May 17, 2025
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher
Matthew Boyd allowed four hits and three earned runs in Saturday's 7-3 win against their cross-town rivals, the Chicago White Sox. Boyd struck out eight and walked none to earn his sixth quality start (third straight), improving to 4-2 in 2025. He was mostly excellent, but ran into trouble with the long ball as
Chase Meidroth and Timothy Elko both tagged him for solo home runs in the first and fifth innings. It's been more of an issue for him recently, letting up four of the seven against him across his last three outings. Still, the veteran was solid again, as he's yet to yield more than three earned runs in any of his nine appearances. Boyd will carry a strong 2.98 ERA and 1.20 WHIP into his next trip to the mound, which figures to come against the Cincinnati Reds late next week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Minnesota Twins pitcher
Pablo Lopez blanked the Milwaukee Brewers across six innings of work in Saturday's 7-0 road win over the Milwaukee Brewers. It was Minnesota's third straight shutout victory. The Venezuela native let up two hits, walked two, and struck out six in the dominant effort. Lopez fired 66 of 95 pitches for strikes, and induced 14 swings-and-misses (nine on his fastball) for a strong 33% CSW. Despite only three quality starts in eight appearances, he's been stellar -- allowing more than two earned runs just once (four), against the Giants in his last start. He'll sport an excellent 2.40 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 49 innings (49:9 K:BB) the next time he toes the rubber, which should come late next week at home against the Kansas City Royals.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Drew Rasmussen threw six scoreless innings in his team's 4-0 win against the Miami Marlins. The 29-year-old righty yielded four hits and struck out five to collect his first quality start of 2025 -- improving to 2-4. Two of the four hits against him came in the first inning (singles), but he quickly shut it down and would settle in for a few frames before allowing a double in the fourth and sixth. Rasmussen has been solid through nine starts, bolstering a 2.93 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 46 innings (40 strikeouts). That's pretty much what we've grown to expect from him, though it's worth mentioning that his strikeout rate is down a bit (22.2%) and he's affording opponents his highest average exit velocity (90.8 MPH) and xBA (.269) since 2021. He'll square off against the Toronto Blue Jays at home next week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler was dominant on Saturday, blanking the Pittsburgh Pirates over six innings in his team's 5-2 home win. He allowed three hits, struck out six, and issued one free pass to earn his sixth straight quality start -- improving to 5-1 through ten appearances. All three of the hits Wheeler yielded were singles, as he continues to shut down lineups. The 34-year-old hasn't let up more than two earned runs in over a month (Apr. 13). After the scoreless outing, he's down to a sterling 2.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 80:12 K:BB ratio across 64 innings. He'll carry the impressive line into his next trip to the mound, which should come next week on the road against the Colorado Rockies or Athletics.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
Logan Gilbert (elbow) completed his second bullpen session on Saturday. Gilbert was able to throw 25 pitches. This is a great sign for the right-hander as he appears to be progressing well as he works his way back from a right elbow flexor strain. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he could be cleared to increase his workload in the coming weeks. Before his injury, Gilbert was enjoying an impressive start to the campaign, posting a 2.37 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP. Across 30 1/3 innings of work, Gilbert has struck out 44 batters and served up walks at an elite 5.1% rate. He has also placed in the 94th percentile in xERA. While he remains sidelined,
Emerson Hancock and
Logan Evans should continue to see opportunities in the rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Shannon Drayer
May 17, 2025
Texas Rangers outfielder
Evan Carter (quadriceps) was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to right quad tightness. According to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, Carter is not going to play tomorrow, facing a lefty, and will have additional time to heal leading up to Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. Carter was unable to make the Opening Day roster but was recalled to the majors earlier in May. Through his first 11 games of the regular season, the former top prospect has posted an underwhelming .182/.270/.273 slash line with one long ball. Under the hood, he has generated a low .308 xwOBA and a .227 xBA, which are both below the average marks. Given his slow start to the season, fantasy managers should only roster Carter in deeper AL-only formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kennedi Landry
May 17, 2025
Cincinnati Reds second baseman/outfielder
Gavin Lux (back) was scratched on Saturday due to lower back spasms. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest in case he needs additional time to recover. This afternoon,
Will Benson moved over to left field. Over his last three games, Lux has been quite productive at the plate, posting three-straight multi-hit games. Over his last nine contests, Lux has posted a stellar .303/.361/.394 slash line with three doubles. Through his first 42 games in Cincinnati, Lux has been quite impressive, as he has held a .297/.386/.407 line with one home run and one stolen base. If Lux were to remain sidelined, this could open up more opportunities in the starting nine for
Rece Hinds and
Connor Joe.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Charlie Goldsmith
May 17, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Clayton Kershaw (toe/knee) was officially activated off the 60-day injured list ahead of his season debut on Saturday evening against the Los Angeles Angels. The 37-year-old has been sidelined since August with toe and knee injuries. Through the early part of the campaign, the left-hander logged 21 innings of rehab work within the Dodger system. Across this stint, the future Hall of Famer held a strong 2.57 ERA with a stellar 0.81 WHIP. He struck out 16 batters and served up five free passes. Last season, Kershaw logged 30 innings in the big leagues and held a 4.50 ERA with a 1.150 WHIP. However, in 2023, Kershaw was quite effective, holding a 2.46 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. He is a strong play in all formats this evening, facing the Angels.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
May 17, 2025
The Minnesota Twins have placed outfielder
Byron Buxton (concussion) on the 7-day concussion injured list on Saturday. Earlier this week, Buxton appeared to have cleared concussion protocol, but has apparently faced a setback. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his status next week, as Buxton may only need the minimum stay on the injured list. Prior to suffering this concussion, Buxton was beginning to find his power swing, as he launched four home runs, a double, and a triple over his last 10 contests. Through 41 games this season, Buxton has posted a solid .261/.312/.522 slash line. Under the hood, he has generated an impressive 16.3% barrel rate and a 55.8% hard-hit rate. While he is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to see time in the starting nine.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
May 17, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Chandler Simpson (undisclosed) exited early during Saturday's contest. Simpson suffered this injury when sliding at home plate. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest against the Marlins, in case the team opts to give him an extra day off. Over his last five games, the No.7-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system has been very productive at the plate, posting a .450/.450/.600 slash line with three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base. Through his first 25 games at the MLB level, Simpson has posted a strong .301 AVG. He has posted an elite 12.6% rate with a .292 xBA. If Simpson were to sit out on Sunday, fantasy managers should expect
Kameron Misner to get the nod at center field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
May 17, 2025
The Kansas City Royals have placed starting pitcher
Cole Ragans (groin) on the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. Ragans exited his start on Friday due to groin tightness and will now be held out of action for at least the next two weeks. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season, holding a 4.53 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP across 45 2/3 innings. Ragans has tallied an impressive 72 strikeouts, which is the second-highest total in the American League. Under the hood, Ragans has generated a 2.29 xERA and a .190 xBA, which place him in the 95th and 93rd percentile, respectively. Earlier on Saturday, the Royals also placed
Seth Lugo (finger) on the 15-day IL. While
Noah Cameron is set to replace Lugo, the team has yet to announce who will replace Ragans in the rotation. Fantasy managers should stash Ragans in all formats, given his elite strikeout potential.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 17, 2025
The Kansas City Royals have placed starting pitcher
Seth Lugo (finger) on the 15-day injured list due to a finger sprain. Lugo was initially expected to get the starting nod on Saturday, but saw his start pushed back. However, Lugo will now be held out of action for at least the next two weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status while he is sidelined. This afternoon, the Royals promoted
Noah Cameron from Triple-A to take his spot in the rotation. If he performs well, Cameron should be the favorite to remain in the rotation for the next two weeks. Through 56 2/3 innings this season, the 35-year-old has posted a strong 3.02 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. While he has only struck out 42 batters, he has provided excellent ratios. Fantasy managers in standard formats should stash Lugo while he is sidelined.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 17, 2025
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Colton Cowser (thumb) was able to take live batting practice on Saturday. Cowser has been sidelined since late March due to a fractured left thumb. However, seeing him increase his baseball activities is a positive sign. If Cowser continues to progress well, he could be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Last summer, the 25-year-old appeared in a career-high 135 games with the Orioles. Across this stint, he held a .242/.321/.447 slash line with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, and nine stolen bases. When Cowser returns to action, he should have an everyday role in left field. While he remains out, fantasy managers should expect
Ramon Laureano,
Heston Kjerstad, and
Tyler O'Neill to see most of the opportunities in left field.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Andy Kostka
May 17, 2025
Baltimore Orioles first baseman
Ryan Mountcastle is not in Saturday's lineup when the Orioles continue a series against the Washington Nationals. Mountcastle has started in each of the past 18 games. Fantasy managers should expect the 28-year-old to return to the starting nine on Sunday. Over his last 18 contests, Mountcastle has posted a .239/.263/.366 slash line with six doubles, one home run, and nine RBI. During this stretch, he has held an 18:3 K:BB. Under the hood, Mountcastle has generated an above-average .264 xBA and a .456 xSLG, which suggest he should continue to see positive regression later this season. He has also generated an elite 50.9% hard-hit rate. This afternoon,
Ryan O'Hearn will shift to first base and will bat in the two-hole.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 17, 2025
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday when they continue a series against the Washington Nationals. O'Neill was scratched from the lineup on Friday due to discomfort in his left shoulder. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Sunday's game, in case the Orioles continue to hold him out of action. Over his last seven games, O'Neill has tallied just one hit and swiped two bags. This afternoon,
Heston Kjerstad will cover right field, which opens left field for
Ramon Laureano. Through 24 games this season, O'Neill has held a modest .188 AVG with a hefty 29% strikeout rate. The Orioles are worth targeting in DFS facing Washington right-hander
Jake Irvin.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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