May 19, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfielder
Will Benson is making another start in right field and is batting seventh in Monday's series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander
Mitch Keller at PNC Park. Benson has become a hot waiver-wire pickup in the last week after clubbing five home runs in his last four games, including two in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder is now batting an impressive .367/.424/.933 with a 1.358 OPS, albeit in just 30 at-bats. The former 14th overall pick by the Guardians in 2016 has been a streaky hitter in his career, so fantasy managers will want to take advantage of this hot streak for however long it lasts. Since being called up from Triple-A Louisville on May 9, he's hitting .423 with 11 RBI. Benson's hot streak will be tested against Keller, who he's gone hitless against in 10 career at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ (oblique) ran the bases and went through a full pre-game routine on Saturday to test his injured left oblique, according to MLB.com. The Cubs are still gauging if Happ will be able to return from the 10-day injured list when he's eligible on Tuesday. It would be great news for Chicago if they can get their leadoff man back in Game 2 of their series against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. The 30-year-old veteran switch-hitter has so far produced a .269/.364/.381 slash line with three home runs, 19 RBI, 29 runs scored and two stolen bases in his 160 at-bats in 2025. Happ was hitting .286 (8-for-28) with a homer, double, four RBI, a steal and five runs scored in eight games in May before getting hurt. Happ's injury allowed the Cubs to call up one of their top prospects in catcher
Moises Ballesteros, who has been filling in at designated hitter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.
Alexander Canario will make another start in center field and will bat fifth against Reds left-hander
Nick Lodolo. Cruz was held out of the lineup for four straight games last week due to back soreness before playing the final two games of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and Sunday, but he went hitless in eight at-bats with seven strikeouts. Hopefully, the 26-year-old is just out of action on Monday because the Bucs are facing a left-hander and not because he's had a setback with his back. Cruz has hit just .223 (31-for-139) on the year but does have eight long balls and 16 stolen bases for his fantasy managers. Canario won't be a recommended DFS sleeper against a pitcher that he hasn't faced in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
The Houston Astros added left-hander
Brandon Walter to their taxi squad, and The Athletic's Chandler Rome suggests he could make the start on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that hasn't been good against lefties in 2025. Houston currently has not listed a starter for Tuesday's game. Walter has looked good at Triple-A Sugar Land this year, going 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 0.70 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and seven walks in 35 2/3 innings over nine appearances (five starts). The 28-year-old southpaw had a cup of coffee with the Boston Red Sox in 2024 in his big-league debut and allowed 17 runs (16 earned) while walking seven and striking out 16 in 23 relief innings. This would be Walter's first-ever MLB start if he gets the nod on Tuesday, and while the matchup is a good one, Walker would be a shaky deep-league streaming option in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
May 19, 2025
The Philadelphia Phillies optioned right-handed pitching prospect
Mick Abel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday and recalled right-hander
Max Lazar in a corresponding move, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlahn March. Abel will head back to the farm despite the fact that he looked excellent in his spot start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 23-year-old threw six shutout innings with five hits allowed, no walks and nine strikeouts to pick up the victory in his major-league debut. After the strong start, the team's No. 9-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, will surely be considered for another major-league call-up later this year if the Phillies need another arm. For now, though, veteran right-hander
Taijuan Walker will take over the rotation spot of
Aaron Nola (ankle), who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list. Lazar has a 3.12 ERA in 15 relief outings for Lehigh Valley this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Inquirer - Lochlahn March
May 19, 2025
The Chicago White Sox announced on Monday that they reinstated outfielder
Austin Slater (knee) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder/outfielder
Brooks Baldwin to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. Slater will make the start in left field and will hit seventh right away in Monday's series opener against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander
Luis Castillo. The 32-year-old veteran could play regularly in Chicago's outfield with both
Andrew Benintendi (calf) and
Mike Tauchman (hamstring) still on the IL, but eventually, he could be on the short side of a platoon in left field against left-handed pitching. Slater had played in only eight games this year before needing surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee and had gone 5-for-20 with a homer and two doubles. He's worth a waiver-wire pickup in AL-only formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
May 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe is taking the day off for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros with a left-hander on the mound.
Jose Caballero will start in right field and bat second against Astros lefty
Colton Gordon. Meanwhile,
Yandy Diaz will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff, and
Curtis Mead will start at first base and bat seventh. This will be Lowe's first game off since coming off the injured list last Thursday. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder went 5-for-17 with a home run and a double in his first four games back after straining his oblique on Opening Day back in late March. Lowe will be a lineup regular for the Rays when healthy and should be rostered in all fantasy formats for his power/speed combination. Nobody in Tampa's starting lineup on Monday has faced Gordon before.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder
Chandler Simpson (hand) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros. Simpson will miss his second straight game after injuring his right hand on a slide into home plate on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Fantasy managers will have to check back to see if the speedy 24-year-old will be ready to go for Game 2 of the series in Tampa on Tuesday.
Kameron Misner is starting in center field and batting ninth, while
Christopher Morel gets the start in left field and is hitting third against Astros left-hander
Colton Gordon. Simpson has yet to homer in the big leagues but has hit a cool .301 (28-for-93) in his first taste of the big leagues while providing nine steals as a lineup regular for the Rays. Nobody in Tampa's lineup on Monday has faced Gordon.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Miami Marlins outfielder
Derek Hill is starting in center field and batting eighth for Monday's series opener against the visiting Chicago Cubs and right-hander
Ben Brown. This will be Hill's first start in the outfield in the last four games despite the fact that
Dane Myers (oblique) is currently on the injured list. It doesn't bode well for Hill seeing regular playing time for the Fish when Myers is able to return, whenever that may be. The former 23rd overall pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2014 has done very little at the plate in his limited opportunities this year in Miami, going 10-for-57 (.175) with two home runs, two doubles, five RBI, four steals, four walks and 24 strikeouts in 17 games played. He'll be a low-upside DFS play near the bottom of the batting order against Brown, who he is hitless against in just two career at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May
19,
2025
Boston
Red
Sox
rookie
second
baseman
Kristian
Campbell
is
out
of
the
starting
lineup
for
the
second
straight
game
for
Monday's
series
opener
against
the
visiting
New
York
Mets
at
Fenway
Park.
Davidread more...
May 19, 2025
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that right-hander
Carson Spiers (shoulder) is ahead of schedule and started throwing on Saturday at the team's spring training complex in Arizona. Spiers will need to continue building up his arm in Arizona before eventually going on a minor-league rehab assignment, so his return to the Reds is at least a couple weeks off, if not more. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent from Clemson appeared in three games (two starts) for the Reds this year before injuring his shoulder, allowing nine earned runs on 13 hits (three homers) while walking seven and striking out 11 in 13 1/3 innings pitched. Spiers is recovering from a right-shoulder impingement and will probably be relegated to a long-relief role out of the Reds' bullpen when he's ready to return from his injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
May 19, 2025
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that corner infielder
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) is doing really well, and his next step in the rehab process will be playing games in Arizona. Encarnacion-Strand is likely to start out in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League before eventually moving to higher levels of the minors. The 25-year-old needed multiple rounds of epidural injections for his back inflammation, but he has been doing baseball activities and improving since then. The Reds haven't given a specific timetable for CES to return from his injury, but barring a setback during his rehab assignment, he could be ready to return from the injured list near the end of this month. He was hitting just .158 (9-for-57) with two home runs and five RBI at the time of his injury, though, so it's unclear what kind of role he'll have in the big leagues when he's fully healthy again.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
May
19,
2025
Cincinnati
Reds
third
baseman
Noelvi
Marte's
(oblique)
follow-up
MRI
exam
has
been
moved
up
to
May
27
from
June
4
because
the
team's
medical
staff
has
been
pleased
with
his
progress
from
a
left-oblique
strain.
The
read more...
May
19,
2025
Philadelphia
Phillies
pitching
prospect
Andrew
Painter
pitched
well
in
his
second
start
at
Triple-A
Lehigh
Valley
this
past
Thursday,
allowing
two
earned
runs
on
five
hits
and
two
walks
while
striking
out
three
over
five
innings
read more...
May 19, 2025
Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect
Rhett Lowder (elbow) allowed four runs on four hits while walking one in one-third of an inning in his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Saturday. He was pulled after reaching just 29 pitches, but he threw three more innings in the bullpen. Lowder is scheduled to throw around 75 pitches in his next rehab game with High-A Dayton. It hasn't been the best rehab assignment for the 23-year-old so far, as he's allowed 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits (two homers) while walking two and hitting a batter. However, he has struck out 11 in 6 1/3 innings. Lowder was the seventh overall pick in 2023 and has plenty of upside as a future high-end rotation arm for Cincy, especially after posting a 1.17 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 30 2/3 innings in his first six major-league starts a year ago.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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