OPS -- but Eflin could be limited pitch-count wise in his first start back after throwing only 58 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start. Still, Eflin is tempting for fantasy lineups after posting a 3.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with eight strikeouts in 18 innings over his first three starts this year before injuring his lat.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
May 8, 2025
Cleveland Guardians infield prospect
Angel Genao (shoulder) is set to begin participating in simulated games early next week. Genao has been on the 7-day injured list through the early part of the MiLB regular season. However, it appears the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Cleveland system is nearing a return to game action. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his progression as he should be in the mix to return to Double-A in the coming weeks. Last summer, Genao spent his time at Low-A and High-A. Across 44 games at Low-A, Genao held a .341/.383/.553 slash line with 14 doubles and six home runs. He was then given the call to High-A, where the No. 59-ranked prospect in the sport held a strong .322/.377/.463 line. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his progression as he could be in the mix to reach Triple-A by the second half of the campaign.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
May 8, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera (knee) is expected to come off the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the Washington Nationals, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. The Cardinals have already sent
Luken Baker to Triple-A Memphis to free up a roster spot for Herrera's impending return. The 24-year-old backstop has gone 9-for-23 with a home run and a double in six minor-league rehab games for Memphis and appears ready to go. The Cardinals could ease him in at first with more starts as the designated hitter following a month-long absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee, but when he returns, Herrera will be a lineup regular for the Cardinals. Before his injury, he was the team's starting catcher and had gone 8-for-21 with four homers, 11 RBI and six runs scored.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
May 8, 2025
Detroit Tigers outfielder
Riley Greene is resting for Game 1 of a doubleheader at Coors Field on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies.
Zach McKinstry will join the lineup in left field and will bat in the three-hole against Rockies left-hander
Kyle Freeland. Fantasy managers should expect Greene to return in the second game of the twin bill. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting-outfielder has been swinging a hot bat recently for Detroit, going 13-for-32 (.406) with four home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored in eight games since April 28 to raise his season slash line to .266/.315/.475 in 139 at-bats. McKinstry is in a lefty-lefty matchup, which usually isn't a good thing, but he's had reverse splits so far in 2025 and has gone 12-for-33 (.364) with three RBI against southpaws this year. Treat him as a DFS sleeper at Coors Field in a prime lineup spot on Thursday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 8, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays right-handed pitching prospect
Trevor Harrison enjoyed a strong bounce-back outing on Wednesday against Low-A Columbia. In this start, Harrison allowed just two hits and one run (unearned) across six innings of work. He struck out three batters but did not allow a free pass. In his previous start, Harrison allowed six hits and six runs across three innings of work. Through 26 innings of work at Low-A Charleston, Harrison has posted a 4.15 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP. During this stint, Harrison has struck out just 28 batters and served up 15 walks. Last summer, the No. 11-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system logged 40 innings at Low-A to the tune of a 3.15 with a 1.25 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Harrison to compete for his High-A debut in the second half of the campaign.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May
8,
2025
Texas
Rangers
shortstop
Corey
Seager
and
catcher
Jonah
Heim
will
both
retreat
to
the
bench
for
Thursday's
series
finale
at
Fenway
Park
against
the
Boston
Red
Sox.
read more...
May 8, 2025
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Harrison Bader (illness) is starting in left field and is hitting eighth for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Dean Kremer at Target Field. Bader will be back in action for the Twins after missing the last two games due to an illness. The 30-year-old veteran has hit well so far in his first season with Minnesota, going 27-for-94 (.287) with four home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI, two stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 33 games played. Additionally, he enters Thursday's contest riding a nine-game hitting streak in which he's gone 13-for-29 (.448) with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, a steal and seven runs scored. Bader has hits in both his career at-bats against Kremer, too, but the fact he's hitting at the bottom of the lineup isn't great news for his DFS upside on Thursday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 8, 2025
Boston Red Sox right-handed pitching prospect Juan Valera logged his best outing of the High-A regular season on Wednesday against Rome. In this outing, the 18-year-old tossed five 2/3 shutout frames. He allowed just four hits and served up one walk. He struck out a season-high eight batters. This was the first time Valera did not allow a run in a start this season. Entering this contest, the right-hander carried a modest 6.97 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP across 20 2/3 innings of work. During this stint, the No. 19-ranked prospect in the system struck out just 22 batters. Fantasy managers should expect Valera to continue to spend most of the campaign at the High-A level. Given his modest start, he could eventually push for a late-season taste of Double-A if he is able to build off Wednesday's start.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 8, 2025
Baltimore Orioles second baseman
Jackson Holliday is hitting out of the two-hole for Thursday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field with both catcher
Adley Rutschman and
Cedric Mullins sitting out. It's the highest that Holliday has batted for Baltimore this year after recently being bumped up to the six-hole. The 21-year-old has picked things up offensively of late, going 8-for-22 with two home run, three RBI and four runs scored in seven games since April 28. Overall, the former first overall pick in 2022 is slashing .263/.333/.421 with a .754 OPS, four home runs, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored and two stolen bases in 95 total at-bats. Fantasy managers hoping for more are just hoping that he can stay hot out of the two-spot against a pitcher that he has yet to face in the big leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 8, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman and outfielder
Cedric Mullins are both taking the day off in Thursday's series finale against the hosting Minnesota Twins.
Maverick Handley will be the catcher and hit ninth, while
Ramon Laureano will patrol center field and hit fifth against Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. Rutschman will take the day off after starting each of the last eight games for the O's. Like most of the team's bats this year, the switch-hitting backstop has been cold, hitting .212 (25-for-118) with four homers, 10 RBI and 15 runs on the year. Mullins will sit out for the first time since April 27. The 30-year-old has been one of the O's most productive offensive players with seven homers, 21 RBI and five steals in 33 games in 2025. Handley has never faced Ober, while Laureano is hitless against him in just two career at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 8, 2025
Texas Rangers left-handed pitching prospect Kohl Drake logged six no-hit innings en route to picking up the victory over Double-A San Antonio. Drake struck out six batters and served up just two walks. Since allowing four runs in his season debut on April 8, Drake has been quite sharp, logging a stellar 0.93 ERA with a 0.67 WHIP. During this 19 1/3 inning stint, Drake has struck out 31 batters and served up just eight free passes. Last summer, Drake made his Double-A debut and held a modest 3.10 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP across his first 20 1/3 innings at this level. Earlier in that season, he spent time at High-A and posted a 2.53 ERA with a stellar 1.01 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect the No. 13-ranked prospect in the Texas system to spend most of the 2025 season with Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 8, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz was knocked around by the Phillies in Tampa on Wednesday, allowing six earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in just 3 1/3 innings. Baz gave up a solo home run to
Trea Turner in the third inning, but had only given up that one run before things unraveled on him in the fourth inning. He gave up three singles and a walk before
Bryce Harper smashed a two-run double that chased Baz from the game with a 6-0 deficit. Baz took the loss and fell to 3-2 on the year with a 4.93 ERA and 3.95 FIP. He has given up at least five earned runs in three of his last four games, especially struggling at home in Tampa. He will get a chance to bounce back in his next outing, which is scheduled to be in a divisional matchup in Toronto on Tuesday.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
May 8, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher
Jeff Hoffman had a rough ninth inning in Anaheim, blowing the save and taking the loss on Wednesday night. Hoffman entered the game with a 4-2 lead but gave up a walk and two singles before getting an out. He struck out
Taylor Ward but gave up a three-run double to
Jorge Soler that flipped the 4-2 lead into a 5-4 defeat with one swing of the bat. Hoffman was charged with three runs on three hits and took his first blown save and his first loss of the year. The loss drops his record to 3-1 on the year with seven saves in 16 games. Hoffman also gave up three runs on Tuesday night in a non-save situation, and this could be growing into a developing issue for the Blue Jays' bullpen
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
May 8, 2025
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Emilio Pagan bounced back from Tuesday's blown save with a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday night against the Braves. He allowed a single to
Michael Harris II but struck out
Eddie Rosario to end the game to preserve a one-run victory. That strikeout was one of Pagan's two punchouts in the ninth inning. He is up to 20 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings and is 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA, 3.73 FIP, and 0.63 WHIP. He has converted nine of his 11 save opportunities and also picked up a hold. He remains the main option in the back end of the Reds' bullpen and should be a good source of saves, especially if the Reds' offense can get back on track.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
May 8, 2025
Detroit Tigers third baseman/shortstop/outfielder
Javier Baez went 2-for-5 out of the ninth spot of the team's batting order on Wednesday night in Denver, picking up four RBI and scoring a run in the team's 8-6 extra-inning victory. Baez has re-emerged as a fantasy option this season, hitting .313 with three homers and a .364 wOBA in 29 games. He has become the team's regular center fielder over the past few weeks and has hit safely in each of his last eight games with an at-bat, going 14-for-33 (.424) with four doubles, three homers, and a .544 wOBA during that hot streak. After a few miserable seasons, this is quite the turnaround for Baez, who can be a nice boost to your fantasy team for the waiver wire while he stays so hot.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
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