May 17, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Andre Pallante (4-2) allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks while striking out four across seven innings in Friday's 10-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. He picked up his fourth win of the season. The 26-year-old produced 13 out of his outs through ground balls, which has been the formula for Pallante. His 3.38 groundout-to-airout ratio leads all starting pitchers by a wide margin. Pallante sports a 4.11 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts across 50 1/3 innings this season. He won't rack up many strikeouts, but he's a solid streaming option and a viable play in deeper leagues. Pallante will look to build on Friday's performance in his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Tigers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May 16, 2025
Houston Astros first baseman
Christian Walker went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Friday's 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers. It's been a miserable start to the season for Walker so far, as this effort brings his season slash line to just .210/.283/.358. His home run on Friday was his fifth of the season, but his first since April 28th. The 34-year-old is striking out at his highest rate since 2018 with his worst Barrel% since 2021. It is still relatively early in the season, so there should still be some optimism for a turnaround, but there should also be some level of concern for fantasy managers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May 16, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera went 3-for-4 with four RBI in Friday's 10-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. He has picked up right where he left off after missing some time due to a bone bruise in his left knee earlier in the year. The 24-year-old has gone 10-for-22 in his six games back and boasts an absurd slash line of .419/.480/.907 on the season. Herrera has a strong quality of contact metrics with a strikeout rate below 20%. Herrera is currently rostered in 50% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, and fantasy managers should quickly pick him up in all formats as he has the potential to be a top-five fantasy catcher for the rest of the season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May
16,
2025
The
Chicago
Cubs
signed
free-agent
right-hander
Kenta
Maeda
to
a
minor-league
deal
on
Thursday,
and
he's
expected
to
make
a
start
as
soon
as
next
week
at
Triple-A
Iowa
with
Justinread more...
May 16, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander
Jose Quintana (biceps, shoulder) had additional tests on Thursday, and the results were promising, according to manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers are optimistic that it will be a minimum injured-list stint for Quintana, who is eligible to return on May 26. Quintana was put on the IL on Wednesday with a left-shoulder impingement, but it looks like it won't be long before he'll be back in the big leagues. If he does return when eligible, he'll be lined up for a matchup against the Boston Red Sox. The Colombian hurler has an ERA under 3.00 through his first six starts (34 innings) for the Brew Crew this year, but his 4.56 FIP indicates the soft-tossing lefty has been a bit fortunate to this point. Quintana also has only 24 strikeouts in his 34 innings pitched, and his lack of strikeout upside makes him a volatile low-upside fantasy streamer when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
May 16, 2025
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Joe Ryan (4-2) dominated the Milwaukee Brewers in Friday's 3-0 victory, blanking them over six innings and picking up his fourth win of the year. Ryan led the Twins to their 12th consecutive victory, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out nine. The 28-year-old is putting together a remarkable season so far as his 0.79 WHIP ranks second in baseball among starting pitchers. He lowered his season ERA to 2.42 with a dominant 63:6 K:BB ratio. Ryan is currently slated to make his next start on Wednesday at home against the Guardians.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May 16, 2025
The New York Yankees announced on Friday that they designated left-hander
Tyler Matzek for assignment and reinstated right-hander
Jonathan Loaisiga (elbow) from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. The team also reinstated right-hander
Clayton Beeter (shoulder) from the 15-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Matzek didn't look great out of the Yankees' bullpen after returning from an oblique injury, allowing three earned runs on 11 hit while walking five and striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Injuries have really set the 34-year-old veteran southpaw back in recent seasons, but he should be able to latch on with another team in need of some left-handed relief arms. Loaisiga, 30, is returning from an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow, but he could quickly fall into a high-leverage relief role for the Yanks. Don't forget about him in holds leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
May 16, 2025
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale (2-3) allowed one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings in Friday's 4-2 win against the Boston Red Sox. He struck out eight to earn his second win of the season. Sale outlasted fellow left-handed ace
Garrett Crochet in a classic pitcher's duel. The 36-year-old generated 15 swings-and-misses in this one as he is putting together a strong month of May after a rocky start to the season. After posting a 4.84 ERA in March and April, Sale looks to return to his usual self with a 1.40 ERA and 26:6 K:BB in May. Sale will look to keep it rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road on Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May 16, 2025
New York Yankees third baseman
Oswaldo Cabrera (ankle) had some ligament damage around his broken left ankle, according to manager Aaron Boone, so his surgery was a little more involved. Boone said that it's "probably unlikely" that Cabrera will play again this season, but there's no specific timetable for his return yet. Fantasy managers that have been holding the 26-year-old in redraft leagues can probably drop him at this point for reinforcements. Cabrera had been serving as New York's primary third baseman and was hitting .243/.322/.308 with a homer, 11 RBI and 17 runs in 107 at-bats before his injury.
Oswald Peraza and rookie
Jorbit Vivas should continue to split playing time at the hot corner in the Bronx going forward, although veteran
DJ LeMahieu could also factor in at the position once
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (oblique) returns to second base.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Greg Joyce
May 16, 2025
New York Mets left-hander
Sean Manaea (oblique) will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese. Now that Manaea is throwing off the mound again, his next step will be to face live hitters before eventually being cleared to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw started a throwing program in the middle of April after receiving platelet-rich plasma injections in his injured oblique. If Manaea avoids setbacks once he starts pitching in games again, he should be able to return to New York's starting rotation in June, but there's no clear timetable for his return. Fantasy managers that have been stashing him are just hoping he can recapture the form he had in 2024 after he made a mechanical adjustment with his arm slot. The former first-rounder had a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 24.9% strikeout rate in 32 regular-season starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Laura Albanese
May 16, 2025
Detroit Tigers outfielder
Riley Greene went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a walk in Friday's 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Greene has been hot in May, slashing .320/.404/.680 with five home runs and 11:6 K:BB over 13 games. The 24-year-old is posting career-best quality of contact metrics with an excellent 15.5% Barrel% and 48.3% HardHit%. After slugging 24 home runs last season, Greene has already slugged 11 in the first few months of 2025. Greene will look to continue his power surge against the Blue Jays this weekend and remains a strong fantasy asset in all formats.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MLB.com
May
16,
2025
New
York
Mets
right-hander
Frankie
Montas
(lat)
was
scheduled
to
throw
a
live
batting
practice
session
in
the
Bronx
on
Friday
before
the
team's
series
opener
against
the
crosstown-rival
New
York
Yankees,
according
to
Newsday's
Laura
read more...
May
16,
2025
Kansas
City
Royals
left-hander
Cole
Ragans
(groin)
left
his
start
on
Friday
against
the
St.
Louis
Cardinals
with
left-groin
tightness,
the
team
announced.
Ragans
did
strike
out
seven
batters
and
didn't
give
out
any
free
passes
read more...
May 16, 2025
The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports that Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Mike Trout (knee) has begun hitting off a batting machine. He is also throwing and doing agility work on the field while running on an Alter-G treadmill at 75 percent of his body weight. Trout appears to be making good progress, but the Angels are surely going to be extra cautious with the three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star who had season-ending surgery on the same knee a year ago. The 33-year-old veteran doesn't have a specific timetable for a return, and in a best-case scenario the Angels and fantasy managers will get him back at the end of May. Fantasy managers shouldn't be dropping Trout at this point, but the 15-year veteran is now very injury-prone and appears to be sacrificing contact for power later in his career. He had nine homers in his first 29 games but was hitting just .179 (19-for-106).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
May 16, 2025
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Willi Castro (knee) left Friday's game early against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field with a right-knee contusion, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. Castro fouled a ball off his right knee in his first at-bat of the night before eventually striking out. The 28-year-old was then replaced on defense in left field by
Kody Clemens, who shifted to the outfield from second base. It doesn't appear that Castro's injury is too serious, but he'll likely undergo more testing and could be out as the season continues in Milwaukee on Saturday. Minnesota's outfield depth has been tested in recent days with injuries to
Byron Buxton (head) and
Harrison Bader (groin), leading to extra playing time for
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. The good news is that Buxton has cleared the league's concussion protocol, and Bader is also considered day-to-day.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
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