2 hours agoTexas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run, and a strikeout in Monday's 9-5 Cactus League loss to the Mariners. The 31-year-old got a late start to spring after suffering a moderate left oblique strain in the World Series, so seeing him flash his power is good. However, he is batting just .167 in 24 at-bats this spring. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried, as Garcia has been a higher-end fantasy option each of the last three seasons. If healthy, he should provide a middling batting average with high power upside and moderate speed upside.Source: MLB.com
2 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier yielded his worst start of the spring in Monday's 10-1 Grapefruit League loss to the Nationals. Javier pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on three hits (including a solo home run) and four walks with one strikeout. The 26-year-old is coming off of a surprisingly poor 2023 season and now has a 4.30 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 14 2/3 IP this spring. He is still a bounce-back fantasy candidate given his career track record, but hopefully, he can turn in a few more positive outings heading into the regular season.Source: MLB.com
2 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown has put together a strong spring to this point, compiling a 2.84 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings pitched. This is a good sign for the Astros and fantasy managers, as the team has expressed that the 25-year-old will need "to take a step forward" given their lack of rotation depth and injuries, per the Athletic's Chandler Rome. Brown showed some positive signs in 2023 but ultimately finished at 11-13 with a 5.09 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 26.8% strikeout rate in 31 appearances (29 starts) and 155 2/3 IP. His pedigree and strong team give him some fantasy upside, but fantasy managers may want to wait to see consistency from him before trusting him.Source: Chandler Rome - The Athletic
2 hours agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Matt Canterino (elbow, shoulder), who had Tommy John surgery in August of 2022 and did not pitch in 2023, suffered a shoulder strain Monday and will start the 2024 season on the Triple-A injured list. This is a shame, as the Twins pitching staff has suffered numerous injuries and The 26-year-old had looked good in his two spring outings. He is still worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues, but Canterino will now have another health hurdle to overcome before continuing his trajectory to the big leagues.Source: Aaron Gleeman - The Athletic
2 hours agoMinnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) will be one of several of the team's pitching staff to start the 2024 season on the injured list, per the Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. Thielbar suffered a strained left hamstring early in camp and, while he progressed to throwing live batting practice last week, it was determined that the 37-year-old won't be ready in time to start the season. Thielbar had a successful 2023 season, earning 14 holds with a 3.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 30.0% strikeout rate in 30 2/3 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in saves-plus-holds leagues should look for additional information on a timetable for his return.Source: Aaron Gleeman - The Athletic
2 hours agoWith Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) set to open the 2024 season on the injured list with a fractured right wrist, Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild could see additional playing time to start the season, per MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Manager David Bell said, "It's all going to work out. I'm focused on the guys we have here." The 25-year-old Benson had a successful 2023 season in limited playing time but is batting just .200 in 25 spring at-bats. Fairchild has yet to stick in a big-league role but is hitting .360 with three home runs in 25 spring at-bats. From a fantasy perspective, Benson's potential to provide power and speed seems to give him the edge over Fairchild in deeper leagues. However, fantasy managers should watch for further news as the regular season approaches.Source: Mark Sheldon - MLB.com
2 hours agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks announced Monday that starting pitcher Zac Gallen will be the team's Opening Day starter. This will be the second consecutive season that the 28-year-old has earned the honor. Gallen will get a favorable matchup against the Rockies at home. He put forth another strong season in 2023, going 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 26.0% strikeout rate in 34 starts and 210 innings pitched. He finished third in the voting for the National League Cy Young Award and will be looking to build off that, making him a high-end fantasy option in all formats.Source: Michael McDermott - SI.com
3 hours agoCincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley was removed from Monday night's Cactus League game early against the San Francisco Giants after fouling a ball off what appeared to be a part of his body that is very sensitive. Fraley was probably pretty uncomfortable, but he was able to leave the field under his own power and should be fine for Opening Day on March 28. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder will continue in the strong side of a platoon against right-handed pitchers in 2024 in his third year in Cincinnati and deserves attention for outfield depth in deep-mixed fantasy leagues after he hit .256/.339/.443 with career-highs in homers (15), RBI (65) and stolen bases (21) in 111 games last year. RotoBaller has Fraley ranked as the No. 50 fantasy outfielder.Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Gordon Wittenmyer
3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington said first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) felt something while stretching for a ball, but trainers told him it was "nothing serious." Schanuel was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers as a precaution. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter will probably be sidelined a day or two, but he should return to spring action this weekend and be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Schanuel was fast-tracked to the majors last year after the Halos took him 11th overall out of Florida Atlanta. While he doesn't project for much long-term power at the first base position, Schanuel has enough plate discipline and contact skills to be relevant in AL-only leagues as the Angels' primary first baseman. He hit .275 (30-for-109) with a homer and six RBI in his first 29 major-league games last year.Source: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
5 hours agoIn a move that many expected when the Milwaukee Brewers signed outfield prospect Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract extension, he will officially be part of the team's Opening Day roster, according to sources. Chourio, 20, will be the youngest player in team history since Robin Yount to make his MLB debut on Opening Day. He's the second-ranked prospect in all of baseball wasn't a sure thing to start the year in the majors given the team's crowded outfield picture, and despite some defensive troubles this spring, he's impressed the Brewers with his ability to hold his own at the plate against big-league pitching this spring. Chourio has hit .286 with a .347 on-base percentage and .490 slugging percentage through 272 minor-league games since 2021, clubbing 47 homers and stealing 68 bases. He'll likely start in center field and should be considered a No. 3 fantasy outfielder despite never appearing in a major-league game.Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Curt Hogg
5 hours agoFree-agent left-hander Blake Snell is signing a two-year deal worth $62 million with the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The deal includes an opt-out clause for the reigning National League Cy Young winner. The 31-year-old southpaw was asking for a lot on the openread more...
6 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies right-hander Orion Kerkering (illness) might not be ready for Opening Day on March 28, according to manager Rob Thomson. Kerkering hasn't pitched in the Grapefruit League since March 1 because of the flu, although he's scheduled to throw at the team's spring complex sometime this week. "He's 22 years old," Thomson said. "We're not going to push this thing." Kerkering has appeared in only two spring games and might need to open the year on the injured list in order to rebuild his strength. The former fifth-round pick in 2022 out of South Florida went from playing in Single-A in 2023 to pitching high-leverage innings in the majors in the postseason last fall. Kerkering has a nasty sinker/slider mix that can make him almost unhittable as a future closer candidate for the Phillies.Source: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
6 hours agoCincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (leg) will not be a part of the team's Opening Day starting rotation, but he's expected to be ready to go by April 10. The Reds will open the year with a rotation consisting of Frankie Montas, Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft and Nick Martinez (ribs), with Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson (shoulder) vying for the No. 5 spot. When healthy, though, the 26-year-old Lodolo will have a rotation spot waiting for him after a lost season in 2023 due to a stress reaction in his tibia. While Lodolo has lots of strikeout upside for fantasy managers, he's also a big injury risk. The good news is that he's feeling better and has allowed only one run in two Cactus League starts this spring. In deep-mixed fantasy leagues, Lodolo is still worth taking a late-round flier on.Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
6 hours agoCincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that right-hander Nick Martinez (ribs) is locked into a starting rotation spot to begin the year, along with Frankie Montas, Hunter Greene and read more...
6 hours agoCincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (shoulder) was scratched from Monday night's Cactus League game versus the San Francisco Giants for precautionary reasons with left-shoulder soreness. It doesn't sound like a serious injury, but it's something to watch after McLain also missed time earlier this spring due to an oblique injury that cut his rookie season short in 2023. Health issues aside, the 24-year-old earned the right to open the 2024 campaign as Cincy's starting second baseman after hitting .290/.357/.507 with an .864 OPS, 16 home runs, 50 RBI and 14 stolen bases in his first 89 major-league games a season ago. The former first-round pick in 2021 out of UCLA is RotoBaller's No. 7 ranked fantasy second baseman, but injuries are becoming a concern. If McLain is forced to open the year on the injured list, Jonathan India could fill in at the keystone.Source: Cincinnati Reds