4 days agoAtlanta Braves designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Reds, collecting his 38th home run of the season, smacking two doubles, driving in two, and scoring twice as well. The home run ended a remarkable 26-game homerless drought for the 33-year-old. Even still, the veteran slugger has put together a strong season for the Braves, posting a .306-38-100-92-0 line. The final month of the season has been the most productive for the 3x All-Star throughout his career, slashing .294/.364/.522 during that time, so he may be heating back up again at just the right time for fantasy managers navigating the fantasy playoffs.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoArizona Diamondbacks designated hitter
Randal Grichuk (lower body) returned to the lineup Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in the 9-4 win over the Rockies, recording an RBI and two runs scored in the contest. It was the third time the 33-year-old has homered in his last four games, going 7-for-12 (.583) with six extra-base hits, eight RBI, and five runs over that stretch. Both of his hits came off of left-handed starter
Austin Gomber. Grichuk has excelled against LHP this season, slashing .314/.377/.526 against them (156 AB) versus .250/.284/.524 against RHP (84 AB). For the season, the veteran owns a respectable .292-11-42-37-0 line overall in just 98 games.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Corbin Carroll belted a pair of home runs in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Rockies, walking once, driving in three runs, and scoring three times in the contest as well. The two round-trippers got him over the 20-homer threshold, giving him his second consecutive 20/20 season in his young career. The 24-year-old hit .212 with five home runs and 18 steals in 93 games prior to the All-Star break, but since then he's flipped a switch, hitting .274 with 16 home runs and 11 steals in 52 games. The reigning N.L. Rookie of the Year has turned it on at the right time for fantasy managers and now owns a .235-21-70-115-29 line on the season with a .329 wOBA and 110 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Bobby Miller has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The 25-year-old has been awful this season, but the Dodgers decided to give him another chance against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. That didn't go well as Miller gave up four runs over two innings of work in the loss. The right-hander has allowed 17 earned runs this month and increased his ERA to 8.52 after his latest outing. In a corresponding move, right-hander
Joe Kelly has been activated from the 15-day injured list. He figures to resume his role as a late-inning reliever.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
4 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
Joey Loperfido (hip) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers. The 25-year-old has been out of the lineup since suffering a groin injury during Saturday's contest. It appears the rookie outfielder is ready to go and will cover center field and bat eighth versus left-hander
Cody Bradford on Wednesday. Loperfido doesn't face left-handed pitching very often, but does have decent results in a small sample size. He's not a great DFS option for Wednesday, but fantasy managers in season-long formats can get him back in their lineups.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Max Muncy will out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. This is a much-needed day off for Muncy who has started in each of the last 10 games. The Dodgers also face a left-hander in
Ryan Weathers, so probably not a bad time to give Muncy a day off. In his place,
Kike Hernandez will cover third base and bat eighth versus Weathers. Hernandez has been quiet at the plate with a .214 batting average in 116 games this season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 days agoHouston Astros outfielder
Kyle Tucker is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres. The Astros have been extremely careful with Tucker since his return from a shin fracture. He has already been absent from the lineup a handful of times since returning a few weeks ago. The good news is that Tucker has moved back to the outfield after being limited to the designated hitter spot when he first returned. In his absence,
Jason Heyward will cover right field and bat seventh versus right-hander
Dylan Cease. Heyward is slashing .235/.278/.441 with six RBI since joining the Astros roster in late-August. He'll be an avoidable streaming option against a elite arm in Cease.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 days agoSan Diego Padres catcher
Kyle Higashioka is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. This appears to be a routine rest day for Higashioka who has played in each of the last four games. In his absence,
Elias Diaz will do the catching and bat eighth versus left-hander
Framber Valdez. Diaz is having a decent season with the bat, but has only one hit in 10 plate appearances with the Padres. He'll be an avoidable streaming option against a tough southpaw on Wednesday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 days agoSan Diego Padres infielder
Luis Arraez (knee) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. Arraez suffered a knee injury during Monday's contest, but he was back in the lineup on Tuesday. Possibly, Arraez suffered a setback or this is a routine rest day against a tough left-handed pitcher. It's worth noting that Arraez had started in each of the last 15 games prior to Wednesday's contest.
Jake Cronenworth will cover second base and bat seventh versus lefty
Framber Valdez. Cronenworth is hitting under .200 against left-handers this season, so he can be avoided as a streaming option on Wednesday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
4 days agoBaltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Yennier Cano (forearm) battled right forearm tightness but was available to pitch last night. The 30-year-old has not pitched since September 11, and this minor injury could have been the primary reason. However, fantasy managers should expect the elite reliever to make his next appearance sometime this week. The right-hander has once again operated as the primary set-up man in Baltimore this summer and has held a strong 2.78 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Under the hood, he boasts a 5.5% barrel rate and a 65.1% ground-ball rate, which are among the best marks in the sport. Fantasy managers in holds leagues should slot Cano back in their lineup down the stretch, as Cano should return to his eighth-inning role very soon.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Matt Weyrich
4 days agoNew York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor (back) remains out of the starting nine for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. DiComo noted that manager
Carlos Mendoza expressed that the starting infielder remains "day-to-day." The 30-year-old has been battling a lingering back injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past three games. As a result, top prospect
Luisangel Acuna has served as the temporary shortstop in Queens and has performed quite well, holding a .455/.455/.818 line with a double and a home run across four games. Acuna will get another start later Wednesday evening and will bat in the nine-hole against Nationals southpaw
DJ Herz. Acuna is worth a look as a temporary middle infield replacement down the stretch in all leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
4 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Clayton Kershaw (toe) was seen throwing off a mound on Wednesday, according to David Vassegh of SportsNet LA. The 36-year-old has been sidelined since late August due to a bone spur in his toe and is already starting to make significant progress in his recovery. The team has expressed that they do not expect the three-time Cy Young winner to return in the regular season but hope he will be available in October. Kershaw underwent offseason elbow surgery and missed a majority of the 2024 season before returning in late July. Through 30 innings this season, he has held a 4.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Kershaw would bring a much-needed boost to a decimated Dodger rotation in the playoffs.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: David Vassegh
4 days agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Brandon Williamson (elbow) suffered a full UCL tear and will need Tommy John surgery, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Williamson has battled injuries all summer and just made his 2024 debut earlier in September. Through this small stint, the 26-year-old held a 3.77 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP across 14 1/3 innings of work. The TCU product made his MLB debut last season and posted a 4.46 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP across 117 frames. The former second-round selection should be expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign and will now set his sights on returning in the 2026 campaign.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Sheldon
4 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Lance Lynn (knee) was placed on the 15-day IL earlier on Wednesday due to right knee inflation and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals promoted their No.10 ranked prospect,
Michael McGreevy, from Triple-A Memphis. Through his first season in St. Louis, the 37-year-old held a 3.84 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with a 44:109 BB:K ratio. After struggling through the first half of the summer with a 4.96 ERA, Lynn settled down in the second half with a much-improved 1.29 ERA. McGreevy made one appearance in the big leagues earlier this summer, back in July, where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to how McGreevy performs over the final week of the season as he could contend for a spot in the rotation next spring.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
4 days agoMilwaukee Brewers pitcher
Colin Rea was deployed in a long-relief role on Monday and could be shifting to a permanent role in the bullpen, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. In addition, McCalvy noted that Rea does not appear among the probable starting pitchers in their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since the start of August, Rea has held a 6.05 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 4:33 BB:K ratio across 38 2/3 innings of work as a starter. Under the hood, the 34-year-old holds a 9.2% barrel rate and a 41.8% hard-hit rate, which place him in the bottom 21st and 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers, respectively. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Milwaukee rotation this weekend, as it could suggest who will be deployed as a starter in October.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Adam McCalvy
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