1 day agoHouston Astros outfielder
Kyle Tucker hit a 422-foot home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Guardians, a solo shot in the seventh inning off of Guardians starter
Triston McKenzie. It was the lefty's eighth home run of the year and third in his past four games. It also extended his hitting streak to seven games and he's hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, going 16-for-44 (.364) over the 12-game stretch while raising his season batting average to .298. The 2x All-Star has also walked more than he's struck out this season, with 21 walks to 20 strikeouts. It seems his early-season discrepancy between BA and xBA is starting to even out with the 27-year-old making another push for an All-Star selection and possibly an MVP-caliber season.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoThere aren't many players seeing the ball as well as Cleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan right now, as he picked up three hits in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Astros, raising his season average to .360 and extending his personal hitting streak to seven games. During the hit streak, the 26-year-old is 11-for-28 (.393) with a double, two triples, a home run, four RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base. He's also walked three times and remarkably hasn't struck out even once. His Contact% of 93.1% for the season is tops in the majors for players with at least 100 plate appearances, and with three home runs on the year, he is on pace to set a new personal best with the lefty's six home runs in 2022 his current career high.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith continued his success against left-handed pitching in Wednesday's 8-0 victory over the Diamondbacks when he hit his fourth home run of the season off of left-handed starter
Jordan Montgomery. The solo shot was his only hit in the game, finishing 1-for-5, but he's now got three homers in his last five games. The 29-year-old is mashing lefties this season, now slashing .425/.489/.725 against them (.314/.338/.457 vs RHP) with six doubles, two home runs, and a 6:5 BB:K. He remains one of the top options at catcher for season-long fantasy so continue to fire him up there, but certainly take a closer look at him for DFS purposes on days when he's facing a southpaw.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDespite a strong performance from
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter
Joc Pederson collected three of the five hits that the righty allowed in the outing, with Pederson ending the game 3-for-4. Although all three hits were singles and the D-backs were unable to scratch across even one run in the contest, Pederson was able to raise his batting average to .317 while increasing his OBP to .451, which is second-best in baseball to only NL MVP front-runner
Mookie Betts. The inflated OBP is also due in part to his robust 15.7% BB% on the season. The 32-year-old has shown a little pop too, with six doubles and two home runs in 2024.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto held the Arizona Diamondback bats in check in Wednesday's 8-0 victory, picking up his third win of the season. The 25-year-old pitched six scoreless frames, allowing five hits and walking two while striking out five. He now owns a strong 2.91 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through seven starts, although excluding his first start of the season where he allowed five earned runs it would be a 1.64 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over the last six starts. The righty continues to look as good as advertised and takes on a Marlins team in his next start that is currently 8-24 while scoring the seventh-fewest runs in the league so far in 2024.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoLos Angeles Clippers center
Ivica Zubac missed only one of his eight shots to produce a 15-point outing in Wednesday's Game 5 loss to Dallas. Across 26 minutes of action, he also recorded six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Zubac's performance was the lone bright spot for the Clippers in a 30-point loss, particularly his start. The Croatian big man scored eight points in the first six minutes. Zubac has been strong throughout the series and is probably the only player on the team who's not disappointed with his postseason production. He's netted 16.0 points per game with 61 percent shooting and is averaging 9.0 rebounds with 1.0 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoThe Chicago White Sox have promoted pitcher
Jared Shuster on Wednesday. Shuster was one of the many players acquired from the Atlanta Braves this offseason for
Aaron Bummer. It will be his second go-around at the big-league level this season, with him tossing 6 1/3 innings earlier in the year out of the bullpen. Shuster fared well with four strikeouts and no walks with one run allowed. Shuster has struggled with a 6.39 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Charlotte, but it is expected that he will work out of the bullpen for the White Sox. He can safely remain on the waiver wire in all fantasy formats.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
1 day agoLos Angeles Clippers point guard
Russell Westbrook had another miserable outing against the Mavericks in Game 5 on Wednesday, posting six points on 2-for-11 shooting in a 123-93 loss. He missed all three shots from deep and didn't register any assists in 16 minutes of action while grabbing five rebounds. Westbrook performed well in the series opener, but he's had a horrible four-game spell since. The former MVP has been limited to 6-for-35 shooting, notching just 19 total points. His performances have been a major letdown for the Clippers, who face elimination in Game 6 on Friday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoArizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect
Yu-Min Lin (jaw) will miss around six weeks after being struck in the dugout by a foul ball this past Friday. Lin suffered multiple face fractures to his jaw that will require surgery. The team's No. 4 prospect is expected to make a full recovery, and the surgery is considered minor. On the season, Lin has struggled with a 7.00 ERA in four starts for Double-A Amarillo, but he does have 21 strikeouts in 18 innings with just five walks. The numbers should not be read into that much, as he is playing in a hitter-dominant Pacific Coast League. Lin, 20, has ascended at every level for the Diamondbacks, and his ability to limit damage and rack up strikeouts is a big reason why. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that he could be in Arizona before the season is over, and he could be worth monitoring in dynasty leagues when he returns from his injury.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect
Cade Povich improved to 3-1 with another strong performance for Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. The lefty tossed six innings and allowed five hits, one run, four walks and struck out five on the evening. Povich has been dominant this
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1 day agoLos Angeles Clippers guard
James Harden finished with only seven points in Wednesday's beatdown by the Mavericks, shooting 2-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-7 from deep. The veteran star also had four rebounds and seven assists with four turnovers. Overall, Harden has played well in the series, and Game 4 was probably one of the best postseason performances of his career, but the Clippers came completely unstuck in front of their fans Wednesday night. Tyronn Lue's team now faces elimination in Game 6 on Friday. With
Kawhi Leonard (knee) on the shelf, Harden and
Paul George need to come up with something special for the Clippers to extend the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoLos Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Paul George shot only 4-for-13 from the field to finish with 15 points in Wednesday's 123-93 loss to Dallas. After going off for 33 points in Game 4, George struggled to get going offensively, although he managed to save his fantasy line a bit by getting a game-high 11 rebounds and handing out four assists. The Clippers star is shooting 41 percent from downtown in the series but has been wildly inconsistent with his performances. Sitting on a scoring average of 19.8 points per game, George is on track to have his least productive playoff campaign since 2013.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoColorado Rockies pitching prospect
Chase Dollander continued his impressive start of the season for High-A Spokane on Wednesday. The teams first-round pick, ninth overall, in 2023 tossed four innings of scoreless ball and allowed just two hits with three walks and six strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.33 on the season through four starts. Dollander has shown the ability to rack up strikeouts with 33 in 19 1/3 innings seasons, but he does have eight walks. The former Tennessee Volunteer standout has looked the part in his first go-around in the minor leagues and his mix of a fastball that can reach 99 MPH to go along with a nice breaking ball can help ascend him through the Rockies system quickly. Still only 22, MLB.com's No. 47 prospect is an intriguing name for dynasty managers to keep an eye on as the year goes along.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
1 day agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
Maxi Kleber brought a flamethrower to Wednesday's Game 5 against the Clippers, finishing 5-for-7 from downtown during a 15-point effort. He had as many triples as the Clippers' starting five combined as Dallas dominated in Los Angeles and took a 3-2 series lead. Kleber bagged three rebounds and an assist as well in 19 minutes off the bench. This was by far his best performance of the 2024 playoffs, and it's unlikely Kleber will repeat it soon. However, his three-point shooting has been top-notch throughout the series. After going 0-for-3 in Game 1, Kleber has missed only three of his 12 attempts from deep.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving had a tough time from behind the arc on Wednesday against the Clippers but played an effective game to help the team grab a 3-2 series lead with a blowout win. He finished 1-for-7 with his three-pointers. However, Irving registered a game-high plus-35 rating as he notched 14 points with 6-for-14 shooting, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The one-two punch of Irving and
Luka Doncic has been deadly in the series, and Dallas finds itself in a great position to grab a second-round ticket on Friday in Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic eased his way to 35 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists in Wednesday's dominant 123-93 win over the Clippers. The Mavericks star might be battling a knee issue and an illness, but he pulled out some of his best moves in the game to push his scoring average in the series to 30.2 points. Doncic has also tallied 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the first-round matchup, with the Clippers incapable of doing anything to slow him down.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoCincinnati Reds outfield prospect
Jay Allen II has been off to a hot start for High-A Dayton. On Wednesday, Allen went 2-for-4 with five RBI, two walks, two stolen bases and a pair of homers. The homeruns were his fourth and fifth of the season and he is now hitting a pristine .386 to go along with 10 RBI and five stolen bases over his first 44 at-bats. Staying on the field has been the biggest issue for the young outfielder and his five round trippers are already a career best. Allen was a three-sport athlete coming out of high school, so his development might take a little longer than most players. The 21-year-old has been a bit aggressive at the plate, but he draws walks and the hope is that his plate aggressiveness will improve as Allen continues to develop. Allen is only a name for dynasty managers to keep on the watch-list for now.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
1 day agoCaio Borralho (15-1) is set to open the UFC 301 main card against Paul Craig on Saturday night. Borralho gets his first-ranked opponent in the UFC as the Brazilian is 5-0 in the promotion and coming off a win over Abus Magomedov. Borralho enters the bout as a massive favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,500. In the UFC, Borralho has only one win by stoppage. Should Borralho beat Craig, he likely will get a top-10 opponent at middleweight next time out.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
1 day agoVitor Petrino (11-0) is set to face former title challenger Anthony Smith on the main card of UFC 301 on Saturday. Petrino is coming off a dominant decision win over Tyson Pedro back in March and is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC. Despite this being a step-up in competition, Petrino is a massive favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,400. In the UFC, Petrino is 4-0 and has two wins by stoppage. If Petrino can beat Smith, he likely would be a win or two away from a title shot.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
1 day agoAnthony Smith (37-19) is set to go down to Brazil to face Brazilian Vitor Petrino on the main card of UFC 301 on Saturday. Smith is coming off a third-round knockout loss to Khalil Rountree as 'Lionheart' is 1-3 in his last four fights. Smith enters the bout as a massive underdog as DraftKings has him at a salary of $6,800. In the UFC, Smith is 12-9 and has won 10 fights by stoppage while out of the nine losses, he's been finished in five of them. If Smith can upset Petrino at UFC 301, he will get a top-10 opponent next time out.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
1 day agoJonathan Martinez (19-4) is set to face former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the co-main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday. Martinez enters the bout on a six-fight winning streak as he's coming off a TKO win over Adrian Yanez. Despite going into enemy territory, Martinez is the favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,300. Martinez is 10-3 in the UFC and has four wins by knockout, while he's only been finished once in his entire MMA career.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
1 day agoFormer UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo (31-8) is set to return to the Octagon on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 301 against Jonathan Martinez. Aldo hasn't fought in mixed martial arts since August of 2022 and he has had three boxing fights since then. In his return to the UFC, Aldo is the underdog, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,900. Aldo is coming off a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili, which snapped his three-fight winning streak. In the UFC, the Brazilian is 13-7 and has won four fights by knockout, while he's been finished in four of his seven losses.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
2 days agoTampa Bay Rays infield prospect
Junior Caminero smacked two more home runs on Wednesday for Triple-A Durham. It was the second time in three games that the 20-year-old accomplished the feat, bringing his season total to six. He's clearly shaken off the early season hamstring injury and there just isn't much more you can say about him.
Isaac Paredes provides plenty of pop at third base but missed Wednesday's game due to general soreness, so perhaps he moves to DH to make room for the youngster. Regardless, no matter the scenario that gets him there, we should be seeing Caminero in the big leagues sooner rather than later and he should be rostered in fantasy leagues wherever possible.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 days agoCleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Triston McKenzie submitted his best showing of the 2024 regular season in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning victory over the Houston Astros, fanning six hitters while surrendering two runs on five hits (one home run) and one walk over a season-high seven innings. It hasn't been a great start to the year for McKenzie, who missed most of last season due to injury, but he cruised through Houston's dangerous lineup in the first five innings.
Kyle Tucker tagged him for a homer in the seventh, leaving McKenzie with a no-decision. The 26-year-old right-hander improved his ERA to 4.34 with a 1.48 WHIP and a troubling 24:18 K:BB over 29 innings (six starts) to begin the campaign. Monday's home start against the division-rival Detroit Tigers offers him a great chance to build on Wednesday's display. In seven career starts (43 IP) against Detroit, McKenzie has a 1.05 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 50:11 K:BB.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
Trevor Williams held the defending-champion Texas Rangers in check in Wednesday's surprising 1-0 road victory, working around five hits and a season-high four walks to launch five scoreless innings with three strikeouts. After a spotless opening inning, Williams tiptoed around plenty of trouble over his 79 pitches but was able to escape with his third win of the campaign to remain unbeaten. The soft-throwing 32-year-old right-hander now holds a steady 2.27 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22:12 K:BB across 31 2/3 frames (six starts) out of Washington's rotation this season. A tough test awaits Williams in Tuesday's scheduled start against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Corbin Burnes at Nationals Park for the first outing of a two-game Beltway Series. The O's have hit an MLB-high 45 home run in 30 games, making Williams a tough sell as a fantasy streamer.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoColorado Rockies catching prospect
Drew Romo leads the Pacific Coast League in batting average after a 4-for-4 day at the plate Wednesday for Triple-A Albuquerque. The 22-year-old raised his BA to a robust .372 with the performance, which also included his first two
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2 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Roddery Munoz turned in another impressive performance in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies, striking out seven hitters while giving up only one run on three hits and two walks over six solid innings for his first career win. In the showing, Munoz joined the late
Jose Fernandez as the only pitchers in Marlins franchise history to have 13-plus strikeouts and a sub-0.75 WHIP across their first two games with the team. The 24-year-old right-hander is giving Miami's injury-riddled rotation some valuable work since joining the major-league roster in late April, attaining a 2.45 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 14:3 K:BB over 11 frames (two starts). Despite the strong start, Munoz lines up to take the hill in a shy-away spot for fantasy purposes on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers have scored an MLB-high 177 runs through 33 outings.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Christina De Nicola - MLB.com
2 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Luis Gil quieted the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in Wednesday's 2-0 road victory, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits and one walk with five strikeouts en route to a win. Singles by
Hestonread more...
2 days agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) reported to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday and told the club's training staff that he was "feeling great," according to manager Aaron Boone. LeMahieu appears to be close to resuming baseball activities, and a minor-league rehab assignment doesn't appear far off. The 35-year-old veteran contact hitter suffered a setback while recovering from a non-displaced fracture in his right foot with Double-A Somerset after one inning on April 23, but he should still be able to return sometime in mid-to-late May if he can avoid any additional hitches in the road during his progression. The switch-hitting
Oswaldo Cabrera is serving as New York's everyday third baseman for now, but he's losing steam with a .236/.259/.327 triple-slash line in his most recent 55 at-bats (15 games) and LeMahieu's return approaching.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Gary Phillips - New York Daily News
2 days agoNew York Mets relief pitcher
Adam Ottavino tossed a scoreless eighth inning during Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs, continuing to throw as well as any reliever in recent weeks. Believe it or not, Ottavino has not allowed a hit to the last 34 batters he's faced, walking only two and striking out 17 over this superb stretch that dates back to April 5. The 38-year-old veteran high-leverage arm has tallied nine consecutive hitless appearances out of New York's bullpen, and he now carries a shiny 1.54 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 20:2 K:BB over 11 2/3 innings overall for the Mets during the 2024 regular season. With
Drew Smith (shoulder) and
Brooks Raley (elbow) on the shelf, it looks pretty clear that Ottavino would be next in line for save opportunities in Queens in the event that
Edwin Diaz ever needs to miss time for whatever reason.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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