3 mins agoArizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) got good news from his MRI exam on Wednesday. His tests showed healing, and it appears that he's close to starting a throwing program, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Rodriguez is probably still a month or so away from a potential return, though. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw was shut down in mid-April with left-shoulder tightness and has yet to make his 2024 debut with the Diamondbacks at this point. E-Rod is making some progress, but he still has a ways to go and can be left to the waiver wire in standard 12-team fantasy leagues for the time being. He had a career-best 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his final season with the Detroit Tigers last year, but the underlying numbers show that Rodriguez was a bit fortunate. Along with his injury concerns, Rodriguez is a streamer, at best, in deep-mixed leagues when he returns.Source: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
8 mins agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is currently slashing a ridiculous .339/.444/.529 with a .973 OPS, 11 doubles, 14 RBI, 23 walks, 30 strikeouts, eight stolen bases and four home runs with Triple-A Rochester. The club's No. 2 prospect and No. 12 in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, hit two of his four homers on Wednesday. It's looking like Wood has nothing left to prove in the minors, but Washington has a plan for him and they plan on sticking to it. Despite his electric start this year, the Nats have more boxes for the 21-year-old to check before he makes his big-league debut. "He needs to get a bunch of at-bats," Martinez said. "He needs to learn some different things." The team's active 26-man roster is in a bit of a crunch at the major-league level right now, too. Wood is going to get his chance eventually this year, though, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues if you have the room.Source: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
14 mins agoToronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) has resumed throwing from flat ground at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., and it could be a couple more weeks until he's back throwing off a mound. It's good news for the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. However, fantasy managers that are stashing Tiedemann in single-year leagues may never get to use him in 2024. There's no timeline for the 21-year-old left-hander's return to game action in the minors, and given the fact that he also dealt with an arm issue in 2023, Toronto certainly is going to slow-play their best pitching prospect. Before his elbow injury, Tiedemann was struggling to the tune of a 5.63 ERA with nine walks and 10 strikeouts in his three starts for Triple-A Buffalo.Source: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
34 mins agoNew York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hit his eighth home run of the season in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Astros, the second straight game with a home run for the slugger. The solo blast traveled 447 feet off of Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti but was Stanton's only hit in the game, finishing 1-for-4. This season has been a bit of a mixed bag as evidenced by his last 15 games, where he's hit safely in 12 of the 15, but with a batting average of just .228 during that stretch. He's got the same exact BA on the season (.228) along with 20 RBI and 18 runs scored, but an ugly 10:45 BB:K. The BA so far is actually an improvement over the last two seasons, but managers who drafted him did so for the power production, which has not been disappointing to this point.Source: ESPN
46 mins agoTexas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe went 2-for-4 with two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-11 victory over the Athletics in Game 2 of their doubleheader. Lowe now has a six-game hit streak going, during which time he is 11-for-25 (.440) with three doubles, eight RBI, five runs scored, and a 6:5 BB:K. It appears he's fully recovered after missing the first couple weeks of the season with an oblique injury. The 28-year-old gets a mouthwatering matchup in his next game on Friday in Colorado against LHP Austin Gomber, whom he is 4-for-7 off of lifetime, including a double and a home run.Source: ESPN
58 mins agoAtlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia homered and doubled, both off Nick Pivetta, in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Red Sox. The home run was Arcia's third of the year while the double was his eleventh which tied him for fourth-most in baseball and just three behind the leader (Shohei Ohtani, 14). Arcia got off to a hot start, hitting .309 through April 27, but has since cooled off, going 5-for-32 (.156) over his last nine games. The 29-year-old is hitting .270 on the season with 13 RBI and 14 runs scored, but due to his ultra-low walk rate (3.0%), his OBP is just .291. Hopefully the two-hit day is the beginning of another hot streak for the 2023 All-Star.Source: ESPN
1 hour agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish threw five innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's 7-6 12-inning victory over the Nationals, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out nine, but did not factor into the decision. Bradish has now had two solid outings since coming off the IL, now boasting a 1.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 4:14 BB:K over nine-and-two-thirds IP. Fantasy managers who stashed him in an IL spot for the first month of the season should feel confident using him again, if they hadn't already, although his innings may be somewhat limited as he returns to full strength. The former fourth-round MLB draft pick's next start lines up next Tuesday at home against Toronto.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack struck out 10 batters in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mariners, picking up his fourth win of the season. It wasn't all smooth sailing, however, as he also allowed eight hits and one walk in just five-and-a-third innings pitched. The outing marked the fourth straight start in which the righty has picked up a victory and it was the second time this season he's struck out 10 batters. It seems he's walking a tightrope, though, as the 28-year-old has given up 48 hits and eight walks in 37 1/3 innings (1.50 WHIP), along with six home runs (1.45 HR/9, 14.0% HR/FB%) through seven starts, so use him in season-long fantasy at your own risk. The former eighth-round draft pick can be useful in DFS depending on the matchup, however, as exhibited Wednesday. His next start lines up with the Yankees at home next Tuesday.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoThe New York Giants signed free-agent wide receiver Allen Robinson on Thursday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The move to acquire a cheap veteran makes sense considering the weak group of pass-catchers on New York's roster, but Robinson has looked like a shell of his former self over the last three seasons. After two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, Robinson has totaled just 1,029 yards and four touchdowns over the last three campaigns. He tallied 280 yards and no touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023. Although he could provide value as an experienced leader in the locker room, it'd be surprising if he made an impact in fantasy football. Rookie first-round pick Malik Nabers is expected to be the No. 1 wide receiver for Daniel Jones right away, while Jalin Hyatt, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Darius Slayon with compete for looks behind him.Source: Ian Rapoport
2 hours agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand finished Wednesday's heavy 6-1 defeat against the Panthers with one assist. The veteran linked up with Pavel Zacha to set up Charlie Coyle for his first postseason goal. Boston won the opening period 1-0 but got outworked for the rest of the game. Marchand is showing signs of life again, collecting assists in each of the first two games of the second-round series. After enjoying a spectacular start to the playoffs with eight points in four games, Marchand went scoreless in the final three contests of the first round against Toronto. Despite the slump, the Bruins captain still sits among the postseason top scorers with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in nine games.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Flexen threw six innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Rays. Flexen allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out eight. The 29-year-old's previous high-water mark for strikeouts this season was four. The win brings his record to 2-3 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Over his last five appearances (three starts), Flexen has pitched well, posting a 1.61 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 7:18 BB:K over 22 1/3 IP. While that is commendable, you likely aren't trusting him for fantasy with a career ERA of 4.90 and 1.47 while pitching for the second-worst team in baseball.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour recorded his second multi-point outing of the 2024 postseason on Wednesday, finishing a 6-1 win over Boston with a goal and two assists. He had a pair of even-strength helpers in the second period before completing the scoring with a short-handed marker in the middle of the third. Montour became only the second blue-liner in franchise history to net a short-handed goal in a playoff contest. Having collected six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games, Montour is tied for fourth on the postseason scoring charts among defensemen. He's also been busy without the puck, registering 13 blocks and 20 hits.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov erupted for two goals and two assists as the team tied the series against Boston at one with a big 6-1 victory on Wednesday. He posted two even-strength points and also had short-handed and power-play points in the contest, with his first goal being the game-winning marker. After a slow start, Barkov has put together a very strong three-game stretch with four goals and four assists. This gives him 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games for the playoffs.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoFlorida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart rewrote history books in Wednesday's 6-1 win over Boston, establishing a new franchise playoff record with four assists. He also joined Aleksander Barkov as the only players in Panthers history with an even-strength, power-play, and short-handed point in a playoff game. Florida scored in all situations in the third period to turn a close game into a big victory. Reinhart was back on the score sheet after going pointless in back-to-back outings. He's now on seven points (three goals, four assists) through seven games in the playoffs.Source: ESPN
2 hours agoEdmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman maintained his red-hot goal-scoring form with two markers in a 5-4 loss in Game 1 against the Canucks on Wednesday. He bagged an early power-play goal and found the back of the net in an even-strength situation in the second period. The 31-year-old became the sixth player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to net at least nine goals through the first six games of a postseason campaign. Edmonton's own Mark Messier did it last in 1983. Hyman has also had one assist in the playoffs so far, sharing the seventh spot on the scoring charts with 10 points.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoVancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua led all skaters with three points as the team defeated Edmonton 5-4 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. The 27-year-old scored his squad's first goal and delivered two assists when Vancouver sparked into life late in the game to turn a 4-1 deficit into a victory. This marks Joshua's second three-point effort of the 2024 postseason. The two big performances have put him among the Canucks' top scorers, with Joshua on seven points (three goals, four assists) through seven games with Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoIndiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell led the team with 12 assists and provided 10 points in Wednesday's Game 2 loss to the Knicks. The veteran guard logged a very productive 22 minutes off the bench, adding four rebounds to his tally and shooting 5-for-9 from the field. The Pacers were plus-10 with McConnell on the floor. That's now three straight games with double-digit scoring for McConnell, who has also averaged 8.0 dimes during the stretch. Indiana tends to play better with him on the court, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle clearly needs to find more minutes for McConnell to turn things around in the series.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoIndiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin had a prolific outing in Game 2 against the Knicks on Wednesday, finishing a 130-121 loss with 20 points. He scored a point per minute off the bench, shooting 7-for-10 from the field with a 2-for-4 effort from behind the arc. Toppin also notched three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. The Pacers are struggling in the series, but Toppin has enjoyed the battle against his former team. He has shot a very impressive 70.6 percent through the first two games, averaging 16.0 points with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Game 3 gives Toppin a chance to make it three 20-point efforts in four games.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoIndiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 34 points with seven makes from downtown in Wednesday's 130-121 loss to the Knicks. After shaking off a questionable tag again, Haliburton enjoyed a good start with 13 first-quarter points and ended up with his highest-scoring game of the 2024 playoffs. He shot 11-for-19 overall from the field and finished one assist short of a double-double while recording six rebounds and three steals. Haliburton, who has been battling lower back spasms in the postseason, hasn't looked quite like himself lately, but his Game 2 outing was an encouraging sign that the best has yet to come from him. Indiana certainly needs similar efforts from Haliburton to take this series past four games.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoNew York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein came up with a big all-around performance against the Pacers in Wednesday's Game 2, finishing a 130-121 win with 14 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and one block. The 26-year-old big man, who averages 1.7 dimes for his career, came very close to a triple-double as he led his team in assists. Despite the narrow miss, Hartenstein should be extremely happy with his contributions in Game 2, and he at least got to celebrate his first double-double of the playoffs. There should be plenty more of those to come for Hartenstein after Mitchell Robinson (ankle) landed on the shelf.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoNew York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart was once again on the court for the entire contest as the Knickerbockers grabbed a 2-0 series lead with a 130-121 victory against the Pacers on Wednesday. He also logged the entire 48 minutes in Game 1 and has now done it four times in total during the 2024 postseason. Hart posted a third consecutive double-double on Wednesday with 19 points and 15 rebounds, adding seven assists, one steal, and one block to his account. He finished with 8-for-12 shooting, going 1-for-3 from behind the arc. The 29-year-old has averaged a ridiculous 48.2 minutes per game over New York's last five matches. Hart has also been very productive during his time on the court, logging 21.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 2.0 steals in the series against Indiana.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoWaldo Cortes-Acosta (11-1) is set to open the UFC St. Louis main card against Robelis Despaigne. Cortes-Acosta is coming off a decision win over Andrei Arlovski back in January after scoring a first-round knockout win over Lukasz Brzeski. Cortes-Acosta enters the bout as the underdog as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,200. In the UFC, Cortes-Acosta is 4-1 with three wins by decision while his lone loss came by decision. If Cortes-Acosta can pull off the upset he should get a ranked opponent next time out.Source: UFC
3 hours agoNew York Knicks guard/forward Donte DiVincenzo contributed 28 points in Wednesday's 130-121 Game 2 victory over Indiana, shooting 6-for-12 from three-point range. He was 10-for-20 overall from the field with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. DiVincenzo had a cold start to the postseason, but he's now posted at least 23 points in three consecutive games. He's a very talented shooter, and Indiana has given him a lot of looks in the series, with DiVincenzo having recorded 21 attempts from deep. The 27-year-old sniper has shot 52.4 percent from downtown through the first two games.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoRobelis Despaigne (5-0) is set for his second UFC fight as he faces Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the main card opener of UFC St. Louis. Despaigne is coming off an 18-second knockout win back in March in his UFC debut. The Cuban heavyweight has won all five of his fights by first-round KO with four of them coming in 18 seconds or less. Despaigne enters UFC St. Louis as the favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,000. If Despaigne gets another KO win here, he could get a ranked opponent next time out.Source: UFC
3 hours agoMateusz Rebecki (19-1) is set to take on Diego Ferreira at UFC St. Louis on Saturday. Rebecki is a perfect 3-0 in the UFC and is coming off a submission win over Roosevelt Roberts last November. The Pole is on a 16-fight winning streak and enters his bout with Ferreira as a big favorite as DraftKings has him at a salary of $9,400. Rebecki has won two of his three fights in the UFC by stoppage, and should he get past Ferreira a ranked opponent could be next.Source: UFC
3 hours agoNew York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson shook off a foot injury to put up a team-high 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting in Wednesday's Game 2 win over Indiana. The Knicks star missed the entire second quarter with a sore right foot, but he was back in action for the start of the third and played like nothing had happened. Brunson was 3-for-6 with his three-point attempts and also led his team with three steals while delivering five assists and grabbing two rebounds. The foot problem could land Brunson on the injury report ahead of Game 3, but it looks like he can play through the ailment.Source: ESPN
3 hours agoDiego Ferreira (18-5) is set to face Mateusz Rebecki on Saturday on the main card of UFC St. Louis. Ferreira is coming off a knockout win over Michael Johnson last May which snapped his three-fight losing streak. Heading into this fight, Ferreira is a big underdog as DraftKings has the Brazilian at a salary of $6,800. In the UFC, Ferreira is 9-5 with six wins by stoppage while he's been finished in three of his five losses. If he can pull off the upset and beat Rebecki, Ferreira could get a top-15 opponent next time out.Source: UFC
3 hours agoRodrigo Nascimento (11-1, one no-contest) is set for his first UFC main event on Saturday as he takes on Derrick Lewis at UFC St. Louis. Nascimento is on a three-fight winning streak and a four-fight unbeaten streak while also picking up a no-contest during the run. Although Nascimento is on a nice run, he is the underdog, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $7,800. In the UFC, the Brazilian is 4-1 with a no-contest, with three of his wins coming by decision, while his lone loss came by first-round knockout. Should Nascimento win, he will get a top-10 opponent next time out.Source: UFC
3 hours agoDerrick Lewis (27-12, one no-contest) is set to headline UFC St. Louis against Rodrigo Nascimento on Saturday. Lewis is coming off a lackluster decision loss to Jailton Almeida back in November and is 1-4 in his last five fights. Despite the struggles, Lewis is the favorite, as DraftKings has him at a salary of $8,400. In the UFC, Lewis is 18-10, with 14 wins by knockout, while he has been finished in nine of his 10 losses. A win over Nascimento should get Lewis a top-10 opponent as he looks to remain a title contender.Source: UFC
11 hours agoAtlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna halted a mini slump with two more home runs in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox, adding a walk in the shutout victory. Entering the day just 4-for-28 with one homer over his last eight outings, Ozuna got right back to his dominant ways first with a three-run jack in the first inning and later with a solo shot in the third frame. Over 144 trips to the dish (34 games), the 33-year-old star slugger is slashing a phenomenal .315/.396/.646 with 12 round-trippers, six doubles, an MLB-leading 38 RBI, and 23 runs scored and should continue piling up counting stats as the everyday No. 5 hitter in Atlanta's loaded lineup. A three-game weekend series with the division-rival New York Mets commences on Friday, which fantasy managers should be looking forward to. In 13 games against the Mets since 2023, Ozuna is batting a torrid .396 with six long balls, seven doubles, and 18 RBI.Source: MLB.com