17 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zack Littell (2-5) was chased early Friday night after allowing a season-high six runs in two innings on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in a 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The two innings are also a season-low for the right-hander whose ERA now sits at 4.24 after tonight's rough start. The beat-up came after he had logged three straight quality starts one against Oakland and two against Baltimore. Littell is only rostered in 35% of fantasy leagues and is currently a streamer at best due to his lack of wins and average strikeout numbers. It is noteworthy the righty hasn't surpassed three strikeouts in a game in three consecutive starts. Despite that Littell remains an intriguing streaming option next week with a projected matchup with the Minnesota Twins on the books.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
17 hours agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale (9-2) picked up his ninth win Friday night, going seven innings while allowing two runs on five hits plus two walks and seven strikeouts in a 7-3 victory versus the Tampa Bay Rays. The only blemishes on the night came from allowing the first three batters to reach in the first and allowing two doubles in the seventh. Other than those instances, the sidewinding lefty was perfect on the evening. That's back-to-back quality starts for Sale after getting lit up by the Oakland Athletics back on June 1. Going for his third quality start in a row will be a tall task for the lefty, though, as the Braves head to New York for a faceoff with the Bronx Bombers.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
18 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves will place outfielder
Michael Harris II (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list and have him undergo an MRI exam on Saturday. Harris tweaked his left hamstring running from first to third in the first inning after singling in his first at-bat in Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays and left the game with a trainer. It's bad news for the Braves and fantasy managers, who should expect the 23-year-old to miss more than the required 10 days on the IL. Atlanta's outfield has been decimated by injuries of late, with
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) already out for the season. With Harris now down, both
J.P. Martinez and
Brian Anderson are in line for more playing time in the outfield. Harris came into Friday's game hitting .247 (64-for-259) with five homers, 20 RBI and eight steals. He deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - David O'Brien
18 hours agoBoston Red Sox right-handed reliever
Chris Martin (anxiety) threw a bullpen session on Thursday and will go on a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Worcester. Martin is eligible to return on Monday and has been out since last month while dealing with anxiety. The 38-year-old veteran should return to the big-league bullpen next week, but the Red Sox would be wise to ease him back into high-leverage situations in relief initially. Martin went 4-1 with a miniscule 1.05 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, three saves, 46 strikeouts and only eight walks in 55 relief appearances in Boston last year but had struggled to a 4.22 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings this year before taking time away, although he had struck out 24 and walked only two in 21 appearances out of the bullpen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
18 hours agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that first baseman/outfielder
Joey Gallo's (hamstring) MRI exam showed a significant hamstring strain, and he'll be on the injured list for a while. Gallo landed on the injured list on Wednesday and is now unlikely to return to the team until some point in the second half of the season. For the foreseeable future with the 30-year-old left-handed slugger sidelined,
Joey Meneses should continue to see most of the playing time at first base in D.C. Even in deeper fantasy leagues, we wouldn't blame managers for dumping the declining Gallo, who is currently hitting a measly .164/.285/.321 with five home runs, 11 RBI and 17 runs scored in 46 games. The two-time All-Star still has plenty of pop, but he just swings and misses way too much.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
18 hours agoCincinnati Reds left-hander
Brandon Williamson (shoulder) is going with the non-surgical route for his left shoulder, according to manager David Bell and will get injections instead and not throw for at least three weeks. While it's good news for Williamson now, it doesn't guarantee that he won't eventually need surgery on his shoulder if he continues to have issues once he resumes throwing in around a month. The 26-year-old southpaw has a lesion on his left shoulder and has yet to throw a pitch for the Reds in 2024. Williamson and the Reds are holding out hope that he can return later this year, but fantasy managers in single-year leagues shouldn't be quite as optimistic. The former second-rounder by the Seattle Mariners in 2019 out of TCU made his big-league debut last year for Cincy and went 5-5 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 98 K's and 39 walks in 23 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
18 hours agoNew York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) looked dominant yet again in his latest minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, punching out 10 and walking none while allowing just one unearned run on two hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Cole threw 46 of his 70 pitches for strikes and is likely to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his 2024 debut for the Yankees next time out. Last year's American League Cy Young winner was shut down in spring training with a right-elbow injury. Although Cole has yet to pitch in the first half of the season, he was able to avoid season-ending surgery and should return to the Yankees' starting rotation this month. Despite missing extended time, he looks to be in midseason form and should be thrown into starting fantasy lineups right away.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
19 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman had a subpar start by his standards on Friday night as Toronto lost 3-1 to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night. Gausman was credited with the loss as he pitched into the sixth inning, giving up eight hits, three earned runs and striking out six. Though only giving up three earned runs, Gausman's ERA increased slightly to 4.08 on the season. The Blue Jays right-hander has had an up-and-down season with a lot of strong streaks marred with a few bad outings sprinkled in between. Though the 33-year-old has only had two outings of more than three earned runs since May, he is due for some negative regression with a 5.14 xERA. Fantasy managers and DFS players need to exercise caution when starting the right-hander, especially against teams that are not prone to strikeouts.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Will Brennan hit a solo shot and smacked a double for Cleveland in the Guardians 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The homer was Brennan's sixth on the season as he improved his OPS to .683 on the season. The 26-year-old has improved slightly from his 2023 season and continues to get a solid amount of playing time for the Guardians as they set the pace in the AL Central. Though his season-long wOBA is a bit uninspiring at .287, his .296 xwOBA points to a small amount of positive regression coming for Brennan, which would get him near league-average results. Fantasy managers looking to take a chance on an outfielder may want to consider stashing Brennan while seeing if he can break out later in 2024.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Lane Thomas smacked his fifth homer of the season on Friday in the Nationals 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins. Thomas hit his three-run homer in the bottom of the third off Marlins starter
Shaun Anderson. Thomas added another single to finish two-for-five on the day with two hits, three RBI and a run scored. The 28-year-old started the season slow but has come back strong after battling knee issues for most of May. He has hit for an .800 OPS since he was reinstated, giving him a season-long .654 OPS. Expect the righty to hit more like he has since his return instead of what he showed at the beginning of the season. Fantasy managers that happen to see Thomas on their waiver wire should snag him up immediately.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoWashington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams had a big day at the plate on Friday, collecting three hits and two RBI while scoring a run in the Nationals 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins. This marks Abrams' third three-hit game of the season and improves his hitting streak to eight games. The Nationals lefty also hit his 14th double of the season in the bottom of the first off Marlins starter
Shaun Anderson. Abrams continues to have a fantastic 2024 and is also due for some positive regression with a .329 wOBA and a .347 xwOBA. He will face two more lefties over the weekend,
Trevor Rogers and
Jesus Luzardo, Abrams has limited at-bats against the Marlins' lefties but is hitting lefties for a .932 OPS this season. DFS managers may want to consider targeting Abrams over the weekend.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 batters in seven innings while allowing just one earned run in the Nationals' 8-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday. Gore now has struck out 10 batters in two of his last four starts. The lefty improved his ERA to 3.24 and is now 6-5 on the season. He's made a big jump in 2024 from his prior two seasons, a great sign for Nationals fans. His K% has increased while his BB% has decreased, making him a much more dominant pitcher. The lefty's next scheduled start will be Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, one of the better hitting teams against lefties in the majors.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
20 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Kyle Gibson was dominant on Friday by going seven innings while striking out six and allowing only two hits in the Cardinals' 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. Gibson picked up the win and improved to 5-2 on the season while lowering his ERA to 3.44 with a 1.20 WHIP. Gibson had been roughed up by Cubs hitters in the past, so Friday's start was a great sight to see for Cardinals fans. It was also the third quality start in the last four games for the 36-year-old vet. Though on a hot streak, fantasy managers should proceed with caution if considering picking up Gibson, as his 3.44 ERA comes along with a 5.07 xERA, so regression may be coming for the right-hander soon. His next chance to stave off regression will be Wednesday against the Miami Marlins.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
20 hours agoMiami Marlins starting pitching prospect
Thomas White was promoted to High-A on May 28 and has looked quite sharp through his first taste of the new level. Through two starts (eight ⅓ innings), the 19-year-old southpaw posted a 2.16 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 4:14 BB:K ratio. Through 34 innings at Single-A this season, the 2023 draft pick held a 3.18 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and a 17:44 BB:K ratio. MLB Pipeline ranks White as the third overall prospect in the Miami system and projects him to reach the majors in 2027. While he is several seasons away from the big leagues, dynasty managers should continue to monitor him as he could become a must-stash as he progresses through the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
20 hours agoColorado Rockies starting pitching prospect
Chase Dollander tossed seven innings of one-run ball (0 earned) with five hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. Dollander has looked quite strong in his past three starts, with a 2.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 6:19 BB:K ratio. Through his first 51 innings of minor league ball, the former ninth overall pick in the 2023 Draft has held a 2.65 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. It is promising to see the young right-hander start his career in High-A and perform very well. Dynasty managers should continue to pay close attention to the Tennessee product as he could develop into one of the best pitching prospects in the minors.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
RADIO
