20 hours agoThe Tampa Bay Rays reinstated relief pitcher
Pete Fairbanks (arm) from the 15-day injured list on Saturday and optioned right-hander
Edwin Uceta to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Fairbanks is ready to return to the big-league bullpen in Tampa after appearing in two minor-league rehab games for Durham. The 30-year-old has been dealing with a nerve issue in his right arm, which may have contributed to his rough start in 2024. In seven innings before landing on the injured list, he was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, 2.29 WHIP and 10 strikeouts in eight appearances. Fairbanks also had three saves and should immediately take over as the team's closer now that he's back.
Jason Adam, who was serving as the Rays' closer with Fairbanks out, will go back to a high-leverage setup role in Tampa. Fairbanks should be rostered in all fantasy formats despite his bad start in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Florida - Tricia Whitaker
20 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers right-hander
Freddy Peralta has been reinstated from his five-game suspension and is making the start on Saturday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Peralta was given a five-game suspension for throwing at Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jose Siri on April 30. The 27-year-old likely went through his in-between-starts routine this week after last starting on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, so he shouldn't have his workload limited in any way on Saturday in a good matchup against St. Louis. The Cardinals currently have the fourth-worst OPS (.631) in all of baseball. Only the offenses of the White Sox, Marlins and Pirates are worse. Peralta is 3-1 on the year with a 3.49 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 50 K's in 38 2/3 innings over his seven starts. Start him on Saturday against St. Louis.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
20 hours agoToronto Blue Jays outfielders
Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and
George Springer (illness) remain out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Twins for the second straight day as they remain under the weather.
Daulton Varsho is back in center field and is batting second, while
Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth in the batting order against Twins rookie right-hander
Simeon Woods Richardson.
Davis Schneider is back in left field and in the leadoff spot for the Jays. Fantasy managers need to keep both Kiermaier and Springer benched for another day and check back to see if they're feeling good enough to play in the series finale on Sunday. Nobody in Toronto's lineup has faced Woods Richardson in their careers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
21 hours agoSan Diego Padres designated hitter
Luis Arraez went 1-for-4 with a single and an RBI in Friday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers. While he had just one hit, it was a big one, as it came in the bottom of the ninth in a tie ball game and drove in the winning run. It was the perfect ending to his first home game as a Padre. The two-time batting champion is now hitting .311 on the season with a .358 OBP. He'll help fantasy managers in batting average and runs scored (27 runs scored in 2024), but doesn't hit for power and doesn't steal bases. Hopefully there will be more RBI opportunities in San Diego (only seven so far) than there were in Miami.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
22 hours agoSeattle Mariners second baseman
Josh Rojas went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Friday's 8-1 win over the Athletics. It was the 29-year-old's fifth multi-hit game in his last seven, going 13-for-30 (.433) during that stretch, including a double, a triple, and two stolen bases. The left-handed hitter is now slashing .351/.417/.526 on the season with a .413 wOBA and 175 wRC+. He may not hit for power but with the way he's hitting, walking (10.0%), and picking up a few stolen bases along the way, there should be plenty of run-scoring opportunities hitting leadoff. That is of course dependent on the rest of the Mariners lineup picking up the pace at the plate, as they lead the entire league in strikeouts as a team and they have the seventh-worst team batting average. Rojas could be a decent waiver add as he's eligible at both 2B and 3B for owners holding onto the likes of
Gleyber Torres and
Ke'Bryan Hayes.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
23 hours agoChicago Cubs outfield prospect
Owen Caissie extended his hitting streak to four games with a base hit on Friday evening. In May, Caissie has a .258/.452/.452 line with a strong 10:8 BB:K ratio. Through his first 36 games at Triple-A this season, the 21-year-old has an impressive .281/.428/.438 line with three long balls and four swiped bags. The former second-round selection is making his case to see time in the major leagues later this summer. However, he is in a bit of a logjam with
Cody Bellinger and
Seiya Suzuki returning from injuries,
Ian Happ having an everyday role in left field, and the recent promotion of top prospect
Pete Crow-Armstrong. Nonetheless, the third-ranked prospect in the Cubs system should be rostered in all dynasty leagues and is becoming a worthy stash candidate in deeper redraft formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoSeattle Mariners shortstop
Dylan Moore went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and five RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over the Athletics. It was a bright spot in an otherwise rough season so far for Moore. Through Monday's game, the 31-year-old was hitting .192 with two home runs and six RBI, but over his last three games while filling in for the injured
J.P. Crawford at shortstop, the right-handed hitter is 5-for-11 (.455) with one home run and six RBI. Hopefully he can keep it up over the next week or so until Crawford returns. Moore will get RHP
Joey Estes (7.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP in two career starts) and LHP
Alex Wood (5.30 ERA, 1.74 WHIP) this weekend against the A's.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
23 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect
Esmerlyn Valdez has been performing very well at Single-A this season and is making a case to be promoted to the next level of the minor leagues. In 27 games this season with Single-A Bradenton, he has a .273/.389/.477 line with four long balls, one stolen base, and 17 RBI. Valdez performed well in his small eight-game taste of Single-A last season and has carried that into this year. In addition, the 20-year-old has launched home runs in consecutive games and has a strong 5:8 BB:K ratio through May. Valdez is still several seasons away from a major league debut but is making quite the case to be promoted to High-A. He may be worth monitoring in dynasty formats if he can continue this domination throughout the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Jacob Melton began the season in a bit of a cold stretch with a poor .217/.290/.327 line with just one home run through the opening 15 games of the season at Double-A. Since then, the 23-year-old has an impressive .326/.375/.698 line with four long balls and 13 RBI. Melton launched his fifth home run of the campaign on Friday evening. MLB Pipeline considers Melton to be the top prospect in the Houston system. He is projected to reach the major leagues in 2025 but should see time in Triple-A later this summer, making him an interesting stash candidate in dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoMiami Marlins outfield prospect
Jakob Marsee hit his first home run in the Miami system on Friday evening. Marsee was included in the package that sent
Luis Arraez to San Diego on May 3. Across 28 games at Double-A this season, with both the San Diego and Miami affiliates, he has a .177/.360/.333 line with three home runs and a strong 26:27 BB:K ratio. However, the 22-year-old has been showcasing his power potential in May with two long balls and a .529 SLG. Marsee is ranked as the tenth overall prospect in the Miami system and could see time in the Triple-A later this summer, which opens the door for a potential 2025 major league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow turned in another dominant performance in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Padres but was unable to factor into the decision. Over seven frames, the righty allowed just one hit, a solo home run off the bat of
Luis Campusano, and walked two while striking out 10 batters. It was the fourth time he's struck out 10 or more batters this season, and now has a sterling 2.53 ERA (2.52 FIP), 0.86 WHIP, and an elite 26.7% K-BB%. The 30-year-old's six wins are good for second-best in the majors and he's looking like a true Cy Young contender. The former fifth-round MLB draft pick will face the Giants on the road in his next outing, whom he faced earlier this season, going six innings allowing four hits, two walks, and three earned runs while striking out seven.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
23 hours agoBoston Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten hit an inside-the-park-home run on Friday to continue his 2024 power surge. In 26 games at Single-A this season, Yuten has posted a .240/.327/.406 line with three round-trippers, eight total extra-base hits, and two swiped bags. Last season, the 19-year-old only tallied two total extra-base hits (one double and one triple) in 18 games at Single-A. It is promising to see the young prospect begin to showcase his elite power and speed after having a disappointing debut in Single-A last season. Yuten is still several seasons away from his major league debut but could become a name to monitor in the Boston system as he progresses through the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks second base prospect
Jean Walters is currently riding a three-game hitting streak thanks to knocking his first triple of the season on Friday evening. This triple in the bottom of the tenth brought in the winning run. On the season, the 22-year-old has a .250/.289/.333 line through ten games at High-A this season. He has only gone hitless in three games. Walters got a small taste of High-A ball last season after moving up from the Rookie League. The switch-hitter should see time in the Double-A later this summer and could become a name to monitor in deeper dynasty leagues if he can continue to stay hot at the plate.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
24 hours agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Michael King threw seven scoreless innings in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Dodgers, striking out 11 but did not factor into the decision. King allowed just two hits and also walked three in the outing. It's the righty's second consecutive start where he did not allow a run, pitching six scoreless against the Diamondbacks his last time out. This is more what fantasy managers were looking for when they drafted the pitcher after posting a low ERA, low WHIP, and a strong K-BB% last season for the Yankees. Over his first seven starts in 2024, the 28-year-old posted a 5.00 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.7% K-BB%, and 2.50 HR/9, including two outings in which he allowed a total of seven home runs and one outing where he walked seven batters. Hopefully these last two have got him back on track, and he'll look to keep rolling his next time out at home against a struggling Rockies team who strike out third-most in the majors.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
24 hours agoTampa Bay Rays second baseman
Brandon Lowe (oblique) exited Friday's game for Triple-A Durham after one at-bat. The team says the move was precautionary, but there was no indication as to why he was removed from the game. Lowe is working his way back from an oblique injury suffered earlier in the regular season. The 29-year-old began the rehab assignment on Tuesday and had collected two hits (a double and a grand slam) in five at-bats. The left-handed hitter had also collected three walks. Lowe was expected to rejoin the big-league club within the next week or so, but it's unclear whether or not this latest issue will delay his return.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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