14 hours agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
Daulton Varsho (illness) was unavailable for Friday's series opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates due to food poisoning. If Varsho is feeling better by the time Saturday's matchup with Pittsburgh and right-hander
Mitch Keller comes around, he could make his way back into Toronto's lineup as early as then. The speedy 27-year-old former catcher has been an excellent source of power and speed with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, and five stolen bases over 52 games as an everyday player for the Jays this year, despite batting just over the Mendoza Line at .205 (36-for-176). Varsho should be considered day-to-day, and he shouldn't be out for very long with the ailment.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith - Sportsnet.ca
14 hours agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) is tracking toward a return in time for Tuesday's series opener against the crosstown-rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Working his way back from a strained right hip flexor, Robert is entering the final stages of his recovery and should be back available to fantasy managers and the last-place White Sox during the first week of June. While Robert's batting just .105 (2-for-19) across six outings on his minor-league rehab assignment, the 26-year-old All-Star slugger presents five-category fantasy upside when healthy and will be a welcome return to all rosters. Veteran
Tommy Pham is slashing a solid .301/.348/.431 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 123 at-bats as the primary leadoff man on the South Side this season, but his streaming appeal is expiring.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Daryl Van Schouwen - Chicago Sun Times
14 hours agoCleveland Guardian outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) went 3-for-4 with three singles, one RBI, and one walk in a 7-1 victory against the Washington Nationals on Friday night after returning from the injured list. If you didn't think the red-hot Guardians couldn't get any better think again. Their pesky everyday leadoff hitter with a .365 batting average on the season has returned after nearly missing an entire month's worth of games. Although the Guardians haven't needed his bat in May with their 19-9 record and an average of five runs per game, Kwan is a welcome site atop any lineup. Kwan will not provide you much in the power and RBI department, but should continue to provide a solid batting average, OBP, and runs scored to satisfy any fantasy baseball lineup.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
14 hours agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (quad) made his fifth appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, striking out three times in four at-bats. Lewis is not in Houston for the club's weekend series with the Astros at Minute Maid Park, but it would make sense for him to return to the Twins in time for Tuesday's series opener against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Although he's gone just 3-for-19 with one extra-base hit over five games in the minor leagues, fantasy managers should be glad to hear that Lewis does have one stolen base during his assignment. The talented 24-year-old infielder should play every day in Minnesota when he comes back from a severe right quad strain, with utility man
Willi Castro likely being the biggest loser in terms of playing time from a fantasy perspective.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Do-Hyoung Park - MLB.com
14 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner (hamstring) participated in some light fielding drills before Friday's series opener against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. There's no timetable on when Turner will start running the bases, however, per manager Rob Thomson. Turner experienced a minor setback with leg soreness amid his recovery from a strained left hamstring during the club's series in Colorado against the Rockies last weekend, and he still needs to ramp up his running program and go through baserunning and sliding drills before starting a minor-league rehab assignment, so he's unlikely to return to the Phillies until after the club's London Series with the division-rival New York Mets on June 8 and 9. Meanwhile,
Edmundo Sosa is slashing a robust .307/.378/.591 with four home runs, 15 RBI, 19 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 88 at-bats (30 games) this year and represents a high-end fantasy streamer until Turner is back.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Gregg Murphy
14 hours agoToronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider says that closer
Jordan Romano (elbow) "didn't bounce back" from his last outing on Wednesday, so he wasn't available for Friday's series opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Schneider described it as right elbow soreness for Romano, and the club will know more on Saturday. It needs to be noted that Romano's start to the season was delayed due to a bout with inflammation in the same elbow, so it's not what the Jays or fantasy managers want to hear. The hard-throwing 31-year-old right-hander has struggled to a 6.59 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB over 13 2/3 innings this year, so it's fair to wonder if he isn't fully recovered.
Yimi Garcia pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a tie ballgame on Friday, and he figures to split save chances with
Chad Green if Romano needs to miss additional time. Garcia and Green registered two saves apiece during Romano's absence earlier this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Scott Mitchell - TSN.ca
15 hours agoSan Francisco Giants left-hander
Robbie Ray (elbow) will pitch in an Arizona Complex League game next week as part of his rehab from Tommy John surgery in May of last year. Ray threw live batting practice last weekend after he initially started throwing bullpen sessions during spring training. Slowly but surely, Ray has worked his way back to pitching in games, although he still has a ways to go and probably isn't going to be an option for the Giants' starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The 32-year-old southpaw, a former 12th-round pick by the Washington Nationals in 2010, was the American League Cy Young in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays and has racked up five 200-strikeout seasons in his 10 MLB seasons. Ray could be even more erratic when he returns in 2024, but the strikeout upside alone makes him worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
15 hours agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder
Michael Conforto (hamstring) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Sacramento, and shortstop
Nick Ahmed (wrist) will join him in Sacramento on Saturday. Both Conforto and Ahmed could rejoin the Giants early next week if they get through their rehab assignments this weekend without any setbacks. Conforto was hitting a solid .280 (40-for-143) with seven home runs and 20 RBI before he suffered a right-hamstring strain on May 11 against the Cincinnati Reds. Conforto will be a lineup regular for the Giants when he returns. Ahmed, meanwhile, was the regular shortstop in San Fran before spraining his left wrist against the Braves on May 9. The 34-year-old vet is more of a defensive asset and was hitting a mere .236 with 11 RBI on the year before his injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
15 hours agoLos Angeles Angels first baseman
Nolan Schanuel (thumb) was scratched from Friday's starting lineup on the road against the division-rival Seattle Mariners with left-thumb soreness. In his place,
Willie Calhoun got the start at first base and was hitting cleanup against Mariners right-hander
Bryan Woo, with
Matt Thaiss serving as the DH and batting seventh. Until we know more, fantasy managers should consider Schanuel to be day-to-day and check back to see if he's in there on Saturday. The 11th overall pick last year made a quick rise to the majors in 2023, although he hasn't been much of a fantasy option in mixed leagues at first base with limited power on a bad team in Anaheim. If Schanuel's thumb injury ends up sending him to the injured list, both Calhoun and
Luis Guillorme would be options for the Halos at first base.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Angels PR
19 hours agoThe injury to Detroit Tigers outfielder
Kerry Carpenter's back is now being described as a "lumbar spine stress fracture," according to the team's medical report. Carpenter's injury was originally described as lumbar-spine inflammation. It's bad news for the Tigers and fantasy managers, as Carpenter will obviously miss well behind 10 days on the injured list with a pretty significant injury. The 26-year-old doesn't exactly have a timetable for a return, but we wouldn't be surprised if he's not able to return until sometime after the All-Star break. In the meantime with Carpenter out,
Akil Baddoo is likely to benefit the most with more playing time. He got the start in left field for Detroit and was batting sixth on Friday against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander
Tanner Houck. Before getting hurt, Carpenter had a healthy .283 average with eight homers and 29 RBI in 145 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLive - Evan Woodbery
19 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Evan Phillips (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday's game. The right-hander is set to make his return after missing time due to a hamstring strain. The expectation is that Phillips is going to slide back into the closer role.
Daniel Hudson and
Blake Treinen did a solid job covering for Phillips, but they should slide back into set-up roles now. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Phillips off the IL and back in their lineups on Friday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Mike DiGiovanna
19 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Estevan Florial has been designated for assignment by the organization on Friday. This news comes after the team activated fellow outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) from the injured list. Florial becomes the odd man out after playing 36 games for Cleveland. During that time, Florial slashed .173/.264/.367, which included three home runs and 11 RBI. Florial was once a top prospect in the New York Yankees organization. He has been unable to establish himself in the big leagues. It remains to be seen if he'll get another shot elsewhere or if he'll remain in the Guardians' system.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Sports Illustrated
19 hours agoChicago Cubs shortstop prospect
Jefferson Rojas is on pace to have the best minor league season of his career at High-A and is making a strong case to join Double-A Tennessee by the end of the summer. Rojas spent all of last with Single-A and opened this season with High-A Myrtle Beach. Through 42 games, the number seven prospect in the Chicago system has posted a strong .272/.316/.353 line with two home runs, 31 RBI, and an 11:27 BB:K ratio. This is a major improvement compared to the similar 31 RBI and much worse 23:61 BB:K ratio he held across 70 games at Single-A last summer. While Rojas is still several seasons away from his major league debut, he could become a name to monitor when he joins Double-A later this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
19 hours agoSan Francisco Giants shortstop
Marco Luciano (hamstring) has been placed on the injured list, retroactive to May 30. The 22-year-old sufferd a right hamstring strain during Wednesday's game. At the moment it's unclear how long Luciano is going to be sidelined. In a corresponding move,
Casey Schmitt has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. The expectation is that Schmitt and
Brett Wisely will see increased playing time with Luciano sidelined.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Giants
19 hours agoTampa Bay Rays third base prospect
Brayden Taylor has produced well in his first look at High-A pitching. Across 41 games this season with High-A Bowling Green, the former TCU product as put up a .252/.395/.469 with six long balls, 20 RBI, and ten stolen bases. In addition, through his past eleven games, he has only gone hitless in two of them. While the former 19th overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft is still several seasons away from the major leagues, it is promising to see him perform well against tougher competition through the early part of the season. The 22-year-old could make a case to join Double-A later this summer, but the Rays may err on the side of caution with their budding star.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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