1 week agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that right-hander
Merrill Kelly (hamstring) is expected to make his next start after leaving his last outing on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers with hamstring cramping. Kelly's next start will be either on Monday or Tuesday at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies, depending on how Kelly feels. "We're going to see it through Merrill's eyes. He's fine today, he should be fine tomorrow. If he continues to be fine every day, we will make a decision if it's going to be Monday or Tuesday," Lovullo said on Friday. Coors Field isn't an ideal location to pitch after an injury scare, but the 35-year-old Kelly will be close to a must-start in that one just based on the opponent. Kelly has been inconsistent in his six starts since returning from a long IL stint on Aug. 11, posting a 5.85 ERA with 23 K's, 10 walks and seven homers allowed in 32 1/3 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports
1 week agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) is scheduled to play in a minor-league rehab game on Saturday at Salt River Fields. Gurriel has been on the 10-day injured list since Sept. 3 with a calf strain, and manager Torey Lovullo said he will likely return to the big-league lineup after catcher
Gabriel Moreno (groin), who could be back next week in the series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. "If I had to choose between one or the other, I would say Gabi first then Lourdes," Lovullo said. "Their returns are coming and they are getting very close and they are both feeling very good." When he's ready, the 30-year-old will return to regular duties in left field in the desert. Veteran
Randal Grichuk has seen more run in the starting lineup since Gurriel has been out. In 125 games this year, Gurriel has provided fantasy managers with 17 homers, 70 RBI and seven steals while hitting a respectable .274.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports
1 week agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored in Friday's 8-4 win over the Twins. It has been a season marred by injury for the 29-year-old but he's showing signs of life in September, hitting .262 with a pair of home runs, 11 RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases in 12 games. For the season, the left-handed hitter has a .221-12-51-32-9 line with a .302 wOBA and 87 wRC+. Friedl still boasts an 83.2% contact rate and a better-than-average strikeout rate of 16.0%, so there's hope he can finish strong and come into 2025 as a healthy multi-category contributor for fantasy.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoArizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he is confident that catcher
Gabriel Moreno (groin) will be back in the lineup soon, possibly as early as this upcoming week. Lovullo said on Friday that the team will assess how Moreno is after he plays five innings at catcher at a camp continuation game at Salt River Fields on Saturday with no restrictions. Moreno has been on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain since Aug. 6, but Lovullo said it's possible he could return for the series in Colorado against the Rockies next week. However, there is some concern about Moreno returning in the 5,000-foot elevation. Although the 24-year-old backstop hasn't been much of a fantasy contributor in 2024 with only five home runs and 41 RBI in 275 at-bats, the Snakes surely could use him back as they try to get back to the postseason this October. Rookie
Adrian Del Castillo has filled in nicely of late for the D-backs.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Sports
1 week agoLos Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander
Tyler Glasnow (elbow) got a scan on Friday and that the medical staff described the results as "promising." However, Roberts didn't have anymore specifics about what the scans showed. The Dodgers shut down Glasnow's scheduled simulated game on Friday after he experienced more discomfort in his right elbow on Friday, and Roberts described it as a setback. The 31-year-old has received good news on his tests, but there's still a pretty good chance we won't see him make a start again in 2024 in the regular season. The Dodgers' main priority right now is getting Glasnow healthy for a deep playoff run. Glasnow had an elite 32.2% strikeout rate in his first year with the Dodgers, going 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA and 0.95 WHIP on his way to his first All-Star appearance. The Dodgers need Glasnow in their rotation for the postseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Los Angeles Times - Jack Harris
1 week agoPhiladelphia Phillies left-hander
Kolby Allard will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to rejoin the team's starting rotation on Saturday to take on the division-rival New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Allard will take over for
Seth Johnson after his bad outing against the Miami Marlins last Sunday. The 27-year-old southpaw will be making his first start for the Phillies since Aug. 25, when he gave up two earned runs while walking none and striking out five over five innings for a win over the Kansas City Royals. He has only made four appearances (three starts) in the big leagues for the Phils in 2024 but has been decent with a 3.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. The Mets present a tough challenge for Allard as they seek a wild-card spot in the National League. They rank 10th in baseball with a .737 OPS, making Allard a shaky deep-league streaming option on Saturday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
1 week agoPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman
Alec Bohm (hand) and infielder
Edmundo Sosa (back) will begin their minor-league rehab assignments on Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Bohm has been showing progress and could be activated from the 10-day injured list on Monday before they start a series against the Milwaukee Brewers, barring a setback down on the farm this weekend. A strained left hand has kept Bohm sidelined since late August, but he's apparently made good progress of late and should be back in the Phillies' lineup at some point next week. Although fantasy managers would like to see more power from the 28-year-old third baseman, they can't really complain about the way his 2024 campaign has gone. The first-time All-Star has slashed .290/.343/.462 with an .804 OPS, 13 homers, a league-leading 44 doubles, 89 RBI and five steals in 131 games. Bohm will be a must-start when he's back for the Phils.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
1 week agoThe New York Mets are calling up infield/outfield prospect
Luisangel Acuna from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, according to sources. Acuna will mostly serve as infield insurance for the Mets after shortstop
Francisco Lindor (back) left Friday night's game against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies due to lower-back tightness. While the 22-year-old is the team's No. 12 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, he shouldn't be expected to get any kind of regular run with the Mets in the midst of a push for a wild-card spot in the National League. In his first taste of Triple-A this year, Acuna has hit .258/.299/.355 with seven home runs, 50 RBI and 40 stolen bases in 131 games at Syracuse. The 5-foot-8, 181-pounder is the brother of
Ronald Acuna Jr. and is mostly known for his blazing speed. Acuna will most likely serve as a pinch-runner for the Mets down the stretch.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ElExtraBase - Daniel Alvarez-Montes
1 week agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Dylan Cease tossed six innings of shutout ball in Friday's 5-0 victory over the Giants, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters on the way to earning his 13th win of the season. It was a nice bounceback game after the Giants roughed him up for four earned runs his last time out. Cease came into the game with a 4.38 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in eight appearances since throwing a no-hitter back in July. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old has a solid 3.58 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 21.5% K-BB% on the season. The righty will face off against Houston at home in his next start on Wednesday next week.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoThe Minnesota Twins will activate shortstop
Carlos Correa (foot) from the injured list on Saturday and will option outfielder
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Correa should be back in the starting lineup on Saturday at Target Field against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander
Nick Martinez, but fantasy managers will want to check back later for further confirmation. The 29-year-old has been away from the Twins since the All-Star break due to plantar fasciitis, so there certainly could be a bit of a rust factor now that he's back. The Puerto Rican infielder was hitting a strong .308/.377/.520 with an .896 OPS, 13 home runs, 47 RBI and 51 runs scored in 279 at-bats before his injury, so fantasy managers are hoping he can somehow pick up where he left off. Don't be surprised if the Twins look to ease Correa back in at shortstop after all the time he has missed.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
1 week agoCincinnati Reds shortstop
Elly De La Cruz hit his first career grand slam in Friday's 8-4 win over the Twins. It was the 22-year-old's only hit of the night but gave the Reds a 7-1 cushion before they added another run an inning later. The dynamic youngster set the Reds' single-season record for home runs by a switch-hitter, now with 24 on the year. He's been scuffling at the plate recently, going just 5-for-32 (.156) over the last nine games. Still, he's put together a fine season, as the 2024 All-Star now has a .259-24-69-97-64 line with a .351 wOBA and 120 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge went 2-for-3 with a walk and a go-ahead grand slam in Friday's 5-4 win over the Red Sox. The blast came in the seventh inning with the Yankees down 4-1 but would give them a one-run lead that they would not relinquish. It also snapped a 16-game homerless drought for the 32-year-old and gave him 52 long-balls on the year. It has, of course, been an incredible season for the veteran slugger, now with a .321-52-130-111-8 line with an astronomical .470 wOBA and 213 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSeattle Mariners outfielder
Julio Rodriguez went 4-for-5 at the plate in Friday's 5-4 win over the Rangers, collecting a pair of singles, a double, and a go-ahead home run in the contest. The 23-year-old's home run was a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth that would prove to be the eventual game-winner. It has been a disappointing season by Rodriguez's standards and for fantasy managers who drafted him where they did, but his BA (.263) and OBP (.319) are nearing career averages while there hasn't been a significant drop in contact rate or increase in strikeout rate, plus the barrel rate is still 9.6%. So, there's a chance for a strong finish and reason for optimism heading into 2025.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoColorado Rockies catcher
Hunter Goodman went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and collected seven RBI in Friday's 9-5 win over the Cubs. The first home run was a two-run shot in the second inning that gave the Rockies a 2-1 lead, while the second was a go-ahead grand slam that broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth, putting the Rockies up 9-5. The home runs gave the 24-year-old 11 of them on the season, but he has yet to string together a productive stretch of games at the plate, hitting just .191 with an OBP of .231 and a K% of 28.2% at the major league level this year. The power is legit, however, as the slugger had a span of eight games at Triple-A back in April in which he belted seven home runs. We'll see if this performance gets him going.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Alec Marsh struck out 11 batters in 5.1 innings of dominating pitching in the Royals' 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. The 11 strikeouts matches a career high for Marsh who struck out 11 against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023. The righty improved his ERA to 4.52 and recorded the win, making him 8-8 on the season. Marsh has been a solid option for the Royals since getting recalled from the minors but Friday night's performance was easily his best performance of the season. With the Royals fighting to keep their 2.0 game lead in the wild card race, more high quality performances from Marsh will be needed. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues likely should consider adding Marsh to their rosters to finish out the season. Marsh currently doesn't have another scheduled start listed but Kansas City does have an open spot in their rotation set for next Wednesday when the Royals host
Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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