2 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ (hamstring) was pulled in the seventh inning of Friday's win over the visiting Miami Marlins due to right-hamstring tightness, according to manager Craig Counsell. Happ's status for the rest of the weekend is now to be determined. Given the fact that Happ also missed time in spring training with a left-hamstring strain, fantasy managers should not be surprised at all if this ends up being an injured-list situation for the switch-hitting outfielder. For now, the 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day. There's a good chance he won't play on Saturday, but check back anyway to see if he's active. With
Seiya Suzuki (oblique) already on the IL, the Cubbies would be down to
Cody Bellinger,
Mike Tauchman and rookie
Alexander Canario in their outfield, although
Garrett Cooper and
Patrick Wisdom could also be used out there.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
2 hours agoHouston Astros left-hander
Framber Valdez (elbow) played catch on Friday, and manager Joe Espada said the hope is that Valdez could throw off a mound on Saturday or Sunday. Valdez is currently on the injured list while dealing with left-elbow inflammation, but there's no structural damage and he's already throwing again after being sidelined on April 9. The 30-year-old southpaw won't come off the IL when he's eligible next week, but a minor-league rehab assignment may not be far off. In the meantime, his fantasy managers will be hoping he'll return sometime in May. Keep Valdez stashed in all fantasy formats until then. The Dominican starter had picked up where he left off in 2023 through his first two starts before his elbow injury, giving up just three earned runs while striking out 10 in 12 1/3 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
2 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that right-hander
Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will make a third minor-league rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. If Walker comes out of that outing without any setbacks, he's expected to rejoin the Phillies' starting rotation after that to make his 2024 debut. The Phillies aren't going to rush the 31-year-old veteran back into the fold, especially with
Spencer Turnbull pitching well right now as he fills in for Walker. Fantasy baseball managers looking for extra rotation depth in deeper mixed leagues may want to consider picking Walker up now and stashing him. Walker's 4.83 xFIP last year shows he was pretty lucky to come away with a 4.38 ERA in his 31 starts in 2023. He'll be a matchup-based streamer once he returns to the majors.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
2 hours agoThe game between the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners in Colorado on Friday has been postponed due to inclement weather. The contest is being rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Sunday at 1:10 pm and 6:10 pm. Right-hander
Dakota Hudson was scheduled to pitch for the Rockies on Friday, with right-hander
Emerson Hancock set to take the bump for the visiting Mariners. Both pitchers will presumably be pushed back to start in what will now be the series opener on Saturday. Fantasy baseball managers will want to make sure they remove any players from these two teams from their starting lineups for Friday's slate of action.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
2 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever
Aroldis Chapman's suspension has been reduced to one game after he settled with the league. Chapman will serve his one-game suspension on Friday night against the Boston Red Sox and won't be available out of the bullpen. The league suspended the 36-year-old southpaw for getting into a confrontation with an umpire during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The Cuban hurler does have a save on the season but has also allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits while walking six and striking out 11 in 5 2/3 innings pitched so far in 2024. The seven-time All-Star isn't Pittsburgh's primary closer but he can still be useful for his strikeout numbers and holds in deeper fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
2 hours agoThe Kansas City Royals reinstated infielder
Michael Massey (back) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder
Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Massey is immediately back in the Royals' starting lineup on Friday, starting at second base and batting seventh against Baltimore Orioles right-hander
Dean Kremer. Massey is back in Kansas City after a back strain caused him to miss the start of the 2024 regular season. The 26-year-old looked good on his minor-league rehab assignment and figures to split playing time at the keystone with veteran left-handed hitter
Adam Frazier. In 129 games with the Royals in 2023, Massey slashed an underwhelming .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI and six stolen bases in 461 plate appearances. He's worth a pickup in AL-only leagues, at least, for middle infield depth.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
2 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Jarred Kelenic is on the bench on Friday with the team facing a left-hander. With Kelenic starting on the bench,
Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for Atlanta and hit sixth in the batting order versus Texas Rangers left-hander
Andrew Heaney. It's not out of the ordinary for Kelenic to get benched against a left-handed pitcher and he could use the break right now after going 2-for-13 with six strikeouts in his last four games played. The 24-year-old former Seattle Mariner has otherwise enjoyed his time so far in Atlanta, going 14-for-39 (.359) but with no home runs and only three RBI to show for it in his first 14 games. Duvall is hitless in his two career at-bats against Heaney.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
2 hours agoOakland Athletics outfielder
Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hander on the mound. Ruiz has started just one of his four games since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, and that one start came against a left-handed pitcher. The 25-year-old speedster has gone 2-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored since returning from the minors, but the A's apparently view him only as a platoon outfielder for now on the short side against lefties.
Seth Brown,
JJ Bleday and
Lawrence Butler are starting from left field to right field across Oakland's outfield on Friday. For his speed alone, Ruiz is probably still worth keeping stashed as a bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoThe Texas Rangers have optioned right-handed pitching prospect
Jack Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and called up No. 9 prospect
Owen White from Round Rock in a corresponding move. Leiter made his major-league debut on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and didn't do so well, allowing seven runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three in 3 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old wasn't fooling many hitters and allowed a lot of hard contact in his first taste of big-league hitters. He'll surely be back at some point in 2024, but for now will head back to the farm to hone his craft. White, 24, gave up five earned runs in four relief innings in his major-league debut in 2023. It's unclear what role the Rangers plan on having him fill in his first call-up of 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Pipeline
3 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates third baseman
Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has returned from his back injury and is playing third base while hitting third on Friday in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander
Brayan Bello. Hayes is back in the lineup after missing the last two games with lower-back tightness. It obviously wasn't a serious issue for the 27-year-old, who will now look to get on track at the plate after an off day on Thursday. Hayes has hit .277 (18-for-65) in the early going but has yet to clear the fences and went 3-for-17 with five walks and six strikeouts in the previous five games before his back injury. Hayes has never faced Bello in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
3 hours agoWashington Nationals first baseman/outfielder
Joey Gallo and third baseman
Nick Senzel are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Houston Astros.
Joey Meneses is playing first base and batting sixth, while
Ildemaro Vargas is at third base and hitting ninth against Astros right-hander
Justin Verlander, who is making his 2024 debut after dealing with a right-shoulder injury this spring. Gallo started each of the team's previous 14 games and could use a break after hitting just .170 with three home runs to begin the year. Senzel began the year on the injured list and has gone 2-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts in his first three games of the year. Meneses and Vargas have gone hitless against Verlander in their careers in just five combined at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Washington Nationals
3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels infielder
Brandon Drury (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth in the order.
Luis Rengifo remains at second base and is batting seventh for the Halos. Drury missed the team's last three games with left-hamstring tightness but is back in action against his former team, the Reds. It's a good place for Drury to come alive with the bat in a hitter-friendly environment. So far in 2024 in his first 55 at-bats, Drury has been cold, picking up only 11 hits for a .200 batting average while hitting one home run, driving in three and scoring five runs. The Reds currently don't have a starter listed for Friday's contest yet.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoNew York Yankees infielder
DJ LeMahieu (foot) said after undergoing an MRI exam on Thursday, doctors don't yet feel comfortable sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment. The hope is later this week he can start playing in games. When the 35-year-old is finally cleared, he's expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset. LeMahieu has yet to make his 2024 MLB debut with the Yankees after initially being expected to open the year as the team's regular third baseman. Manager Aaron Boone said that next Tuesday is now the target date for LeMahieu to begin his rehab assignment.
Oswaldo Cabrera is starting at the hot corner for the Yankees on Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander
Tyler Alexander.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
3 hours agoThe Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they placed left-hander
Kyle Freeland (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) with a left-elbow strain and recalled right-hander
Noah Davis from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Freeland injured his right, non-throwing shoulder on a slide into home plate as a pinch-runner earlier this week but is now dealing with a left-elbow injury. The 30-year-old southpaw could be out longer than just two weeks, depending on the exact nature of his elbow injury. It's unclear who will take Freeland's spot in the starting rotation, but it could be Davis. Freeland was scheduled to make his next start on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. After a 13.21 ERA with eight walks and nine K's in his first four starts, fantasy managers in mixed leagues can drop him for now.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Rockies Club Information
4 hours agoThe Cincinnati Reds claimed infielder
Livan Soto off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Reds transferred right-hander
Tejay Antone (elbow) to the 60-day injured list. Soto will join his third team of the year after the Orioles designated him for assignment earlier this week. The 23-year-old Venezuelan infielder made his major-league debut in 2022 with the Los Angeles Angels and has hit .375/.414/.531 with a .946 OPS, one home run, nine RBI and a stolen base in just 22 games played the last two seasons in Anaheim. He has a .780 OPS in 32 at-bats this year for Triple-A Norfolk and will now head to Louisville to give the Reds some extra infield depth.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cincinnati Reds
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