Moises Ballesteros Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Moises Ballesteros continues to rake against Triple-A pitching, currently riding an 11-game hit streak, which includes six multi-hit performances. The diminutive backstop now has a staggering .377/.430/.558 slash line over the first 19 games of the season, but it's just the most recent impressive display of hitting that he's put on at every stop in the minor leagues as he's climbed the ladder. Still only 21 years old, the left-handed slugger has outshone more advanced competition at every turn and has nothing left to prove offensively in the minors. If not for Carson Kelly's renaissance for the Cubs, we may have already seen Ballesteros in the big leagues, but it is just a matter of time now. Managers in deep leagues and two-catcher formats need to keep an eye on any rumblings of a promotion, as the Venezuelan could provide an instant offensive boost upon his debut.Source: MiLB.com
Chicago Cubs catching prospect Victor Mesa Jr. Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Victor Mesa Jr. (hamstring) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads on Saturday night. Mesa is returning from a strained right hamstring that he suffered at the start of spring training. The 23-year-old is listed as the team's No. 26 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, after slashing .255/.318/.423 with a .741 OPS, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, five stolen bases and 48 runs scored in 83 games with Jupiter and Triple-A Jacksonville a year ago. Whenever the Cuban outfielder finishes up his rehab assignment, he'll likely head back to the Jumbo Shrimp to continue his development. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound left-handed hitter has developed into a 20-homer guy but will need to shore up his plate discipline if he's going to have any sustained success once he surfaces in the big leagues.Source: Fish On The Farm
Miami Marlins outfield prospect Ryan Weathers To Begin Rehab Assignment On Sunday
Ryan Weathers (forearm) will begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter on Sunday, according to a source. Weathers is finally ready to pitch in games after injuring his left flexor muscle in spring training. In a best-case scenario, the 25-year-old southpaw could be ready to come off the injured list to make his 2025 season debut in early May. The former first-rounder of the San Diego Padres in 2018 went 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 80 strikeouts and 24 walks in 86 2/3 innings in 16 starts in his first full season with the Fish a year ago. Despite missing time with a finger injury, he displayed career-best walk and strikeout rates, leading many to believe he could be in store for a breakout season in 2025 once he returns from his forearm injury. Weathers is worth stashing now if he's available on your league's waiver wire.Source: Fish On The Farm
Miami Marlins left-hander Colby Thomas Heating Up At Triple-A
Colby Thomas has had a solid start to the Triple-A campaign, slashing .276/.364/.460 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases through 22 games. The former third-round draft pick has been swinging the bat particularly well over the last 10 contests, going 13-for-44 (.295), so he could be the next big prospect call-up for the A's in the coming months. Their second-ranked prospect showed well at Triple-A last season as well, slashing .272/.344/.559 with 17 home runs in 73 games (14 at Double-AA, too), and appears to be ready to make the next jump. Managers in AL-only leagues in need of a power boost could consider stashing the 24-year-old ahead of his eventual call-up, which is likely to happen around midseason.Source: MiLB.com
Athletics outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez Has Quiet Start To 2025
Emmanuel Rodriguez has had an inconsistent start to the 2025 campaign, logging five multi-hit performances and eight hitless efforts over his first 17 games, resulting in an uninspiring .231 AVG with no home runs and a 34.6 percent strikeout rate. A bright spot has been the Dominican's ability to draw walks, logging 13 of them thus far (16.7 percent). The Twins' second-ranked prospect (MLB No. 34) is expected to make his major league debut this season, but has played just 24 games at Triple-A, without much success. If the left-handed slugger can get on a roll, look for a call-up around midseason, especially with Minnesota's offense sputtering and in need of a boost. Source: MiLB.com
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Jeff McNeil Hitting Eighth In Season Debut
Jeff McNeil is starting at second base and is hitting eighth in his 2025 season debut on Friday against the division-rival Washington Nationals and right-hander Jake Irvin. McNeil was activated from the injured list on Thursday night and will make his first start for the Mets this year after missing the first four weeks of the year due to a right-oblique strain. The 33-year-old former batting champion went 11-for-28 (.393) with two home runs and three RBI in his eight minor-league rehab games with Single-A St. Lucie, Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. He will see most of his starts at the keystone in New York, but fantasy managers in 12-team leagues will want to see more from McNeil after he hit just .238 with 12 homers and 44 RBI in 129 games a year ago. In seven career at-bats against Irvin, he's hit .143 with a .393 OPS.Source: MLB.com
New York Mets infielder Brandon Sproat Coughs Up Six Earned Runs In Latest Start
New York Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat was tagged for six earned runs on Thursday for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out just one batter over 2 1/3 innings pitched. That's twiceread more...
Eury Perez To Start Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Eury Perez (elbow) will take the next step and start a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday with Single-A Jupiter, where he's expected to throw one inning for the Hammerheads. Perez appears to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from Tommy John surgery in April of last year, but the Marlins are surely going to take things slow with his rehab assignment on the farm. Still, barring setbacks, the 22-year-old Dominican could make his 2025 season debut in late May or early June for the Fish. Perez turned heads in his major-league debut in 2023 when he went 5-6 with a 3.15 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 108 strikeouts and 31 walks in 91 1/3 innings over his first 19 starts. He'll probably be a much better fantasy investment next year, but he also shouldn't be ignored when he returns this year. However, he might be a little rusty, and the Marlins figure to limit his innings.Source: Sports Grid - Craig Mish
Miami Marlins right-hander Bailey Falter Good To Go To Start On Sunday Against Dodgers
Bailey Falter (back) has been cleared to make his next start on Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Falter was pulled after four innings in his last start on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels due to back tightness, but the 28-year-old southpaw was able to recover and will pitch again this weekend. We would recommend that fantasy managers looking for streamers on Sunday avoid Falter against one of the best teams in baseball on the road. Falter has shown strong control (only seven walks in 26 innings), but he's allowed 17 runs (15 earned) on 24 hits (one homer) while striking out 20 for a 5.19 ERA (4.40 FIP). This is not the time to get cute and roll Falter out there against the best lineup in baseball, especially coming off a back injury in his last start.Source: MLB.com
Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Clayton Kershaw Has Successful Second Rehab Outing
Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe) looked good again in his second minor-league rehab start on Tuesday for Double-A Tulsa, allowing one earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out four in three innings of work. Kershaw tossed three scoreless innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City in his first rehab start and now has six strikeouts and one walk in his six innings of work on the farm as he recoveries from knee and toe surgeries in the offseason. Because the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer is on the 60-day injured list, he won't be able to make his season debut until May 17, so fantasy managers holding him in deeper leagues need to remain patient. The Dodgers aren't going to rush Kershaw back in what will likely be his final season. The three-time Cy Young winner has shown flashes of brilliance in recent seasons, but injuries have been the primary story near the end of his career.Source: Milb.com
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tyler Glasnow Will Start On Sunday Against Pirates
Tyler Glasnow (leg) has officially been cleared to make his next start on Sunday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. As a precaution, the Dodgers removed Glasnow from his last start on Sunday against the Texas Rangers due to cramping in his right leg. The hard-throwing 31-year-old is fine after resting up this week and shouldn't be limited in any way when he takes the mound this weekend in L.A. in a strong matchup against the Bucs. He'll enter that contest with a 1-0 record this year to go with a 3.71 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 17 innings over his four starts. Glasnow hasn't been as sharp as his fantasy managers would have hoped in terms of control, but there's nothing else to really complain about. Get him back in your starting lineups on Sunday.Source: MLB.com
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Francisco Alvarez Reinstated From Injured List, Starting On Friday
Francisco Alvarez (hand) from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Alvarez is making his 2025 debut for the Mets on Friday against the division-rival Washington Nationals and right-hander Jake Irvin, doing the catching and batting seventh. The 23-year-old backstop is getting a late start to the 2025 season after having surgery to fix a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. In his 10 minor-league rehab games, Alvarez went 7-for-39 at the plate with one home run. The Venezuelan catcher also missed extended time due to injuries in 2024 and hit just 11 home runs, but he clubbed a career-high 25 round-trippers and drove in 63 in 2023 in his first full big-league season. Alvarez is New York's starting catcher with high-end power at the catching position.Source: New York Mets
The New York Mets announced on Friday that they have reinstated catcher Merrill Kelly To Make His Next Start On Saturday
Merrill Kelly (leg) has been cleared to toe the rubber on Saturday against the visiting Atlanta Braves at Chase Field. Cramping in Kelly's right leg caused him to be lifted in the sixth inning of his last start on Easter Sunday in Chicago against the Cubs, but he's been cleared to take his next turn through the D-backs' starting rotation this weekend in a plus matchup against a struggling Braves offense. The 36-year-old veteran pitcher allowed a whopping nine earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work in his second start of the year on April 3 at the New York Yankees, but since that rough outing, he's bounced back nicely. He has allowed four earned runs while walking four and fanning 18 in 17 2/3 innings in his last three starts and will look to keep that going on Saturday. Fantasy managers should reinsert Kelly into their starting lineups this weekend.Source: MLB.com
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Jeffrey Springs Cleared To Start On Saturday Against White Sox
Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (hamstring) has been cleared to make his next start on Saturday in Sacramento against the visiting Chicago White Sox. Springs' last start on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers was cut short inread more...
Ryan Jeffers To See More Work Behind The Plate
The Minnesota Twins have essentially split the catching duties down the middle with Ryan Jeffers (152 starts) and Christian Vazquez (172) starts the last two seasons, but with Vazquezread more...