4 mins agoCincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz will hit sixth on Thursday on Opening Day versus the Washington Nationals and right-hander Josiah Gray. Cruz had been hitting mostly second for the Reds in spring training action, but outfielder Will Benson will be slotted there for the first regular season game in 2024. It's not exactly what De La Cruz's fantasy managers were hoping for, but it's also just Game 1 of 162 this year. For DFS purposes on Thursday, it makes the intriguing 22-year-old shortstop less attractive towards the bottom of the lineup. De La Cruz's tantalizing power/speed combination makes him one of the top young position-player prospects in baseball, at a premium position no less. With a hot streak at the plate, he could easily supplant Benson in the two-hole for the Reds sooner than later.Source: MLB.com
10 mins agoThe San Francisco Giants optioned shortstop Marco Luciano and catcher Blake Sabol to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Many folks expected Luciano to open the year as San Fran's starting shortstop, but instead he'll open the year in the minors after missing some time with an injury in spring training. Veteran Nick Ahmed will open the 2024 season as the Giants' starter at the 6. The 22-year-old Luciano should still be considered the team's best long-term option at shortstop, but it remains to be seen when they'll deem him ready to return to the majors. Sabol, 26, is currently the Giants' No. 3 catcher behind Patrick Bailey and Joey Bart, so he'll bide his time on the farm until the team needs another catcher at the big-league level.Source: The Athletic - Melissa Lockard
14 mins agoThe Minnesota Twins placed right-handers Anthony DeSclafani (elbow) and Josh Winder (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday. The Twins also put right-handers Jhoan Duran (oblique), Josh Staumont (calf), Justin Topa (knee) and Zack Weiss (shoulder) and left-hander Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) on the 15-day IL to open the year. DeSclafani is dealing with a right-elbow strain and won't be an option for the back end of Minnesota's starting rotation for at least the first two months of the 2024 season. The 33-year-old was acquired in an offseason trade from the Seattle Mariners in January. He went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 20 walks and 79 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings for the San Francisco Giants in 2023. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire.Source: Minnesota Twins
19 mins agoLos Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon is hitting leadoff for the Angels on Opening Day on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Corbin Burnes. Manager Ron Washington experimented with using Rendon in the top spot in the batting order in spring training, and now he'll be there for the first game that counts in 2024. The 33-year-old gets the nod to start for the Halos for lack of better options, really. Rendon doesn't have much speed but does possess good plate discipline with an 11 percent career walk rate, so the Angels will be hoping he can set the table for Mike Trout and company. Rendon could boost his counting stats if he sticks at leadoff all year, but he should really only be concerned about staying healthy, as he has played in a total of 148 games in the last three years.Source: Los Angeles Angels
23 mins agoThe Los Angeles Angels officially placed right-hander Robert Stephenson (shoulder) and infielder Michael Stefanic (quadriceps) on the injured list on Thursday. Stephenson isn't ready for Opening Day on March 28 in Baltimore against the Orioles due to right-shoulder inflammation he dealt with in spring training. While it's not a serious issue, the 31-year-old is going to miss a bit of time to open his first year in Anaheim. When healthy, Stephenson will be in play in fantasy leagues that count holds as the primary late-inning setup man to closer Carlos Estevez. And if Estevez struggles at all in 2024 and is removed from the ninth-inning job, Stephenson would be the first one in line to replace him for saves.Source: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
36 mins agoThe Tampa Bay Rays have placed shortstop Wander Franco on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between the MLB and the MLB Players Association. Franco has been away from the team since last August, when his relationship with a minor first surfaced. There is no administrative leave in the offseason, which is why Thursday's Opening Day is when this move took place, and it also takes the former All-Star off of the 40-man roster, although he is still being paid while on leave. On June 1, the two parties will meet again to decide whether to extend his leave or place him on the restricted list, depending on the results of the investigation in the Dominican Republic. It's presumed that once that investigation is complete, MLB will conduct its own investigation, and Franco will likely be suspended.Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
57 mins agoThe Cincinnati Reds announced their starting lineup for Opening Day on Thursday in Cincinnati against the Nationals, with outfielder Will Benson penciled into the second spot in the order. Benson gets the start in centerfield after the projected Opening Day starter T.J. Friedl fractured his wrist in a spring game and was officially placed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday. Benson is intriguing for fantasy purposes, as while he's in there he brings a solid power-speed profile to the table, with the six-foot-five-inch lefty hitting 11 home runs and stealing 19 bases last season in just 329 PA. Benson will face the Nationals' RHP Josiah Gray whom he is 2-for-3 off of in his career, including a double and a strikeout.Source: MLB.com
1 hour agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes will go up against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. It will be his first Opening Day start for the Orioles and he'll match up against the Angels' LHP Patrick Sandoval. Burnes allowed five home runs in five spring games and finished with a 6.75 ERA, although he walked just two while striking out 13 in 16 IP. The Angel batters will see a mix of cut fastball (55%), curve (17%), changeup (11%), slider (9%), and sinker (8%) from the 3x All-Star, with the cutter clocking at 94.4 mph last season and the curveball being his most effective put-away pitch (26.3% Put Away%, 53.1% K%). Having pitched in the National League for all of his career to this point, the 29-year-old hasn't faced the Angels much, but for what it's worth, he's faced superstar Mike Trout three times in his career with Trout going 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly off of the righty.Source: MLB.com
14 hours agoColorado Rockies manager Bud Black says first baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant is in a "great place" physically, and he believes 25 home runs is a possibility for the veteran. Bryant is entering the third season of a seven-year, $182 million contract that is widely perceived as an albatross, but the 32-year-old four-time All-Star did hammer three homers and draw six walks over 43 plate appearances during spring training. Set to primarily occupy first base in 2024, Bryant should have a much better chance of staying healthy at the cold corner after appearing in just 122 of a possible 324 games in the past two years for the Rocks. Only rostered in one-third of Yahoo leagues to begin the season, the former National League MVP can't be discounted as a potential bounce-back candidate with plenty of slugging upside from a premium lineup spot in Colorado's lineup at the hitter's paradise that is Coors Field.Source: Patrick Saunders - Denver Post
15 hours agoThe Cincinnati Reds put starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (leg) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. Lodolo will miss the first couple of turns in Cincy's rotation, but the southpaw is set to make his 2024 debut on April 10 at home versus the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers following a long road back from a stress reaction in his tibia that dates back to May of last season. The 26-year-old former No. 7 overall pick tallied an underwhelming 6.29 ERA (5.79 FIP) and 1.74 WHIP through 34 1/3 innings in 2023, but he registered a strong 28.3% strikeout rate as well as 6.0% walk rate and gave up only one run while punching out five hitters covering two spring training appearances. Considering a favorable matchup is on tap for his first showing, Lodolo's bat-missing upside means he probably shouldn't be lying around on very many waiver wires in fantasy leagues for managers that can afford to stash him.Source: Cincinnati Reds on X
15 hours agoThe Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. While the move is a procedural measure, it's worth noting that Friedl avoided the 60-day IL in the face of a recovery timetable of six to eight weeks due to his fractured wrist. The Reds must believe the 28-year-old center fielder has a chance to return before the end of May, meaning fantasy managers shouldn't forget about him if choosing to leave Friedl on waiver wires instead of stashing him to start the year in shallow leagues. Friedl flourished during his first full year in the major leagues in 2023, slashing a potent .279/.352/.467 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases across 556 plate appearances. Will Benson is a name to watch during the early stages of the 2024 campaign after hitting .275 with an .863 OPS, 11 homers, and 19 swipes over 287 at-bats for Cincy a year ago.Source: Cincinnati Reds on X
15 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio will start in right field for Friday's Opening Day matchup against the New York Mets. It remains to be seen where manager Pat Murphy will slot Chourio in Milwaukee's batting order, but it's fair to expect the 20-year-old speedster to find himself in the lower part of the lineup during the early goings of the campaign. That doesn't mean Chourio won't work his way up to a more favorable spot over time; the No. 2 prospect in baseball slashed a promising .323/.373/.403 with four extra-base hits, four RBI, and two stolen bases over 62 spring training at-bats. Garrett Mitchell (hand) will miss at least the first month of the season, so Chourio will have an extended opportunity with the Brewers to showcase his exciting power and speed potential and is a threat to record 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in his rookie year.Source: Todd Rosiak - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
16 hours agoTampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-hander Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) will make a start for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, April 2, and then the team will go "start-to-start" on deciding when/if they'll bring him to the major-league level. Not only did Odorizzi not sign with the Rays until March 15, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. The 34-year-old veteran should eventually become a rotation option for Tampa this year, but he'll certainly be on an innings limit and already didn't come with much fantasy upside. The former first-rounder (32nd overall) of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 went 6-6 with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in his last season in 2022, sporting a 4.40 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 35 walks and 86 K's over 22 starts.Source: Bally Sports Florida - Ryan Bass
16 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (late) started his throwing program on Tuesday and appears to be ahead of schedule. Rodriguez threw from 60 feet on Tuesday, which was the first time he had done any throwing since suffering a left-lat strain in spring training on March 19. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw is still going to start his first year in Arizona on the injured list, but his stay there may not end up being a lengthy one. In any event, the Snakes still felt the need to add lefty Jordan Montgomery to their rotation on Tuesday. E-Rod had career-highs in ERA (3.30) and WHIP (1.15) in his final year in Detroit in 2023, but fantasy managers should be expecting regression from an injury-prone pitcher that has exceeded 160 innings just once in his eight major-league seasons.Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
17 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said on Wednesday that outfielder Garrett Mitchell (finger) will miss six to eight weeks due to a fractured finger on his left hand. The good news for Mitchell is that his injured digit won't require surgery at this time. Mitchell thought his finger was fine the other day before undergoing X-rays, but that won't be the case. It's a tough blow for the 25-year-old, who only managed to appear in 19 games for the Brew Crew last year due to a left-shoulder injury that required surgery. The former first-round pick from UCLA shouldn't be out nearly as long this time around as he was in 2023. In a crowded outfield picture in Milwaukee, Mitchell figures to be on the strong side of a platoon in right field in 2024 when he's able to return from his injury. In the meantime, Sal Frelick will likely see most of the starts in right.Source: 97.3 The Game