3 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that the team will go with a bullpen game in Wednesday's National League Division Series Game 4 against the Padres, per Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. The Dodgers currently trail 2-1 in the series, so the team must feel that a bullpen-heavy approach will give them the best chance to avoid playoff elimination. The Dodgers' pitching staff currently has the highest post-season ERA at 7.27 with a 1.35 WHIP. 27-year-old
Landon Knack is the only starter on the NLDS roster who has yet to pitch, but he has just 69 innings of work in his big-league career, none of that coming in post-season play. He could be a sneaky DFS play in the event that the Dodgers turn to him as a bulk reliever, but the safer play would be to go with a declared traditional starter.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Bill Plunkett - X.com
3 weeks agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Dylan Cease is listed as the team's starting pitcher for Wednesday's National League Division Series Game 4 against the Dodgers. The 28-year-old, who pitched 3 1/3 innings on Saturday in Game 1 of the series, will get the nod ahead of his typical schedule with
Joe Musgrove (elbow) needing Tommy John surgery and the Padres up 2-1 in the series. While Cease had solid regular-season stats, he got hit around by the Dodgers in game 1, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He may rise to the occasion in a series-clinching game, but Cease's previous performance and lack of regular rest make him an uneasy DFS play.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole will take the mound in Thursday's American League Division Series Game 4 against the Royals. He will be opposed by
Michael Wacha. The 34-year-old, who missed the first few months of the season due to right elbow inflammation, had an erratic regular season but finished at 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 25.4% strikeout rate in 17 starts and 95 innings pitched. Cole did not pitch well in Game 1 of the series, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five IP. However, he owns a stellar career 3.05 post-season ERA in 18 starts and 109 1/3 IP. His historic success is encouraging, but his most recent outing does not inspire a ton of confidence for DFS leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez did his best to keep his team in the game in Tuesday's National League Division Series Game 3 6-5 loss to the Padres. Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk, and a strikeout. The 31-year-old jumped on a third-inning
Michael King hanging sweeper, hitting it just over the wall to straightaway center field to bring the Dodgers to within one run. Hernandez had a strong bounce-back regular season, slashing .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs, 84 runs scored, 99 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 652 plate appearances. He has carried his success into the playoffs batting .300 with six RBI and a stolen base in 10 at-bats.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoSan Diego Padres closer
Robert Suarez came up clutch in Tuesday's National League Division Series 6-5 win over the Dodgers. Suarez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning up by one with two outs and a runner on first. He induced a pop-out and stayed in to pitch the ninth, turning in a 1-2-3 effort with two strikeouts. The 33-year-old had a breakout season, going 9-3 with 36 saves to go with a 2.77 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 22.9% strikeout rate in 65 innings of work. He has yet to allow a run in three post-season appearances, picking up two saves with a 0.30 WHIP and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 IP. Suarez was one of fantasy's most reliable closers in the regular season, making him a strong DFS option for the playoffs.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his torrid offensive postseason in Tuesday's National League Division Series Game 3 6-5 win over the Dodgers. Tatis Jr. went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. The 25-year-old capped off a six-run second inning, obliterating an 0-2
Walker Buehler fastball into the left-field seats. Tatis Jr. put together a solid offensive regular season and has been on fire in the postseason, batting .556 with four HR and seven RBI in 18 at-bats. The Padres' lineup has performed well throughout the playoffs as well, making Tatis Jr. a standout DFS play.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Mark Sheldon - MLB.com
3 weeks agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Sean Manaea continued his stellar season in Tuesday's National League Division Series Game 3 7-2 win over the Phillies. Manaea pitched seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He also hit two batters. The 32-year-old became the eighth Met to allow three or fewer hits over seven-plus innings with one or zero runs in a post-season game. Manaea compiled a 3.47 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and a 24.9% strikeout rate in 32 regular-season starts. He has been even better in his two post-season starts, posting a 2.25 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 12 IP. He appears to be a reliable DFS option if or when he pitches again this postseason.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo - MLB.com
3 weeks agoKansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro announced on Tuesday that veteran right-hander
Michael Wacha will start Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium against the New York Yankees. Wacha will be hoping to bounce back against the Yankees at home this time after allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three in four innings in Game 1 on Saturday in the Bronx in a no-decision. The 33-year-old veteran was better at home in 2024 with the Royals, sporting a 2.89 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 19 walks in 14 innings at Kauffman Stadium, as opposed to a 3.78 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 15 starts on the road. Wacha has struggled in the playoffs in his career, though, posting a 5.36 ERA with nine home runs allowed in nine appearances (seven starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anne Rogers
3 weeks agoThe Los Angeles Dodgers removed right-hander
Michael Grove (shoulder) from the National League Division Series roster on Tuesday due a shoulder injury and replaced him on the roster with right-hander
Ben Casparius. If the Dodgers advance past the division-rival San Diego Padres and to the NL Championship Series, Grove would be ineligible to pitch. Grove went 4-4 during the regular season with a 5.12 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, 54 strikeouts and 16 walks in 51 innings over 39 appearances (only two starts) in his third year in the big leagues. He came in with the Dodgers trailing on Sunday in Game 2 against SD and allowed a home run and struck out a batter in just one-third of an inning. Casparius made his big-league debut in 2024 and appeared in three games out of the bullpen, allowing three runs (two earned) while walking four and striking out 12 in 8 1/3 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) is at first base and is batting third in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Tuesday against the division-rival San Diego Padres. Freeman sprained his ankle in the final week of the regular season and was held out of the final series before the postseason. The 35-year-old had two hits and even stole a base in the Game 1 win over the Padres in the NLDS on Saturday but was pulled after two at-bats on Sunday due to ankle discomfort. Freeman surely is not 100 percent and probably won't be for the rest of the year, but he had a day off to rest up on Monday and is feeling good enough to start as the series shifts to San Diego. In 10 career at-bats against King, Freeman has only two singles, a walk and two strikeouts. He probably won't be a super popular DFS pick because of the injury, but he can still do plenty of damage.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoSan Diego Padres shortstop
Xander Bogaerts (hamstring) is starting at shortstop and hitting sixth for the Friars for Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday at Petco Park against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Walker Buehler.
Donovan Solano will start on the bench, with
David Peralta serving as the designated hitter and batting seventh. Bogaerts had to leave the Game 2 win on Sunday after hitting a home run due to a hamstring cramp, but after a day off on Monday, the 32-year-old is ready to go again. He's gone 3-for-8 with the homer and three RBI in the first two games of the NLDS but has just one hit in seven career at-bats with a strikeout against Buehler. Meanwhile, Peralta, who also homered in Game 2, has hit .226 (7-for-31) with two doubles, three RBI, four walks and six strikeouts against Buehler in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padres
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia Phillies second baseman
Bryson Stott and outfielder
Brandon Marsh are both out of the Game 3 lineup on Tuesday in the National League Division Series at Citi Field with a left-hander on the mound for the New York Mets.
Edmundo Sosa will make the start at the keystone and bat eighth, while
Austin Hays makes the start in left field and will hit seventh against Mets left-hander
Sean Manaea. Stott had a big role in the Game 2 win on Sunday, hitting a two-run triple, but he'll take a seat with a lefty starting. Sosa has gone 4-for-8 in his career against Manaea with a homer, triple, double, three RBI and two strikeouts, so he'll be an intriguing DFS sleeper for Tuesday's games. Hays has only faced Manaea three times, but he does have two hits (one homer) and an RBI against him.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Inquirer - Alex Coffey
3 weeks agoThe Colorado Rockies announced on Tuesday that they agreed to a one-year contract extension with manager Bud Black for the 2025 season. Black is the winningest manager in team history with a record of 537-657 over eight seasons, and he led the club to the postseason in 2017 and 2018. Despite coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons, Black will stick around going into next year. Bullpen coach Reid Cornelius and assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere will not be returning. The 67-year-old Black led the Rockies to a 61-101 record in 2024 after the team went 59-103 in 2023. Before joining the Rockies as the skipper, Black managed the San Diego Padres from 2007 to 2015 and has an overall record of 1,186-1,370 (.464) in his managerial career. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2010.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
3 weeks agoCincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect
Julian Aguiar (elbow) had Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season. Aguiar, the team's No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, also ended the 2024 season with a right-shoulder injury. The 23-year-old former 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Cypress College will now focus on rehab all of next year while hoping to be good to go for spring training in 2026. Aguiar made his major-league debut with the Reds in 2024 and made seven starts, struggling to the tune of a 6.25 ERA (6.86 FIP) and a 1.33 WHIP while striking out 19 and walking 12 in 31 2/3 innings pitched. He relies on a fastball-slider mix and occasionally mixes in a curveball and changeup. Aguiar didn't become a full-time pitcher until his junior year in college and was named the Reds' Minor-League Pitcher of the Year in 2023. He has the chance to be a back-end starter for the Reds in 2026.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
3
weeks
agoNew
York
Yankees
manager
Aaron
Boone
said
that
he's
still
"deliberating
on"
who
will
play
first
base
for
Game
3
of
the
American
League
Division
Series
on
Wednesday
at
Kauffman
Stadium
against
the
Kansas
City
Royals.
Infielder
Jon
Berti
got
the
starting
read more...
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