2 days agoMiami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera allowed four runs on three hits across four innings of work during Thursday's 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. Cabrera struck out nine batters in the shortened outing while issuing four walks. A three-run shot by Jacob Stallings in the second inning put a sizeable blemish on the 26-year-old's day. He also struggled with his command, as he only tossed 56-of-91 pitches for strikes. Cabrera owns a bloated 6.05 ERA through four starts in 2024, although he still possesses significant strikeout upside. He should be sat in all fantasy formats heading into his next start against the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon had a start to forget on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. The left-hander was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. He did not issue a walk, but he gave up three homers in the defeat. Prior to this outing against a tough Orioles lineup, Rodon had not allowed more than three runs in any outing this season. He will carry a 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 36/14 K/BB into his next projected start against the underperforming Houston Astros. Rodon still deserves to be rostered in most fantasy formats.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoNew York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (illness) did not start Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs, but he still managed to make a massive impact. The talented infielder came off the bench in the sixth inning and proceeded to hit a two-run double to bring the Mets within a run. In extra innings, Lindor smacked another double to cash in two runs and earn the walk-off win. It was one of Lindor's stronger games this season, as he has struggled at the plate in the early going. His .207/.287/.380 slash line is rather uninspiring, so hopefully this performance kick-starts the four-time All-Star.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoIndiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) will be good to go for Thursday's Game 6 against Milwaukee. An issue with his lower back has kept Haliburton on the injury report for the past few games, but the team has upgraded him from questionable to available ahead of Thursday's action. The young Pacers star will aim to produce a big finish to the series. Through five games, he's gotten to the 20-point mark only once, averaging 15.8 points in the first-round matchup with 5.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists.Source: Indiana Pacers
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) has been upgraded from probable to available for Thursday's Game 6 against Indiana. Beverley is set to make up Milwaukee's starting backcourt with the returning Damian Lillard (Achilles). He will likely take a backseat offensively, but Beverley's tenacity on the defensive end is a big asset for the Bucks, and he should continue to get a healthy dose of action. Through the first five games in the series, Beverley has averaged 34.0 minutes a night, posting 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals.Source: NBA Injury Report
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) has been officially cleared to play in Thursday's Game 6 against the Pacers. The team has upgraded him from probable to available. Middleton has been huge in the series for Milwaukee, but he will likely play a slightly lesser role offensively on Thursday as Damian Lillard (Achilles) returns to the lineup. With that said, the team needs another big performance from Middleton to survive in the series, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) still on the shelf.Source: NBA Injury Report
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) isn't ready to return to the lineup on Thursday against Indiana. He was considered a game-time call for the contest along with Damian Lillard (Achilles), but while Lillard will be back in action, Antetokounmpo is still left to wait for his chance to return. It won't come in the 2024 playoffs if Milwaukee loses on Thursday. Bobby Portis was one of the stars in Milwaukee's Game 5 victory, recording 29 points with 10 rebounds, and he's set for another start in Antetokounmpo's place on Thursday.Source: Chris Haynes
2 days agoThe Baltimore Ravens have signed first-round defensive back Nate Wiggins to his rookie deal. The Ravens have also locked up second-round offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, fourth-round defensive back T.J. Tampa and seventh-round defensive back Sanoussi Kane. The Ravens made Wiggins their first pick of this year's NFL draft with the 30th overall selection out of Clemson. The 20-year-old cornerback stands a 6-foot-1, 173 pounds, so durability is going to be his primary issue as he transitions to the NFL. He'll have room to grow and get stronger, though, and his elite speed and coverage ability stood out enough for Baltimore to make him a first-rounder. As long as Wiggins doesn't get set back by injuries, he should develop into a serviceable DB for the Ravens in time.Source: ESPN.com - Field Yates
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard (Achilles) will play in Game 6 against Indiana on Thursday. Milwaukee gets its superstar guard back after Lillard sat out two games with an Achilles injury. He's set to play a huge role on Thursday as the Bucks try to fight off elimination once again. Lillard is averaging 32.3 points and 5.3 assists in the series, shooting 44.4 percent from outside.Source: Chris Haynes
2 days agoHouston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (neck) will embark on a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. It was reported earlier this week that Javier had a shot to come off the 15-day injured list to start this weekend against the Seattle Mariners, but that won't be the case. Instead, the 27-year-old will make a start in the minors. If that goes well, he should come off the IL to join Houston's rotation at some point late next week. The Dominican hurler should be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the 2024 season with a 2-0 record, 1.54 ERA (3.57 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 11 walks and 18 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over his first four starts. When Javier is back in the fold in Houston, rookie Spencer Arrighetti will likely be sent back to the minors.Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Ari Alexander
2 days agoThe Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Steven Stamkos have begun preliminary discussions on his next contract. The veteran of 16 NHL seasons, all with the Lightning, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if a new deal is not hammered out. "I had a short conversation with [Lightning general manager Julien Brisebois] after [Game 5]; he reached out to my agent," Stamkos said at Tampa Bay's locker cleanout on Wednesday. "That's all that we have right now, but for sure hopefully there's some discussions and you have to start somewhere, so I'm looking forward to that." The 34-year-old tallied 40 goals and 81 points on 262 shots on goal across 79 regular-season games before tallying five goals in five first-round games against the Florida Panthers.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoOrlando Magic guard/forward Gary Harris (hamstring) is considered a game-time call for Friday's Game 6 against Cleveland. He suffered a right hamstring strain in Game 5, exiting the contest early. Harris has started all five games for the Magic in the playoffs, averaging 26.2 minutes. However, he hasn't been very productive, posting only 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony could get more playing opportunities on Friday, but the two haven't made any noise in the playoffs and would be risky choices for DFS managers.Source: Kendra Andrews
2 days agoCarolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (lower body) could be available for the team's second-round series against the New York Rangers, according to general manager Don Waddell. The veteran appeared to suffer a lower-body injury while turning up ice during Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the New York Islanders. "Brett is out of his walking boot, doing things right now," Waddell said on Wednesday. "If everything goes as expected, he shall play games in this round. Maybe not right off the start, but he will play games in this round." The 29-year-old tallied three goals and 13 points alongside 113 blocked shots across 70 regular-season contests. It's unclear when the Hurricanes' series with the Rangers will begin.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoFlorida Panthers center Sam Bennett (hand) is expected to return to action for the team's second-round series against either the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs, according to head coach Paul Maurice. Bennett appeared to suffer a hand injury after being hit by teammate Brandon Montour's point shot during Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "That's a very real possibility," Maurice said on Wednesday. "He will skate tomorrow for the first time and then I will give you an update before the next series starts." The 27-year-old notched 20 goals and 41 points in 69 regular-season games but added plenty of physicality in the form of 173 hits and 100 penalty minutes. He tallied a goal and an assist before departing Game 2 against the Lightning.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoNew York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox did not skate for the second day in a row on Thursday due to what is being described as maintenance. His status for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Carolina Hurricanes is unclear. "When our players return to the ice, they return to the ice," Rangers bench boss Peter Laviolette said on Thursday. "So, if he's cleared for practice he's cleared for practice." It's worth noting that Fox took a knee-on-knee hit from Capitals blueliner Nick Jensen in Sunday's series-clinching victory. The 26-year-old tallied 17 goals and 73 points in 72 regular-season games but was limited to just a pair of assists across the four-game, first-round series with the Caps.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) and left-handed reliever Alex Young (back) are heading out on minor-league rehab assignments on Thursday with Triple-A Louisville. Manager David Bell said the rehab assignment will be like spring training for Friedl, who had his spring training cut short due to a small fracture in his right wrist in mid-March. It means that the 28-year-old will likely be in the minors for the maximum amount of time, especially given how crowded Cincy's outfield rotation already is. Once he's back with the Reds, Friedl will battle for playing time against right-handed pitching. Young, who is on the 60-day injured list while recovering from low-back disc degeneration, won't be eligible to return until late May.Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2 days agoNashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn is hopeful to play in Game 6 of the team's first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks after missing Game 5 with an illness. "Much better today," Schenn said on Thursday. "It seemed like it was more of a 24-hour thing, now just kind of recovering. It's actually a blessing in disguise having two days between games here." Schenn said his illness kicked in after waking up from his pregame nap on Tuesday. The veteran appeared in 63 regular-season games, notching a goal and seven points in that time while providing his usual physicality in the form of 202 hits and 43 penalty minutes. The Preds need a win on Friday to avoid elimination.Source: NHL.com
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2 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (illness) will not be in the lineup for Game 6 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. The star pivot missed Game 5 due to an illness, and it appears the issue will keep the 26-year-old out again on Thursday. Matthews notched a goal and two assists in a Game 2 win but has otherwise been held off the scoresheet in his other three games played in the series. The Maple Leafs need another win in Game 6 to avoid elimination, as the Bruins lead 3-2 in the series. If Toronto manages to win, Game 7 would be on Saturday in Boston.Source: Sportsnet
2 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) left his start early on Thursday against the visiting Washington Nationals with right-groin tightness. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher with a pretty lengthy injury history, but at least it's not an injury to his pitching arm. The silver lining on Thursday is that the 34-year-old threw 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Nats before leaving, allowing only two hits while walking two and striking out eight to drop his season ERA to 2.61. The severity of Eovaldi's groin injury is not known yet, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he needs to take a couple weeks off. Coming into his start on Thursday afternoon, Eovaldi had a 1-2 record, 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 36 innings over six starts.Source: Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
2 days agoThe Indianapolis Colts have exercised the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Kwity Paye, the team announced on X on Thursday. The former No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Michigan hasn't been an elite rusher since entering the league, but he posted a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023. Over his first 43 NFL games, he's racked up 129 tackles (79 solo), 18.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 18 run stuffs, and one pass deflection. He's played well enough to warrant another year under contract, so he won't hit free agency until at least the 2026 offseason.Source: Indianapolis Colts on X
2 days agoBoston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (lat) will make a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. Bello has been out the last two weeks with right-lat tightness, but he threw a bullpen session this week and has now been cleared for live game action. If the 24-year-old looks good during his rehab start next week, he could be cleared for activation from the injured list when he's eligible on May 12 to make a start against the Washington Nationals. The Dominican starter was a popular breakout candidate coming into the 2024 season and was looking good before his lat injury, going 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA (4.04 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP with seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings of work in his first five starts. Bello should remain stashed in all fantasy formats.Source: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
2 days agoVeteran free-agent kicker Joey Slye signed with the New England Patriots on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The 28-year-old signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of free agency on March 18 but was released just over a month later after the team drafted former Arkansas kicker Cam Little in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Since entering the league in 2018 as an undrafted free agent, Slye has spent time with the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Jaguars. In 75 career games, he has connected on 121 of his 147 field goal attempts and 138 of his 156 extra-point tries. He will likely compete with Chad Ryland for the starting place-kicking duties for New England this offseason.Source: NFL.com
2 days agoBoston Red Sox middle infielder Vaughn Grissom (hamstring, illness) is feeling a lot better and is excited to travel with the team to Minnesota for a three-game series against the Twins that starts on Friday. Grissom said if the Red Sox needed him to pinch hit on Thursday, he would have been ready. All signs are pointing to the 23-year-old being activated from the injured list to make his Red Sox debut on Friday. He was initially expected to return this Tuesday, but an illness caused his return to be pushed back. Grissom, who has 15-15 capabilities, even after a late start to the season, will operate as the team's regular second baseman and should be picked up in fantasy leagues if he's available on the waiver wire. Boston acquired Grissom from the Braves as part of the Chris Sale trade in the offseason.Source: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
2 days agoThe Boston Red Sox's medical staff is still gathering information on outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida's (hand) injury, and surgery isn't being ruled out. Yoshida jammed his left thumb in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs and landed on the injured list on Wednesday with a left-thumb sprain. If surgery is needed, he'll obviously need to miss extended time, but a specific timetable probably won't be known until after he goes under the knife. Until Yoshida is able to return, the newly acquired Garrett Cooper figures to serve as Boston's primary designated hitter. The 30-year-old Tanaka continues to make plenty of contact and is currently hitting .275 (22-for-80) with a nice .348 on-base percentage, but he only has two home runs and has driven in 11.Source: The Boston Globe - Alex Speier
2 days agoThe Pittsburgh Steelers have officially declined the fifth-year option on quarterback Justin Fields. This is not a surprise, as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been disappointing to start his career and was recently dealt from the Chicago Bears to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick. The expectation is that Russell Wilson will be the Week 1 start for Pittsburgh in 2024, but Fields could be waiting in the wings if he struggles like he did in Denver. It will be interesting to see how much of a chance Fields gets to show what he can do with a change of scenery. If he plays in at least a handful of games and exceeds expectations, he could improve his market value and hit free agency next offseason.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
2 days agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, the top prospect in baseball, will make another start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday. Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, has been knocking on the door for his first big-league promotion for a while, but the Pirates have patiently held off. The 21-year-old made it through six innings (75 pitches) in his sixth start for Indianapolis on Tuesday and didn't allow a run while allowing four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. At this point, he doesn't have much left to prove in the minors, but the Pirates don't want to rush him to the big leagues before he's sufficiently built up. In his six starts for Indy, Skenes has been downright dominant with a 0.39 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP with six walks and 41 K's in 23 innings. His MLB promotion is coming soon, so he needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats.Source: Indianapolis Indians
2 days agoThe Pittsburgh Steelers are declining running back Najee Harris' fifth-year option, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. This is somewhat of a surprise, but the 2021 first-round selection has not lived up to the hype as a prospect or matched his rookie-year production. In 51 games over three seasons, Harris has rushed 834 times for 3,269 yards (3.9 YPC) and 22 touchdowns to go along with 144 receptions for 866 yards and six scores through the air. Picking up the option would've cost the Steelers just $6.79 million, but he is now set to potentially become a free agent next offseason. This could put Jaylen Warren in the clear RB1 role in 2025, but surely, the team will add to the position if they move on from Harris.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
2 days agoArizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) is penciled in to make his next start on Tuesday in Cincinnati against the Reds. Gallen left his last start last Friday with a minor hamstring injury. He was set to make his return on normal rest this Wednesday to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a long delay before Tuesday night's game caused lefty Jordan Montgomery to be pushed back to Wednesday. It allowed the D-backs to give the 28-year-old a little more rest before his next start. It's a bummer for fantasy managers that Gallen isn't starting at all this week, but he'll also get a much better matchup in the Reds than the Dodgers. He shouldn't have any issues with his hammy and should be returned to starting lineups in all fantasy formats next Tuesday.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoNew York Mets pitching prospect Christian Scott will be promoted from Triple-A Syracuse to make his major-league debut on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road, according to a source. Scott was ranked as the 99th prospect on ESPN's Kiley McDaniels' top-100 prospect list entering the spring and has dealt at Triple-A with 36 strikeouts, six walks and only 12 hits allowed in 25 1/3 innings pitched. Scott, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, also had a strong 2.57 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 107 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 87 2/3 innings in three minor-league stops in 2023. The 24-year-old will likely be given a chance to stick in New York's rotation moving forward, which makes him worth a gamble in all fantasy formats. The Mets drafted Scott in the fifth round in 2021 out of Florida.Source: ESPN.com - Kiley McDaniel