2 weeks agoCleveland Guardians left-hander
Matthew Boyd will make the start in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees on Thursday at Progressive Field. Boyd will try to prevent the Yankees from taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw will try to keep the good times rolling in his third career postseason start after blanking the division-rival Detroit Tigers over 6 2/3 innings in his two starts against them in the AL Division Series. In those starts, Boyd allowed five hits, walked three and struck out 10 batters. He made only eight starts during the regular season for Cleveland but was solid with a 2.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 46 K's. Boyd allowed three earned runs on four walks and two K's in 5 1/3 innings in his lone outing against the Yankees back on Aug. 20 in the Bronx.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mandy Bell
2 weeks agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez will take over DH duties and will hit sixth in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Walker Buehler at Citi Field. The left-handed-hitting
Jesse Winker got the nod at DH for the Mets in the first two games of the series and went 2-for-6 with two walks and a run scored. In six postseason games this year (three starts), Martinez has gone 4-for-14 with three RBI, two walks and a run scored. Martinez has only faced Buehler three times in his career and has struck out two of those times. The 37-year-old six-time All-Star hit a career-low .235 (102-for-434) in 120 games for the Mets during the regular season with a modest 16 home runs and 69 RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoThe Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday that rookie outfielder
Colton Cowser (hand) had successful surgery on his fractured hand, and he's expected to be ready to go for spring training next February. Cowser fractured his left hand in the team's Game 2 loss of the American League Wild-Card Series to get eliminated from the postseason by the Kansas City Royals. It was a tough way to end what was really a great season for the 24-year-old in his first full season in the big leagues in 2024. The good news is that Cowser will have plenty of time to heal up in order to be ready for the start of spring training and the 2025 regular season. In his 153 games played for Baltimore during the regular season, Cowser slashed .242/.321/.447 with a .768 OPS, 24 home runs, 69 RBI and nine stolen bases. He'll be a regular starter in the outfield for the O's to begin the 2025 campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Banner - Andy Kostka
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that second baseman
Gavin Lux (hip) "feels much better today," and the team expects him to be in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the New York Mets and right-hander
Luis Severino. Lux was removed from the Game 1 win on Sunday due to hip-flexor tightness and did not play in the Game 2 loss on Monday. However, the 26-year-old should be back in action on Wednesday with the series moving to the Big Apple. Lux has had a pretty solid postseason through six games, going 5-for-19 (.263) with a home run, three RBI, two walks and four runs scored. He has never faced Severino to this point in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dodger Blue - Matthew Moreno
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees first baseman
Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Guardians. The veteran didn't play in the ALDS after suffering fractured fingers at the end of the regular season but has shown no ill effects in his two games in the ALCS since returning. The veteran went 1-for-3 with a walk in Game 1 on Monday as well. If he's in the lineup Thursday for Game 3 in Cleveland, the 3x All-Star will likely see LHP
Matthew Boyd who he's 1-for-3 off of lifetime.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoCleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Yankees. The homer was his first hit of the ALCS, going 1-for-8 so far and just 4-for-24 (.167) this postseason. The 6x All-Star had a phenomenal regular season, finishing one home run shy of a 40/40 campaign, and if the Guardians are hoping to get back into this series then Ramirez will need to pick up the pace at the plate, starting Thursday in Game 3 back home. The switch-hitter will face
Clarke Schmidt to start the game, who Ramirez is 4-for-9 off of in his career, including a double and just one strikeout.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALCS. Kwan has now hit safely in each of the seven postseason games that the Guardians have played, slashing .448/.500/.483 over that time. Unfortunately, so far in the ALCS, it has yet to translate into wins with Cleveland now facing a 2-0 deficit as they head back home for Game 3 on Thursday.
Clarke Schmidt is slated to start for the Yankees and Kwan is 4-for-8 off of the righty in his career, so look for the 27-year-old to get the home crowd into it early as they try to claw their way back in the series.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole lasted just 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday, but the bullpen was able to stymie the Guardians the rest of the way in Game 2, leading to a 6-3 win to go up 2-0 in the series. Cole unraveled in the fifth inning when he allowed two walks, two singles, and a sacrifice fly before being lifted, having thrown 89 pitches in the outing. In all, the 34-year-old allowed two earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters. If the Guardians are able to extend the series to six games, Cole would get another shot at them to bounce back. Otherwise, his next turn would come in the World Series.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees second baseman
Gleyber Torres collected three hits in five at-bats in a 6-3 win over the Guardians in Game 2 of the ALCS. Torres doubled, scored twice in the contest, and has now hit safely in three straight games. Through six playoff games in 2024, the 27-year-old is slashing .292/.433/.500 with three RBI and seven runs scored, while displaying improved plate discipline with a 6:4 BB:K. The 2x All-Star and the Yankees will see
Matthew Boyd on the hill for the Guardians in Game 3 in Cleveland, and although Torres is just 1-for-9 off the southpaw, he's seen more success versus LHP this season (.811 OPS) compared to RHP (.674 OPS).
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run, tallying three RBI in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Guardians in Game 2 of the ALCS. It was Judge's first home run of the 2024 postseason after belting 58 during the regular season. The Yankees have been able to go 5-1 through six playoff games despite the 32-year-old going 3-for-18 (.167) thus far. The 6x All-Star has managed to collect six walks as well though, which has led to a solid .346 OBP. We'll see if Tuesday's long ball gets his bat going again, with his next opportunity to come in Game 3 in Cleveland on Thursday, likely facing LHP
Matthew Boyd who Judge is 2-for-6 with a home run, five walks, and zero strikeouts against in his career.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoAs expected, Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday at Citi Field against the New York Mets, according to manager Dave Roberts. Yamamoto was shaky in his first career playoff start in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, when he allowed five earned runs on five hits (one homer) with two walks and only one strikeout in three innings. He bounced back nicely in the Game 5 start against the Friars, though, throwing five shutout innings with a walk and two strikeouts. The Japanese hurler hasn't missed many bats in the postseason and will now face a hot Mets offense on the road. The 26-year-old gave up four runs (three earned) while walking one and punching out nine in six innings in his only start against the Mets in 2024, but it came way back on April 19 in his fifth start in the majors.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
2 weeks agoNew York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Tuesday that veteran left-hander
Jose Quintana will make the start in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After Quintana, nothing is official, but right-hander
Kodai Senga is the most logical candidate to start Game 5 after he got the nod in Game 1 on Sunday. In two starts this postseason against the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, Quintana has been lights-out for the Mets, allowing one run (zero earned) on six hits while walking three and fanning 11 in 11 innings. The 35-year-old southpaw also allowed only two earned runs in his four starts in September. In his lone start against LA in 2024 in New York back on May 28, Quintana had a quality start, giving up three earned runs with no walks and three K's in six innings of work.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
2 weeks agoThe Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms with catcher
David Banuelos on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training next year, according to a source. Banuelos spent most of the 2024 season on the team's taxi squad. The 28-year-old backstop did make his major-league debut in 2024 but had just one at-bat. Down on the farm in 22 games with Triple-A Norfolk, he hit .225/.361/.352 with a .713 OPS, two home runs, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored in 86 trips to the plate. The former fifth-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2017 out of Cal State Long Beach will most likely return to Norfolk in 2025 after re-signing with the organization and will continue to serve as catching depth down on the farm.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
2 weeks agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez is likely to be in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Walker Buehler, according to manager
Carlos Mendoza. In the first two games of the NLCS, the left-handed-hitting
Jesse Winker has gotten the nod for the Mets at DH, but Martinez will make his first start of the series on Wednesday after going 4-for-14 (.286) with three RBI, two walks and a run scored in six games (three starts) in this year's postseason. The 37-year-old has faced Buehler just three times before in his career and has struck out twice. The six-time All-Star hit just .235 (102-for-434) in 120 games for the Mets during the regular season but did provide 16 homers and 69 RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale
2 weeks agoKansas City Royals relief pitchers
Hunter Harvey (back),
James McArthur (elbow) and
Chris Stratton (forearm) are all expected to be healthy entering spring training next February after ending 2024 on the injured list. Stratton holds a $4.5 million player option for next season. Harvey began the year with the Nationals and had a rough 6.35 ERA and 2.12 WHIP with one save in only 5 2/3 innings for the Royals before being shut down in late September. McArthur began the year as KC's primary closer but eventually lost the job and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL sprain in his right elbow in mid-September. He had a career-high 18 saves but also an ERA just under 5.00. Stratton, who has a right flexor strain, also underwhelmed in 2024 with a 5.55 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and four saves in 58 1/3 innings in his first year with the Royals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anne Rogers
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