RADIO
Carson Kelly Hits Grand Slam, Drives in Six in Rout of Blue Jays
Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly had his hitting shoes on during Friday's matinee contest at Wrigley Field against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Kelly went 2-for-4 at the plate with a grand slam, six RBI, three runs scored, two walks, and a strikeout in the 16-2 blowout win to raise his season batting average to .282 and his OPS to .752. His grand slam came off Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman to stretch the Cubs' lead to 6-0 early. The 31-year-old veteran backstop came into Friday's action with a .277/.352/.370 slash line with a .722 OPS, three home runs, 20 RBI, and 22 runs scored in 55 games across 193 plate appearances in his 11th year in the big leagues (second with Chicago). The big game on Friday was nice to see for Kelly, who was 7-for-31 (.226) at the plate with just one homer, a double, three RBI, four runs scored, two walks, and five strikeouts in his previous 11 games during June. In two-catcher leagues, Kelly is a viable option if he gets hot, but he's only rostered in 9% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Moises Ballesteros Optioned to Triple-A
Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. The struggling slugger will head to the minor leagues and hopefully work out some kinks. This season, Ballesteros is slashing .231/.303/.385 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 17 walks in 59 games. Over the last 34 games, Ballesteros is hitting .128 with one homer and seven RBI, so a reset could be needed. The Cubs haven't made a corresponding move, but will need to do that ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The expectation is that the Cubs will likely mix in different options at designated hitter with Ballesteros in Triple-A.
Source: Jon Becker
Source: Jon Becker
Moises Ballesteros is Mashing his Way into Must-Have Catcher Territory
Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros is quickly making a name for himself with the way he has been swinging the bat. Through 35 games this season, Ballesteros is slashing .277/.340/.521 with six home runs, 19 RBI, and 10 walks. He has fallen into a cold spell recently, going 3-for-36 over the last two weeks. Despite some struggles, Ballesteros is worth rostering in deep leagues at the minimum. He offers offensive upside at the plate that other catchers can't match. Fantasy managers might have to go through some growing pains, but his overall upside will be worth it.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
