10 mins agoMiami Marlins pitcher
Jesus Luzardo (back) said after Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Washington Nationals that he pitched through a stiff back. Luzardo was not at his best on Sunday, giving up two runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts across five innings. His fastball velocity was also down across the board and he was pulled after just 77 pitches. However, now fantasy managers know that the southpaw was battling a back injury. It remains to be seen if the left-hander will miss any time with this new back issue, but there should be an update on his status in the coming days. For now, fantasy managers can assume he will pitch this weekend against the Seattle Mariners.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Florida
1 hour agoBoston Red Sox shortstop prospect
Marcelo Mayer has been hitting at an elite level with Double-A Portland. In 58 games, he's slashing .301/.368/.480 with 47 runs scored, 23 doubles, six home runs, 30 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a 24:54 BB/SO ratio. He's played particularly well in 12 June games, showcasing his impressive bat-to-ball skills, discipline, and speed. So far this month, he's slashing .326/.473/.419 with eight runs, four doubles, six RBI, three steals, and a 11:9 BB/SO ratio. Mayer, 21, is Boston's No. 1 overall prospect (per MLB.com). He's expected to make his MLB debut sometime later this season.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
2 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher
Giovanny Gallegos (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list at some point during this week's series in Miami against the Marlins, potentially as early as Monday. Gallegos has been sidelined since early May with a right-shoulder impingement and could be eased back into a high-leverage setup role in the Cardinals' bullpen given how much he had struggled early on before going on the shelf. The 32-year-old veteran right-hander also didn't look good on his minor-league rehab assignment, giving up eight runs while striking out five and walking four in 6 1/3 innings pitched. The Mexican reliever had a 12.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 13 K's and seven walks in nine innings for St. Louis earlier this year. Gallegos can be useful in holds leagues, but fantasy managers probably aren't rushing to acquire him off the waiver wire.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
2 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers third base prospect
Brock WIlken (face) spent a month on the injured list after taking a fastball to the face in early April. Since his return to action on May 7, he's yet to hit his stride. In 34 games, he's 31-for-149 (.237 AVG) with five doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, and a 16:38 BB/SO ratio. Over his first 87 professional games (spanning from Rookie Ball to Double-A) Wilken is slashing .259/.365/.426 with 15 doubles, 10 homers, 47 RBI, four stolen bases, and a 49:93 BB/SO ratio. The No. 5 prospect in Milwaukee's farm system (per MLB.com), he's currently expected to make his MLB debut in 2025.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
2 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Willson Contreras (forearm) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. Everything is tentative, but there is a scenario where he could return from the 10-day injured list as early as next Monday. Contreras has made great progress from a gruesome fractured forearm when he was hit by a
J.D. Martinez swing behind the plate. Fantasy managers shouldn't get their hopes up that the 32-year-old All-Star backstop will be back for the series opener next Monday against the visiting Atlanta Braves, but the big takeaway is that Contreras should be back well before the All-Star break next month. Until then,
Ivan Herrera and rookie
Pedro Pages will continue to split playing time behind the plate in St. Louis. Before the injury, Contreras was hitting .280 with six homers and 12 RBI, and he should be stashed everywhere.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
2 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals right-hander
Kyle Gibson is expected to come off the bereavement list to make his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins on the road. Gibson went on the bereavement list on Sunday but won't actually miss a turn through the rotation and is set for a strong matchup against the Fish. The 36-year-old veteran has given up a lot of hard contact in 2024 but he was able to toss seven scoreless innings his last time out against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. He's now 5-2 on the year with a 3.44 ERA (4.14 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 83 2/3 innings over his 14 starts. Gibson will be a popular streaming option this week in DFS and redraft leagues against a Marlins offense that ranks dead-last in MLB with a .630 OPS. Ignore the fact that Gibson allowed seven earned runs in six innings against the Marlins in his second start of the year on April 7.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
2 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers catcher
William Contreras (head) was being evaluated for a concussion after Sunday's 5-4 win over the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. Contreras hit his head during a collision with Reds outfielder
Stuart Fairchild at home plate while applying the tag for the final out of the contest. The 26-year-old backstop remained down for a while and was slow to get up, prompting the concussion evaluation. There's no word on Contreras' status as of Monday morning, but fantasy managers will want to check back to see if he was able to clear the league's concussion protocol. Either way, Contreras might get the day off on Monday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Gary Sanchez would be forced into starting duties behind the plate if Contreras has a concussion and is forced to the seven-day injured list. Contreras went 2-for-4 with a run scored on Sunday and is now hitting a cool .305 on the season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Curt Hogg
2 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Friday in Houston, working in fastballs, changeups, cutters and sinkers. McCullers is progressing on schedule after missing all of last year following surgery on June 13 to fix his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. He had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but another setback led to surgery. The 30-year-old oft-injured starting pitcher is making progress but probably isn't going to be an option for the Astros rotation or for fantasy managers until some point in August. Given all of McCullers' arm injuries, Houston isn't going to rush him back, especially given all the injuries to their starters so far in 2024. When McCullers does make his season debut, McCullers will have limited fantasy upside to close out the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoHouston Astros manager Joe Espada said that a minor-league rehab assignment could be in the mix if outfielder
Kyle Tucker (shin) "doesn't start running around here (in) the next day or two." Tucker was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 7 (retroactive to June 4) after fouling a ball off his right shin on June 3, and he was unavailable on Saturday after being previously ruled out for Friday, the first day he was eligible to come off the IL. "He's feeling better," manager Joe Espada said on Saturday. "He's in the weight room. I feel like every day he's doing a little bit more work. The soreness is kind of going away, [but] not totally -- which is much better." Hopefully, the 27-year-old All-Star will rejoin Houston's lineup soon. Fantasy managers must be patient and keep him stashed until then. Until he returns,
Chas McCormick and
Trey Cabbage will continue a platoon in right field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoToronto Blue Jays pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) took the mound for a rehab start with the Rays' Florida Complex League team on Friday night. It was his first start since hitting the injured list with left ulnar-nerve inflammation on April 11. The 21-year-old lefty faced five hitters and only retired one of them. Overall, he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks. Although the results weren't great, the most important part of the outing, making a healthy return to in-game action, was a success. Moving forward, Tiedemann will likely move to Single-A Dunedin and work his way back to Triple-A Buffalo. If all goes well, he could make his MLB debut later this year.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
2 hours agoSan Francisco Giants right-hander
Jordan Hicks (illness) has been cleared to make his start on Monday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. In his previous start last Tuesday against the Houston Astros, Hicks allowed three runs on five hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work, and manager Bob Melvin acknowledged afterward that Hicks had been dealing with flu-like symptoms. The 27-year-old is clearly feeling good enough to make his next start in Chicago to start the week, though, and fantasy managers will be hoping he can bounce back. The former third-rounder of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 has been great in his move to a full-time starting role in San Fran in 2024, going 4-3 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with a 64:24 K:BB in 14 starts. Get him back into your starting lineups against a Cubs team that ranks just 23rd in OPS (.673) on the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Watch Marquee - Tony Andracki
2 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves placed right-handed pitching prospect
Hurston Waldrep (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-elbow inflammation and recalled right-hander
Daysbel Hernandez from the minors in a corresponding move. Outfielder
J.P. Martinez was also optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and outfielder
Forrest Wall was recalled. Waldrep reported elbow soreness after his second major-league start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he allowed six earned runs on five hits (two homers) in just 3 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 13 earned runs on nine hits (three homers) while walking eight and striking out only three in seven innings in his first two starts and will most likely head back to Gwinnett for more seasoning once he's activated from the IL. Despite the rough start in the bigs, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should remain stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays first base prospect
Xavier Isaac has been raking lately with High-A Bowling Green. He had a rough start to the 2024 season, going just 15-for-68 (.221) with three doubles, three home runs, four stolen bases, and an 8:25 BB/SO ratio in April. He turned it around in May, however, finishing the month 29-for-86 (.337 AVG) with nine doubles, six homers, five steals, and a 13:25 BB/SO ratio. He's only gotten hotter in June. Through 11 games, he's 17-for-43 (.395) with three doubles, three homers, four steals, and a 6:13 BB/SO ratio. Overall, Isaac is slashing .310/.395/.579 on the season. At just 20 years old, he's the No. 3 prospect in the Rays' system (per MLB.com), and he's expected to make his MLB debut sometime in 2026. If he keeps dominating in High-A, he'll almost certainly be promoted to Double-A by season's end.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Yennier Cano was called upon to get out of a jam during Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The O's were up 8-3 but a walk and two errors loaded up the bases for Philly in the ninth inning. After that, O's manager Brandon Hyde decided to go with Cano to get the final out of the game. The right-hander needed only four pitches as he struck out the only batter he faced. He earned himself his third save of the season, but remains behind
Craig Kimbrel in a set-up role.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect
Josue De Paula went 2-for-4 for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday and homered on Saturday. The 19-year-old is hitting .235 with six homers and 32 RBI this season. De Paula, the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers' farm system, is Brooklyn-born but signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. The sweet-swinging lefty has all the tools to be an impact big leaguer but will likely need a few more years of minor-league seasoning. He should be a priority name in dynasty leagues as he progresses through the minor leagues. De Paula could be a household name and fantasy staple playing for a big-time franchise for several years.
--Brian BuckeySource: MILB.com
RADIO
