6 hours agoCincinnati Reds designated hitter Nick Martini was 2-for-5 with two home runs in Thursday's 8-2 Opening Day win over the Nationals. Hitting out of the eighth spot in the lineup, the lefty also had five RBI and 2 runs scored. The former seventh-roundread more...
6 hours agoFollowing the injury to third baseman Nick Senzel, who fractured his right thumb before Thursday's Opening Day loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals No. 16 prospect Trey Lipscomb will be called up from Triple-A Rochester to make his major-league debut, according to a source. Some folks believed Lipscomb should have made the Opening Day roster after impressing in big-league spring training with a team-high .400 batting average, four extra-base hits, seven RBI and defensive versatility. The 23-year-old former third-rounder in 2022 out of Tennessee has average power at the plate and will probably be most useful to the Nats for his defensive versatility. With Senzel out for around three to four weeks, expect Lipscomb to split playing time at third with Ildemaro Vargas, making him worth a waiver-wire flier in NL-only leagues for infield depth.Source: MLB.com - Jessica Camerato
7 hours agoWashington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (thumb) fractured his right thumb on a bad hop while taking ground balls before the Opening Day contest on Thursday against his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, and could be out for three to four weeks, according to manager Dave Martinez. Senzel signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nats in the offseason after playing parts of five seasons with the Reds. The former first-rounder has been a bust to this point in his career, mainly due to injuries. Ildemaro Vargas replaced Senzel at the hot corner in Thursday's 8-2 loss to Cincy, but prospect Trey Lipscomb is expected to be called up from the minors and could split playing time with Vargas at third base for Washington until Senzel is able to recover from his thumb injury.Source: The Associated Press
7 hours agoTexas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (neck) will make his first start of the season on Sunday versus the Chicago Cubs, with Cody Bradford getting the nod on Saturday. Gray was scratched from his scheduled exhibition start earlier this week due to a stiff neck, but the injury isn't serious and he will be able to take the ball for his first turn through the starting rotation. The last time the 32-year-old took the mound in spring training, he went five innings, so fantasy managers should expect Gray to be pretty limited from a pitch-count perspective on Sunday against Chicago. Gray got off to an amazing start for the Rangers in 2023 but struggled down the stretch. He pitches in a hitter-friendly home park, is injury-prone and has a hittable fastball, making him a backend fantasy starter in mixed leagues, at best.Source: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
7 hours agoChicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) will likely go on the injured list after suffering a left-hamstring strain in his Opening Day start on Thursday evening versus the Texas Rangers. Steele will undergo an MRI exam on Friday. Counsell didn't want to speculate on whether Steele will only need a minimum IL stint. The 28-year-old southpaw suffered the injury while fielding a bunt in the fifth inning and will now have to miss at least 10 days and maybe more. It's a tough blow for the Cubs and their ace, as Steele allowed only one earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out six against the defending-champion Rangers in 4 2/3 innings of work before departing. With Steele likely heading to the IL, it's possible fellow lefty Drew Smyly will join Chicago's rotation in the near future.Source: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
9 hours agoMinnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that outfielder Max Kepler (leg) had X-rays come back negative on his injured leg. Kepler left Thursday's Opening Day contest early against the Kansas City Royals after fouling a ball off his leg, but the team will see how he's moving around after an off day on Friday. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Saturday to see if the 31-year-old left-handed hitter will be available to face KC following the off day. If Kepler misses any time this weekend, Matt Wallner would likely get a start in right field. Before leaving the game early on Thursday, Kepler had a rough day at the plate to kick off the 2024 season, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand
9 hours agoUpdating a previous report, the Chicago Cubs are saying that left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) left his Opening Day start on Thursday night against the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers with left-hamstring tightness. Steele was holding his left hamstring after fielding a bunt up the first baseline and falling in the fifth inning as he made a flip to first base. The good news is that before leaving early, Steele had held the Rangers to an earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out six in 4 2/3 innings. It doesn't sound like the 28-year-old southpaw's injury is all that serious, but fantasy managers will still have to check back in the next few days to see if Steele will be able to make his next scheduled start.Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Maddie Lee
9 hours agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas picked up the win in Thursday's 8-2 Opening Day victory over the visiting Washington Nationals, hurling six scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Montas allowed four harmless singles before his strong 2024 debut ended, and the Reds wouldn't look back after taking a commanding 7-0 lead during the third frame. After missing all but one appearance with the New York Yankees in 2023 following right shoulder surgery, the 31-year-old Dominican right-hander could be ready for a fresh start on a one-year prove-it deal in Cincy. So far, so good for Montas, but the former Oakland Athletics ace will face a much stiffer test in his next scheduled start next Wednesday on the road against Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll be a complete fade for fantasy purposes in that one.Source: ESPN
9 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Jose Hernandez collected a surprising Opening Day save in Thursday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Miami Marlins, throwing a clean 12th inning to slam the door in extras. Just recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day, Hernandez tallied his first career save in this one. With David Bednar (lat) unavailable out of Pittsburgh's bullpen, the Pirates used Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning, Luis L. Ortiz in the 10th and 11th frames, and Hernandez in the 12th. With that said, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Hernandez to get much high-leverage work once Bednar is ready to pitch again, so the 26-year-old Dominican left-hander looks like a bit of a fool's gold pickup on waiver wires. Chapman would be the favorite for saves if Bednar misses time beyond Opening Day. Hernandez managed a pedestrian 4.97 ERA (4.48 FIP), 1.36 WHIP, and 62:22 K:BB through 50 2/3 frames last year.Source: ESPN
10 hours agoMinnesota Twins relief pitcher Griffin Jax secured an Opening Day save in Thursday's 4-1 victory over the division-rival Kansas City Royals, firing a hitless ninth inning to close out the win. Filling in for the injured Jhoan Duran (oblique), Jax did make things somewhat interesting by walking Bobby Witt Jr. before facing the heart of KC's order, but he retired the next three hitters. Duran will be on the shelf for at least the first two weeks of the campaign, so Jax should stay atop the depth chart until at least mid-April. The 29-year-old right-hander was excellent as a setup man for the Twins in 2023, registering a 3.86 ERA (2.86 xERA), 1.17 WHIP, and 68:19 K:BB across 65 1/3 frames a season ago. Currently rostered in 57% of Yahoo leagues, Jax should not be floating around any fantasy waiver wires as the clear-cut favorite for saves out of Minnesota's bullpen in the interim.Source: ESPN
10 hours agoNew York Yankees closer Clay Holmes hung on for an Opening Day save in Thursday's 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Houston Astros, allowing three hits in the ninth inning. It certainly wasn't easy, as Holmes gave up a leadoff knock to read more...
10 hours agoChicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet fared well in his first major-league start on Thursday, launching six innings of one-run ball on six hits with eight strikeouts, but he took a tough-luck loss in the 1-0 Opening Day defeat to the Detroit Tigers.read more...
10 hours agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (hamstring) exited during the fifth inning of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers with an apparent left-hamstring injury. Steele went down after fielding a bunted ball and flipping it to first base, favoring what appeared to be his left hamstring. The 28-year-old southpaw was throwing well against an explosive Rangers lineup, giving up a lone run on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts before departing, and the severity of the injury remains unknown. It would be a big blow to Chicago's rotation if their ace and 2023 All-Star needs to miss time beyond Opening Day, and fantasy managers will have to hold their breath until the Cubs update Steele's status. The flame-throwing Julian Merryweather took over after Steele's exit.Source: Sahadev Sharma - The Athletic
10 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said closer David Bednar (lat) was unavailable in Thursday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Miami Marlins as part of his rehab from the lat issue he dealt with during spring training. Fantasy managers may have thought Bednar was over the injury after the 29-year-old right-hander was able to make two Grapefruit League appearances to close out the spring, but Bednar is still nursing the problem. It puts his availability into question for Friday's game against Miami as well, but it sounds like the All-Star stopper is just day-to-day. While Jose Hernandez ended up nabbing an Opening Day save on Thursday, it needs to be noted that Aroldis Chapman was summoned for the ninth inning and retired to top of the Marlins' batting order. Chapman is worth a speculative add on waiver wires until Bednar is out of the woods health-wise.Source: Jason Mackey - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
12 hours agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks officially placed outfielder Randal Grichuk (ankle) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to March 25) on Thursday. Grichuk is recovering from right-ankle surgery to remove bone spurs in January, but he is with Triple-A Reno and will play center field for the first time in his recovery process at some point this weekend. It sounds like he won't need much time before being ready to go. The 32-year-old didn't take part at all in any spring training games but will get some work in the minors before eventually being activated from the IL and brought to Arizona as outfield depth. Grichuk is first eligible to come off the IL on April 5. Because the veteran outfielder won't see much playing time, he's only a bench asset in NL-only fantasy leagues.Source: Arizona Diamondbacks