May 19, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect
J.J. Wetherholt went 1-for-4 on Sunday at Double-A Springfield, smacking a home run in his second straight game and third of the year. He also swiped his fourth bag of the season. Wetherholt had been raking through mid-April before missing a week and a half with an illness, and was cold upon his return, going 3-for-25 (.120) over eight games. However, the 22-year-old's bat has begun to heat up again, going 10-for-29 (.345) over the last seven contests. Despite the aforementioned cold spell, the Cardinals' top-ranked prospect is slashing .296/.383/.449 with a .380 wOBA and 128 wRC+ through 27 games. He also owns an impressive 12:13 BB:K. With a little more seasoning at Double-A, the 2024 first-round draft pick should see some time at Triple-A later this year and could be looking at a major league debut in 2026, so dynasty managers will want to pay close attention to how he fares at the next level.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 19, 2025
The Cincinnati Reds are expecting right-hander
Hunter Greene (groin) to return from the injured list this weekend to face the division-rival Chicago Cubs. "When we play the Cubs, Hunter Greene will be ready to slot in there," manager Terry Francona said. It's unclear exactly what day Greene will take the ball again, but the Reds open their three-game series against Chicago on Friday, May 23. The hard-throwing 25-year-old will skip a minor-league rehab assignment after looking really good during a bullpen session on Sunday. Greene landed on the IL after suffering a Grade 1 right-groin strain on May 7. While he was a must-start in fantasy before his injury, Greene will be a little more risky against a strong Cubs lineup in a hitter-friendly ballpark when he returns this weekend. He could also be on a pitch limit given the fact he won't be going on a rehab assignment.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM
May 19, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect
Josue De Paula hit his seventh home run of the season on Sunday for High-A Great Lakes. Perhaps even more noteworthy were the three walks he collected in the contest, giving the 6-foot-3 slugger six walks in the last three games. Despite going 2-for-14 (.143) over his last five games, the 19-year-old boasted a .400 OBP, which helped him utilize his speed, as three stolen bases were recorded during that stretch as well. The Dodgers' second-ranked prospect is currently boasting a .285/.417/.511 slash line with 10 stolen bases to go along with 16 extra-base hits and a phenomenal 30:28 BB:K through 38 games. A bump to Double-A is on the horizon as there isn't much more to prove at this level, and depending on how long
Dalton Rushing's stint in the majors ends up being, De Paula could be the Dodgers' top-ranked prospect before the season is out.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 19, 2025
Washington Nationals third base prospect
Brady House continued his push for a promotion to the majors, recording a two-homer game over the weekend and is now slashing .282/.344/.497 with eight home runs through 42 games at Triple-A Rochester. The former first-round draft pick has shown improved strikeout (26.1 percent) and walk rates (8.3 percent) compared to the 54 games he played at that level last season. The Nationals are using a combination of
Jose Tena and
Amed Rosario at third base at the moment. However, Rosario is more of a utility player, and Tena has yet to hit a home run through 95 plate appearances in 2025, so the Nats may soon be inclined to give their top offensive prospect a shot at the hot corner. With plus power, the 21-year-old is a stash candidate in deeper leagues. Look for him to be up by mid-June, if not before then.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 19, 2025
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge got off to a slow start at High-A Brooklyn this year, going 11-for-51 (.216) with three extra-base hits (all doubles) over his first 14 games. Since then, however, the 2024 first-round draft pick has gone 27-for-72 (.375) with 11 extra-base hits (five doubles, two triples, four home runs), a 12:15 BB:K, and has recorded all six of his stolen bases in the last 18 games. Currently riding a nine-game hit streak, the Mets' third-ranked prospect moved from No. 98 overall up to No. 89 on MLB.com's latest refresh of their top 100 prospects list and figures to see a promotion to Double-A before long. The left-handed slugger is a couple of years away from the big leagues, but could be a name for dynasty managers to monitor if he continues to hit well and climb up the prospect ranks.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
May 19, 2025
San Diego Padres right-hander
Joe Musgrove (elbow) has been traveling with the big-league team after starting to play catch again in early April. Musgrove is playing catch three times a week and is scheduled to progress from 75 feet to 90 feet this week, according to MLB.com. The 32-year-old veteran is recovering from Tommy John surgery to fix a torn right UCL. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 20 and will miss the entire 2025 season for the Padres and fantasy managers. Before injuring his elbow last year, Musgrove was no longer a reliable fantasy starter and posted a 6.37 ERA in his first eight starts. He looked better in two starts after returning, but that was the extent of his season before having to undergo TJ surgery. With better health, Musgrove could bounce back in 2026, but it's no sure thing at his age.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
San Diego Padres right-hander
Matt Waldron (oblique) made a minor-league rehab start in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on May 15 and could move to Double-A San Antonio for his next rehab start. Waldron suffered a left-oblique strain while warming up in the bullpen before a spring training game and was moved to the 60-day injured list (retroactive to March 24) on March 27. MLB.com is estimating that he could make his 2025 season debut in the big leagues by June or July. In 1 2/3 innings in the ACL last Thursday, the 28-year-old knuckleballer gave up an earned run on two hits while walking one and striking out three. He threw 38 pitches in the outing and will likely need at least a few more starts before being under consideration for starting-rotation role at the big-league level. Fantasy managers in 12-team mixed leagues can continue to ignore Waldron.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
Texas Rangers right-handed pitching prospect
Kumar Rocker (shoulder) could start a minor-league rehab assignment later this week if he bounces back well from the two-inning live batting practice session he had on Sunday, according to The Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland. Manager Bruce Bochy said that Rocker looked "good" on Sunday, but the 25-year-old will have a lengthy rehab assignment because of the fact that he was shut down for three weeks while recovering from a right-shoulder impingement. Rocker is a must-stash in dynasty/keeper leagues, but there's a chance that he won't be placed right back into a starting role at the big-league level when he completes his rehab assignment. The former third overall pick had a rough 8.10 ERA and 1.75 WHIP with five walks and 16 strikeouts in 20 innings over his first five starts of the year with Texas before getting hurt.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
May 19, 2025
Detroit Tigers left-hander
Sean Guenther will serve as the team's opener ahead of right-hander
Keider Montero for Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, according to the Detroit News' Chris McCosky. This will be the first career MLB start for Guenther, who should be avoided as a fantasy streamer. The 29-year-old southpaw currently has a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with six strikeouts and three walks in six relief outings for Detroit over eight innings pitched. He has not gone beyond two inning pitched in any of his six relief appearances for the Tigers this year, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to go very deep at all against St. Louis in this one. This will be Montero's second straight outing in a bulk-relief role. He gave up three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings in the same role last week against the Boston Red Sox.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit News - Chris McCosky
May 19, 2025
Cleveland Guardians outfielder
Lane Thomas (wrist) had a good day at the plate in his latest minor-league rehab game on Sunday with Triple-A Columbus, going 3-for-4 with a home run, double, stolen base, three runs scored, a walk and a strikeout as the leadoff hitter. In his five rehab games with Columbus, Thomas has gone 5-for-17 with a homer. The 29-year-old should be ready to rejoin the big-league club at some point this week, possibly as early as Monday's series opener in Minnesota against the division-rival Twins. Thomas was serving as the regular center fielder for Cleveland to begin the 2025 season before landing on the injured list with a wrist injury, although he had gotten off to a cold start offensively. He had seven hits in 45 at-bats without a home run while striking out 15 times in 48 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
May 19, 2025
Washington Nationals left-hander
Mitchell Parker (knee) has been cleared to make his next start on Tuesday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Parker was forced to leave his last start early against the Braves last Wednesday after he was hit by a comebacker in his left knee in the fifth inning. However, the 25-year-old southpaw threw his normal between-starts bullpen session on Friday and has been cleared to make his next start this week. Before he left last Wednesday's contest, Parker had allowed four earned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out a season-high-tying six batters in 4 2/3 innings. He shouldn't have any restrictions in his rematch against the Braves on Tuesday, but he'll be a shaky fantasy streamer after having allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last four outings, dating back to April 27.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 19, 2025
According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Justin Verlander was limited by "something physically" in Sunday's 3-2 win against the Athletics. The veteran hurler could only get through four innings in the victory, yielding three hits and two earned runs, while striking out one and walking five. Verlander noted that he was dealing with a physical issue that the team was aware of before the outing. "I was able to work through and didn't feel like I was going to put myself at risk for injury, but clearly it was affecting my velocity and mechanics." Encouragingly, he also stated that he's "pretty optimistic" about being able to make his next start this weekend. Still, his velocity was down a few ticks, and he declined to further elaborate on the affected body part. It's something to monitor, as shoulder and neck issues hindered him in 2024.
--Alex CiullaSource: Alex Pavlovic
May 19, 2025
PGH Baseball Now's John Perrotto reports that Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Jared Jones (elbow) is likely to need Tommy John surgery, which means he won't pitch at all this season, according to two baseball sources. Doctors told Jones that he will need the procedure and "it's all but a done deal," according to the sources. The 23-year-old will miss the rest of the year and likely all of next year as well if he has the surgery. He's currently scheduled to meet with orthopedist Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. Jones pitched 12 innings in four Grapefruit League games in spring training before being shut down with a UCL strain in his right elbow. He started playing catch in late April in hopes of returning around mid-July, but he recently suffered a setback and is now likely to have TJ surgery. Fantasy managers in single-year formats should start looking for replacements.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: PGH Baseball Now - John Perrotto
May 19, 2025
Braves Today's Lindsay Crosby speculates that the new best-case scenario for Atlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is to play nine innings in the outfield on his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and Wednesday and then let doctors check him out on Thursday before the team activates him for Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres at home. Per a source, Acuna is expected to continue his rehab assignment on Tuesday and will not be activated for the series opener against the division-rival Washington Nationals on Tuesday. Another option is to have him spend a week playing every day between designated hitter and the outfield and then take him to Philadelphia for the start of a series against the rival Phillies next Tuesday, May 27. Either way, the 27-year-old former MVP is getting close to his 2025 MLB debut.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Braves Today - Lindsay Crosby
May 19, 2025
Detroit Tigers reliever
Will Vest pitched a clean ninth inning to shut the door on the Toronto Blue Jays in his team's 3-2 win on Sunday. The Houston native struck out one and fired 16 of 24 pitches for strikes to earn his fifth save of the season. It wasn't easy for him, as he battled through three tough six-plus-pitch at-bats and had to work around a fielding error by infielder
Andy Ibanez. Still, it was a nice rebound for him after notching a blown save on Saturday, and he has now gone seven straight appearances without allowing an earned run. The scoreless stretch has lowered his ERA to a tidy 1.66 and his WHIP to 1.02, while compiling a 25:7 K:BB ratio through 21 2/3 innings. He's tied for the Tigers' lead in saves with teammate
Tommy Kahnle, and the two should continue to split chances late in games.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
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