10 hours agoWashington Nationals pitching prospect
Cade Cavalli (elbow) began his rehab assignment on Monday in the Florida Complex League and performed well. The right-hander threw in a competitive game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023 and tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He also allowed one hit, one walk and recorded five strikeouts. Cavalli threw 44 pitches in the contest and will continue to build his arm up. The 25-year-old is scheduled for another start in five days, and it is likely that he will continue to build up through the minor leagues before any talk of a big-league promotion at the moment. Cavalli was once the top prospect for the Nationals and still remains one of their better pitching prospects, but fantasy managers in all formats will want to monitor his recovery before making a move, as he is unlikely to make much of an impact in fantasy circles this season.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports
10 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves have recalled No. 14 prospect, pitcher
Darius Vines. Vines will replace starting pitcher
Bryce Elder on the roster, but it has not been confirmed if Vines will operate as a long-relief option or step into Elder's spot in the rotation. Vines has been up and down between the big-league club and Triple-A Gwinnett this season. For Gwinnett, Vines has made six starts and is 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA to go along with an unimpressive 1.25 WHIP. In his two starts at the big-league level this season. Vines has allowed five runs in 9 2/3 innings with four of those runs coming in one start. With an unknown role and Vines likely to continue being elevated up and down from the farm to the Braves, he can be avoided for now in most formats.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
10 hours agoThe Chicago White Sox have promoted infielder
Jacob Gonzalez from High-A Winston Salem to Double-A Birmingham. Gonzalez, 21, was the teams first-round pick in 2023 and hit .273 with three homers, 15 RBI and seven stolen bases over his first 36 games for Winston-Salem this season. The White Sox feel he has outplayed High-A pitching and Gonzalez will now try his bat against better pitching. Gonzalez has very good plate discipline, which is very important in any prospect and he has shown good power potential. He is still a couple seasons away from making the show and remains an option in dynasty leagues only.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Chase Ford
10 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfield prospect
Walker Jenkins (hamstring) returned to the Twins rookie-level complex facility on Monday as a designated hitter to begin his return to action. Jenkins, 19, is the Twins No.1 prospect and he has been sidelined all season with a left hamstring strain. The outfielder has dealt with a flurry of injuries since being selected with the fifth overall pick in 2023, but he offers plenty to be excited about when he is healthy. Swinging from the left side, Jenkins has very quick bat speed and he makes a lot of hard contact. His power should also continue to improve as his body is still maturing. Jenkins is likely to open his season in Single-A, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him reach High-A before the season is over with an eye on Double-A next season. Jenkins is still a few years away from a potential big-league promotion, but he is worth a look in dynasty leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Nightengale
10 hours agoMinnesota Twins shortstop prospect
Brooks Lee (back) has returned to action at the Twins rookie-level complex facility in Fort Meyers, Florida and suited up at shortstop on Monday. Lee, 23, had a nice spring training in the Grapefruit League and had a chance to break camp with the team, but he suffered what would eventually be a herniated disc that had sidelined him since. When healthy, Lee has shown he has good plate discipline and makes good contact at the plate. He also can play defensively around the diamond, which adds to his future value and could bring him to the big leagues sooner than later. Lee still has a lot of work to get through with his recovery, but he could make his debut in the show this summer, if he proves to be fully healthy. The switch-hitter is worth monitoring in all formats, but his true value in 2024 should be focused in dynasty leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Nightengale
13 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (3-2) had a night to forget Monday, allowing eight runs on 10 hits while recording just three strikeouts with one walk in a 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Every starting pitcher, even the best ones, is
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19 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman had another solid offensive performance in Monday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Freemen provided one of three of his team's home runs, going 2-for-4 with a single and a grand slam. The 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down at the plate, slashing .298/.409/.464 with five HR, 29 RBI, and one stolen base. Even given his fantasy track record and high caliber, fantasy managers may be worried that age could negatively strike down his numbers at some point. This does not seem like an imminent threat, as he has continued to produce while hitting in the middle of one of baseball's best lineups.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Michael Siani continued his strong offensive month in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Siani went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, four RBI, and a stolen base. The 24-year-old's season slash line leaves a lot to be desired, but he is now hitting .341 with five RBI and three stolen bases in 41 May at-bats. Siani is likely widely available in fantasy leagues, and while his batting average and stolen bases may be helpful in deeper roto leagues, the Cardinals' overall offensive struggles and his spot in the bottom of the lineup may not allow for many opportunities for additional counting stats.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
Dylan Crews hit a pair of doubles and drove in four runs on Sunday for Double-A Harrisburg. The 2023 second-overall draft pick accomplished the same feat (two doubles, four RBI) earlier in the week as well, and is now hitting .300 (15-for-50) in the month of May after hitting just .224 in April (11-for-49). The 22-year-old now has a .263-3-26-15-6 line on the season over 27 games and should be getting closer to a Triple-A promotion. If everything goes to plan, MLB's seventh-ranked overall prospect should see some MLB at-bats by season's end as well.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
19 hours agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers continued his torrid power streak in Monday's 5-0 win over the Rays. Devers went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a strikeout. The 27-year-old has really picked things up at the plate lately after a slow offensive start and has now homered in each of his last six games, bringing his season total to 10 to go with 23 RBI and a .284/.380/.567 slash line. The Red Sox offense has started to heat up overall, which is a doubly welcome sight for fantasy managers, as it will provide opportunities for additional counting stats for Devers.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Taj Bradley had a confounding start in Monday's 5-0 loss to the Red Sox. He pitched seven innings and struck out 10, but he also allowed five runs on five hits, including two home runs. The 23-year-old has looked good overall in his first three starts this season, going 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA, an 11.50 K/9 rate, and a 1.50 BB/9 rate in 18 IP. As a top fantasy prospect last season, Bradley flashed strikeout skills but also showed a propensity for giving up the long ball. Fantasy managers may not be fully ready to trust him now, but it will be easier to forgive him if he continues to strike batters out at a high rate. His next projected start will be against a hot-hitting Royals lineup.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoCleveland Guardians closer
Emmanuel Clase continued to cruise in Monday's 3-1 win over the Mets, earning his 14th save of the season. Clase came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with no strikeouts. The 26-year-old has been one of fantasy's best closers throughout his career and has rebounded from his relative down 2023 season. He is now tied for the most saves in baseball with
Ryan Helsley and has converted 14 of 17 save opportunities with a 0.37 ERA, an 8.88 K/9 rate, and a 0.73 BB/9 rate. Clase has outdone himself so far for fantasy managers, even by his lofty standards.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoCincinnati Reds pitching prospect
Chase Petty threw five innings of one-run ball on Sunday for Double-A Chattanooga on his way to earning his fourth straight win of the season. The 21-year-old got off to a rough start to the season as he posted a 9.56 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in his first four starts over 16 innings. Since then, however, the righty is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and a strong 23.4% K-BB%. A couple more starts like this and the 2021 first-round draft pick should be seeing some action at Triple-A for the rest of the season in preparation for his MLB debut which would likely come in 2025.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
19 hours agoToronto Blue Jays catcher
Danny Jansen continued his breakout offensive season in Monday's 9-3 win over the White Sox. Jansen batted second, going 3-for-5 with a single, a double, a two-run home run, and five RBI. The 29-year-old is now slashing an impressive .333/.397/.681 with five HR and 12 RBI in 78 plate appearances. He has started to earn regular at-bats and is hitting much better than his batterymate
Alejandro Kirk, who is slashing just .198/.295/.284. Jansen is currently rostered in just 17% of leagues. Fantasy managers may not need to look his way in shallower leagues, but he is definitely worth a roster spot in at least all two-catcher leagues at this time.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
19 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals closer
Ryan Helsley continued his stellar start to the season in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles, earning his 14th save. Helsley came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first two outs on a pop-out and a groundout, allowed a walk, and ended the game with a fly-out. The 29-year-old has been rock solid for his team and fantasy managers, converting all but one save opportunity with a 1.29 ERA, a 9.86 K/9 rate, and a 1.29 BB/9 rate. Despite the Cardinals' disappointing season, he is now tied for the most saves in the league with
Emmanuel Clase. Helsley should continue to be a high-end fantasy option, especially if he can continue to limit his walks.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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