21 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
21 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours 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.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours 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.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours 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.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
23 hours 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Julia Morales
23 hours agoNew York Mets shortstop prospect
Luisangel Acuna has posted four multi-hit performances in his past five games and is beginning to turn the corner at Triple-A. After struggling through March and April, the number 77 overall ranked prospect on MLB.com is beginning to showcase his elite potential. Since June 1, Acuna has been riding a solid .273/.333/.341 slash line. The number-five-ranked prospect in Queens should make his major league debut later this summer. He should be rostered in all dynasty formats as he showcased elite contact and speed through his time in the minors and could become a must-stash player in redraft leagues in the second half of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect
Jake Eder turned in his best start at Double-A on Thursday, where he tallied 10 punchouts across six innings of one-run ball. He allowed three hits and two free passes. This was a nice bounce-back performance, as he allowed five runs across 3 2/3 innings in his previous start. Overall on the season, he holds a 4.26 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 26:75 BB:K in 61 1/3 innings. Eder has remained at this level for the past two summers and could be due for a Triple-A promotion if he continues to pitch well. The southpaw could become an interesting stash candidate in dynasty leagues if he joins Triple-A Charlotte later this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
23 hours agoToronto Blue Jays closer
Jordan Romano (elbow) threw from 90 feet on Friday before the team's contest against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Romano is getting stretched out after landing on the 15-day injured list with right-elbow inflammation. It's been an injury-plagued year to this point for Romano, as he's already been on the injured list two separate times. And when he's been healthy, he hasn't been in All-Star form like he was in 2023, going 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA (6.15 FIP), a 1.46 WHIP, eight saves, four walks and 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Romano should return to closer duties in Toronto when he comes off the injured list after recording 95 combined saves the previous three seasons. But in the meantime,
Yimi Garcia should see most of Toronto's save opportunities. Keep Romano stashed in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Kaitlyn McGrath
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