Sal Frelick Undergoes MRI on Hamstring
Sal Frelick (hamstring) underwent an MRI on his left hamstring after an 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Frelick had been dealing with soreness in his hamstring recently, and he had to leave the game in the third inning after aggravating it on a sliding catch. There's no word on the severity yet, but it helps that Frelick will have a few days to recover because of the All-Star break. The 25-year-old has been an important contributor on a playoff-contending Milwaukee club, having slashed a career-best .294/.354/.404 with seven homers, 39 RBI, 46 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 385 plate appearances.Source: Todd Rosiak - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Roki Sasaki Expected to Return in Late August
Roki Sasaki (shoulder) will throw his second bullpen session on Monday as he works back from a shoulder impingement. Barring any issues in his rehab, the Dodgers expect Sasaki to return in late August, according to manager Dave Roberts. Sasaki last pitched in the majors on May 9 and has since encountered some bumps in the road in his recovery. The Dodgers had to shut him down from throwing for a period, but he's now making progress. This has been a rough first year in the bigs for Sasaki, a big-ticket offseason signing from Japan. Along with his injury troubles, the 23-year-old phenom has struggled to a 4.72 ERA with almost as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24) in 34 1/3 innings.Source: Sonja Chen - MLB.com
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Spencer Arrighetti Nearing a Rehab Assignment
Spencer
Arrighetti
(thumb)
could
begin
a
rehab
assignment
in
the
next
week
or
two,
according
to
Astros
general
manager
Dana
Brown.
Arrighetti
is
currently
throwing
live
batting
practice
in
Florida,
and
a
rehab
assignmentread more...
Houston
Astros
right-hander
Max Fried Still Dealing With a Blister on his Finger
Max
Fried
(finger)
said
it's
still
too
soon
to
know
if
he'll
pitch
against
the
Atlanta
Braves
after
the
All-Star
break,
but
his
blister
is
moving
in
the
"right
direction"
and
"getting
better,"read more...
New
York
Yankees
left-hander
Zach Eflin Decent in Rehab Outing at Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday
Zach Eflin (back) was decent in his rehab outing on Sunday with Double-A Chesapeake, throwing four innings while allowing five hits, two earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts, and giving up one home run. He is scheduled to throw Friday in Sarasota and then potentially rejoin the Orioles' rotation after that. Eflin was removed from his start on June 28 due to lower-back discomfort. After a few weeks off, this was his first rehab start, and it does not appear he experienced any setbacks, suggesting he will likely rejoin the Orioles rotation shortly after the All-Star break. So far this season, Eflin has battled multiple injuries, and when he has been healthy, he has not been great with a 5.95 ERA, 1.44 WHIP. His advanced metrics aren't much better (4.25 xERA and 4.41 SIERA). He will look to get back on track in the second half, but understandably, fantasy managers may want to see a good start or two before putting him in their starting lineups.Source: Jake Rill
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Bailey Ober Continues to Throw Bullpens
Bailey
Ober
(hip)
has
been
able
to
throw
multiple
bullpen
sessions
since
landing
on
the
injured
list
July
2,
MLB.com
reports.
Following
his
start
on
June
28
against
the
Detroit
Tigers,
Ober
landedread more...
Minnesota
Twins
right-hander
Zebby Matthews Sharp in His Rehab Outing on Sunday
Zebby
Matthews
(shoulder)
threw
four
shutout
innings
with
nine
strikeouts,
no
walks,
and
one
hit
allowed
in
his
start
Sunday
for
Triple-A
St.
Paul.
His
fastball
reached
97-98
mph,
and
he
got
12
outsread more...
Minnesota
Twins
pitcher
Daylen Lile Enjoying Productive Stretch in Washington
Daylen Lile has enjoyed a recent surge at the plate. Over his last 18 games, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the D.C. system on MLB.com has posted a .292/.343/.369 slash line with two doubles, one home run, and three stolen bases. While he has yet to show much power upside in the major leagues, he has shown solid contact skills as he tallied at least one hit in a 14-game stretch earlier in July. During his first 15 games in Washington, Lile held a .152/.200/.326 slash line with just three doubles and a home run. Earlier in the season, the 22-year-old posted an impressive .337/.407/.500 slash line with seven doubles, two long balls, and six swiped bags across his first 26 games with Triple-A. Given his steady progress in the majors, he should continue to have an everyday role after the All-Star break.Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals outfield prospect Brice Matthews Quiet in First Look at the Majors
Brice Matthews has yet to tally a hit during his first week in the major leagues. The top-ranked prospect in Houston was given the starting nod at the keystone in each of his first two games but went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. He did not draw a walk. The Astors opted to keep him on the bench on Sunday during their final game of the first half. Fantasy managers should expect Matthews to remain on the team following the All-Star break. However, if he continues to struggle, they will likely send him back to Triple-A to further his development. Earlier this season with Sugar Land, Matthews posted a strong .283/.400/.476 line with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and 25 stolen bases across 73 contests. Given his five-category upside, he is worth holding in all 12+ team leagues for the time being.Source: MiLB.com
Houston Astros infield prospect Nick Kurtz Continues Power Surge on Sunday
Nick Kurtz went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run during their victory on Sunday over the Toronto Blue Jays. Kurtz would go deep in the fifth inning with a two-run show off Toronto relief pitcher Justin Bruihl. Over his last nine contests, the Wake Forest product has been one of the most productive hitters in the major leagues, boasting a .344/.447/.938 slash line with four doubles and five long balls. Following his slow start in the majors, the former fourth overall pick has posted a remarkable .287/.376/.713 line with seven doubles and 16 home runs across his last 35 games. Earlier this season, Kurtz flashed immense power upside with Triple-A Las Vegas. The 22-year-old should continue to be viewed as a must-start first baseman in all formats.Source: MLB.com
Athletics first base prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez Dealing with Side Injury
Emmanuel Rodriguez (side) was removed from Saturday's contest against Triple-A Iowa due to a side injury. He is currently being evaluated by the team, but has not yet provided any further details. Rodriguez was recently sidelined for nearly a month due to a right hip injury and could face another extended absence. Since returning to Triple-A following the hip injury, Rodriguez went 6-for-13 with a double, a home run, and seven RBI across four contests. Overall, the No. 2-ranked prospect in Minnesota has enjoyed a productive campaign with Triple-A St. Paul, holding a .254/.41/.428 line with seven doubles, five home runs, and seven stolen bases. If the 22-year-old can continue to perform with St. Paul, he could be in contention to join the major leagues later in the second half.Source: MLB.com
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Cole Young Extends Hitting Streak to Five Games
Cole Young went 2-for-4 with a home run during their victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon. Young would hit his second MLB long ball in the final frame off Detroit reliever Tommy Kahnle. During this five-game hitting streak, the former 21st overall pick has begun to find his footing in the big leagues. He has held a .389/.476/.778 slash line with a double and two home runs. Before this surge, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Seattle system held a modest .230/.271/.270 slash line with four doubles and a 25:4 K:BB. Earlier in the season, Young spent 54 games with Triple-A Tacoma and posted a solid .277/.392/.461 line with 13 doubles, five home runs, and four stolen bases before moving up to Seattle. For now, he is worth a look in deeper formats as a middle infielder with upside.Source: MLB.com
Seattle Mariners infield prospect Noah Cameron Strikes Out Eight on Sunday
Noah Cameron was dominant in his most recent outing on Sunday afternoon against the New York Mets. In this outing, Cameron was given a no-decision as he tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed seven hits and served up two free passes. He matched a season-high eight strikeouts. Since allowing five runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 27, the southpaw has found his footing, logging 18 1/3 innings (three starts) to the tune of a stellar 0.98 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Through 70 total innings in the major leagues, the rookie has held his own, posting a 2.31 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP. During this stretch, he has struck out 58 batters while posting an above-average 8.0% walk rate. Given his strong debut, he will likely remain in the Kansas City rotation during the entire second half.Source: MLB.com
Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Yoshinobu Yamamoto Tosses Gem Against Giants
Yoshinobu Yamamoto bounced back in a big way on Sunday, tossing seven shutout frames against the San Francisco Giants in a 5-2 win. Yamamoto scattered three hits and two walks while punching out seven. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old righty, he was saddled with a no-decision after Tanner Scott blew a save in the ninth. Still, it was a big step in the right direction for Yamamoto, who was coming off a disastrous outing against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he didn't escape the first inning. Things have been a bit shaky for the Japanese star lately, with solid starts sandwiched between rough ones. Still, his numbers look good for the season, as he is 8-7 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in 104 ⅓ IP. His next start is TBD as we head into the all-star break, but Yamamoto will be a must-start in fantasy regardless of who he faces.Source: MLB.com
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shota Imanaga Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Shota Imanaga (6-3) authored a dominant start on Sunday, tossing seven one-run innings against the New York Yankees in a 4-1 win. Imanaga was excellent throughout this one, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out six. After a solid start to his season, Imanaga missed a month and a half with a hamstring injury. Since his return, he has been fine, but this was by far the best he has looked. Imanaga is now 6-3 with a 2.65 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 68 IP. He isn't much of a strikeout artist, but Imanaga does a good job preventing runs and baserunners. He is a must-start pitcher in fantasy, and lines up to start against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, subject to any changes the Cubs decide to make to their rotation during the All-Star break.Source: MLB.com
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher