24 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.Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
24 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.Source: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
24 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.Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
24 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.Source: Milb.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MiLB.com
1 day 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.Source: MiLB.com
1 day agoSeattle Mariners shortstop prospect Cole Young extended his hitting streak to five games on Thursday evening. Since June 1, the top prospect in Seattle has only gone hitless twice in his past 12 games. During this stretch he has posted an impressive .364/.431/.455 slash line with a 6:10 BB:K ratio. The number 26 ranked prospect on MLB.com has looked quite comfortable throughout his Double-A debut this season with an overall .286/.370/.423 line with six long balls, 27 RBI, 11 swiped bags, and a 28:39 BB:K ratio in 53 games. The 20-year-old should be expected to make his major league debut sometime next summer but could be worth stashing if available in your keeper and dynasty league later this summer as he is showcasing elite upside.Source: MiLB.com
1 day agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) was scratched from Friday's starting lineup against the hosting Colorado Rockies at Coors Field due to left-ankle soreness. Cruz injured his ankle on Thursday. Jared Triolo will take over duties at shortstop for the Bucs and will hit eighth against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner. It will be Triolo's first career start at the 6. Cruz's injury doesn't sound very serious, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back to see if he's able to return to the starting lineup for the second game of the series on Saturday. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound shortstop packs a bunch with one of the fastest swings in baseball and currently has nine home runs, 28 RBI, five steals and 28 runs scored while hitting .248 (58-for-234) in 62 games in 2024. Cruz is a must-start in most fantasy leagues when he's on the field.Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
1 day agoHouston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (leg) will not be ready to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday and has yet to do any baseball activities on the field. Tucker fouled a ball off his leg early last week and was placed on the IL as more of a precaution, but it's a bit concerning that the 27-year-old left-handed slugger hasn't resume any baseball activities yet. At this point, it would be a surprise if he's able for the series this weekend at all against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Fantasy managers must remain patient and keep Tucker stashed in all leagues, as he's one of the most productive hitters in all of baseball when he's healthy. Until he's able to return, Chas McCormick and Trey Cabbage should continue to split playing time in right field in Houston, with McCormick starting against lefties and Cabbage against right-handed pitchers.Source: Julia Morales