3 mins agoWashington Nationals third base prospect
Brady House blasted his first home run of the season in a 2-for-3 day at the plate for Triple-A Rochester on Thursday. After going hitless in four at-bats in the first game of the season, the former 11th-overall draft pick has three multi-hit games in his last four, now slashing .350/.381/.600 on the young season. The Nats' top offensive prospect showed well in limited Grapefruit League play earlier this spring, going 7-for-21 (.333) with one stolen base and a 4:4 BB:K but was sent to Triple-A to begin the 2025 campaign. With a strong showing at the highest level of the minors, fantasy managers should expect the 6-foot-4 slugger to be in D.C. later this season. Power-needy managers in NL-only and deeper leagues could consider rostering him, but problematic chase and strikeout rates could be a drain on batting average once he gets to the majors.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
8 mins agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Nick Lodolo looked solid on Thursday, allowing one unearned run over 6 ⅔ innings in a 0-1 loss to the Brewers. He allowed four hits and struck out four. It was his second quality start in a row, and he now holds a 1.42 ERA and 0.71 WHIP on the season. The 6'6" lefty has dominating stuff when everything is working in sync, and he'll look to carry this early-season success into his next start, which is currently set to be against the Giants.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
34
mins
agoHouston
Astros
infield
prospect
Shay
Whitcomb
went
2-for-4
with
two
solo
home
runs
on
Thursday
for
Triple-A
Sugar
Land.
The
two
blasts
were
his
first
home
runs
of
2025,
now
5-for-25
(.200)
on
the
young
season
with
four
of
his
five
hits
going
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1 hour agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Charlie Morton had his swing-and-miss stuff going during Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The veteran right-hander struck out 10 batters across five innings of work, which isn't easy against the Red Sox lineup. However, Morton also allowed six hits, five earned runs, and two walks during Thursday's outing. The final results were a mixed bag, but fantasy managers should've still received a decent performance due to the double digit punchouts. Morton has been smacked around for nine runs over two starts this season. Possibly, the Fountain of Youth has finally run dry, but we'll see what Morton can do during his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto was a tough out at the plate all game long on Thursday. The veteran backstop would finish his day 3-for-3 with three singles in the win over the Colorado Rockies. Realmuto would also add on two steals, which are a little more rare at this stage in his career. Regardless, fantasy managers will continue to take these kinds of performances out of the 34-year-old backstop. His days of being an elite fantasy option are probably behind him, but Realmuto is still worth rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Hunter Brown got off to a rough start during Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander gave up two runs in the first inning, but settled down nicely after that. Brown would follow that rough first frame with five scoreless innings to record his second quality start of the season. Brown allowed five hits, walked no one, and struck out eight batters in the win over Minnesota. He'll take a 3.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts through 12 innings into his next start against the Seattle Mariners.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 hours agoHouston Astros first baseman
Christian Walker has been off to a slow start with his new team, but was able to do some damage on Thursday. Walker helped his team get on the scoreboard with a solo shot off right-hander
Joe Ryan in the second inning. His day wouldn't end there as he would also single later in the game as Walker reached base three times during this contest. The veteran slugger is still hitting under .200 through the first seven games. However, his two-hit performance did help as the Astros were able to come back and win this ballgame. Fantasy managers will just need to be a little more patient with Walker.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to March 31. The Dodgers were hopeful to avoid this, but Freeman wasn't progressing as they hoped from his right-ankle sprain. It's worth noting that the sprain is on the same ankle Freeman had surgically-repaired. That being said, the Dodgers aren't going to take any chances this early in the season and will give Freeman some time to rest.
Enrique Hernandez figures to handle a majority of the playing time at first base while Freeman is out. Hernandez isn't a must-have fantasy player, but he does hit well against left-handed pitching. The veteran slugger figures to see a boost in value while Freeman is on the shelf. Freeman needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
5 hours agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins was productive out of the leadoff spot on Thursday despite an 8-4 loss to the division-rival Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards, as he went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI, a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout. Mullins' third home run of the year came in the first inning to lead off the bottom half of the inning against right-hander
Tanner Houck in which he just hooked it inside the right-field foul pole on a screaming liner on a changeup. It's been a fast start for the 30-year-old outfielder, as he now has eight hits in his first 26 at-bats with 11 RBI and two stolen bases in seven games played. While Thursday's series finale against Boston was his first time batting leadoff for Baltimore, it's unlikely he'll remain there regularly moving forward with All-Star shortstop
Gunnar Henderson (intercostal) set to make his season debut on Friday in Kansas City.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies right-hander
Taijuan Walker had a throwback outing in his first start of the year on Thursday against the visiting Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park in the team's 3-1 victory. Walker kept the Rockies scoreless through six innings while giving up three hits, walking one and striking out four for his first win of the 2025 season. Fantasy managers in deep leagues will want to take this outing with a grain of salt since it came against Colorado, but it was a good first outing for the 32-year-old veteran as he fills in for lefty
Ranger Suarez (back) in Philly's starting rotation to begin the season. Things probably won't come as easy in his second start next week against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, though, and Walker will head back to the bullpen when Suarez is ready to return from the injured list.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Tanner Houck was unable to go deep enough into Thursday's game on the road in Baltimore against the division-rival Orioles to pick up a win in an 8-4 victory at Camden Yards. Houck allowed three earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out six in four innings of work for a no-decision. It wasn't a very efficient outing for the 28-year-old hurler, as he needed 82 pitches to complete four innings against the O's. The former first-rounder (24th overall) out of the University Of Missouri will be hoping to be better in his third start of the year next week at Fenway Park against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. It's not the start that his fantasy managers were hoping for, as Houck has now allowed seven runs in only 9 2/3 frames to begin the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Alex Bregman had a big day on Thursday in the 8-4 win over the division-rival Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored and two strikeouts. Bregman broke out in this one with his first three extra-base hits in his first year with Boston. The 31-year-old veteran hit his first homer of the year in the first inning off veteran right-hander
Charlie Morton and later added two doubles. The two-time All-Star came into Thursday's contest with six hits in his first 27 plate appearances with one walk and six strikeouts. Fantasy managers have to be happy to see him break out for his first big game of 2025, and they'll be hoping he can keep it going this weekend for a series at Fenway Park against the St. Louis Cardinals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoThe Seattle Mariners reinstated infielder
Jorge Polanco from the paternity list on Thursday and also optioned infielder
Leo Rivas and left-hander
Jhonathan Diaz to Triple-A Tacoma. Polanco will return to the team after missing the last few games and should be back in the starting lineup at second base for Friday's series opener versus the San Francisco Giants and veteran right-hander
Justin Verlander. After an injury-plagued 2024 campaign for the veteran 31-year-old, it's been nice to see Polanco get going early in 2025 with six hits in his first 15 at-bats. He's cleared the fences one time and driven in four in 16 plate appearances. Polanco doesn't have great history in his career against Verlander -- he's hit .133 with a .649 OPS in 15 at-bats -- but he does have a solo home run against him.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Mariners PR
6 hours agoThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak reports that pitching prospect
Carlos Rodriguez is in the team's clubhouse on Thursday before their game against the visiting division-rival Cincinnati Reds. It sounds as though he's being called up from Triple-A Nashville, and the 23-year-old will be a candidate to start just his third game in the big leagues on Friday. In his first start of the year for Nashville, the team's No. 23 prospect per MLB Pipeline, gave up an unearned run while walking one and fanning seven in five innings of work. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound hurler allowed 11 runs (10 earned) on 19 hits (three homers) while walking three and striking out nine in 12 1/3 innings in his first three MLB starts in 2024. Rodriguez attacks hitters with six different pitches but doesn't really have an elite pitch and should probably be avoided in fantasy if he makes a spot start on Friday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Todd Rosiak
6 hours agoNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Thursday that infielder
DJ LeMahieu (calf) is "about a week away" from taking live at-bats as he recovers from a left-calf strain that he suffered in spring training. "It would be a pretty big build-up, I'd want him to have a spring training," Boone said when asked about a timeline for LeMahieu's return. It sounds as though the Yankees don't expect the 36-year-old veteran to be back with the big-league squad during the month of April, which is good news for
Oswaldo Cabrera, who has been serving as the Yankees' primary third baseman to begin the year. LeMahieu, a three-time All-Star and two-time MLB batting champion, played in only 67 games in 2024 due to injuries and has fallen off a cliff offensively in recent years. He hit just .204/.269/.259 with two homers when on the field last year and won't be guaranteed consistent playing time when he returns to the Bronx.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: SNY
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