4 weeks agoNew York Mets left-hander
Jose Quintana will get the ball for Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Not only was Quintana on point to end the regular season, but he backed it up by tossing six scoreless innings in Game 3 of the Wild-Card series on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers last week. The 35-year-old Colombian southpaw doesn't have explosive stuff but knows how to keep hitters off balance and generate weak contact. Quintana also has postseason experience, appearing in six playoff contests, dating back to 2017 with the Chicago Cubs. In his 24 2/3 innings pitched in the postseason, he has a 2.92 ERA with 20 strikeouts and seven walks in six outings (five starts). He had a solid 2.81 ERA with nine strikeouts and only two walks in 16 innings over his three starts against the Phils this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
4
weeks
agoPhiladelphia
Phillies
manager
Rob
Thomson
announced
on
Monday
that
left-hander
Ranger
Suarez
will
start
Game
4
of
the
National
League
Division
Series
against
the
division-rival
New
York
Mets
on
Wednesday
at
Citi
Field.
Suarez
was
among
the
best
pitchers
in
baseball
in
read more...
4 weeks agoDetroit Tigers rookie second baseman
Colt Keith will retreat to the bench for Monday's Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field with a left-hander on the mound.
Andy Ibanez will start at second base for the Tigers and will hit third in the batting order against Guardians left-hander
Matthew Boyd. The lefty-hitting Keith has never faced Boyd in his career and will take a seat in this one despite the fact that he hit .305 (25-for-82) with just one of his 13 home runs on the year against southpaws in 2024. Ibanez, meanwhile, hit .292 (40-for-137) against lefties this year, but he lacks enough punch at the plate to make him a very enticing DFS sleeper pick. The 31-year-old Cuban infielder slashed a modest .241/.295/.357 this year with only five home runs, 32 RBI and 30 runs scored in 224 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit Tigers
4 weeks agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Alex Cobb will start Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday against the division-rival Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, according to manager
Stephen Vogt. Cobb began the 2024 season on the injured list with the San Francisco Giants and ended up making only three regular-season starts for Cleveland after they acquired him in a trade from the Giants. The 37-year-old veteran allowed just seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits while walking three and striking out 10 over 16 1/3 innings in his three starts for Cleveland and will now make his first postseason start on Wednesday since 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Cobb finished the 2024 campaign on the injured list with recurring blister issues on his right hand. Given the fact that he only made three starts this year, Cobb figures to be on a short leash and won't be a recommended DFS play.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
4 weeks agoThe Cleveland Guardians removed infielder
Tyler Freeman (oblique) from the American League Division Series roster on Monday due to a strained left oblique and added utility man
Angel Martinez to the roster to replace him. Freeman injured his oblique during a simulated game recently and now will be ineligible to play in the ALCS if the Guardians advance past the division-rival Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. The 25-year-old utility man was in his third year with Cleveland in 2024 and finished the regular season hitting just .209 (69-for-330) with a career-high seven home runs, 32 RBI, 11 steals and 48 runs scored in a career-high 118 games played. Martinez, 22, will serve in a bench role for the Guardians for the rest of the ALDS. The switch-hitter batted .232/.298/.338 with three homers and three stolen bases in 43 games in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: GuardsInsider
4
weeks
agoCleveland
Guardians
first
baseman
Kyle
Manzardo,
catcher
Bo
Naylor
and
outfielder
Will
Brennan
will
all
start
on
the
bench
for
Game
2
of
the
American
League
Division
Series
on
Monday
read more...
4 weeks agoThe Philadelphia Phillies will send right-handed pitching prospect
Andrew Painter (elbow), the team's top pitching prospect and No. 32 overall in MLB, to the Arizona Fall League so that he can face live hitters before the offseason. Painter is recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and started throwing off a mound back in July. The 21-year-old will be pitching in games for the first time in 2022. The former 13th overall pick in 2021 stands at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds and should make his major-league debut at some point in 2025 if he can avoid the injury bug. Painter features a legitimate four-pitch mix on the mound with a fastball that can touch triple digits. He also has a two-seam fastball, a put-away slider and a curveball in his repertoire. Painter's size, stuff and feel for pitching has ace potential at the next level for the Phillies.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
4 weeks agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Kerry Carpenter will take a seat in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians and left-hander
Matthew Boyd. With Carpenter on the bench as usual against a lefty starter,
Justyn-Henry Malloy will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat leadoff against Boyd. Carpenter should be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday when the series shifts to Comerica Park in Detroit against Cleveland right-hander
Alex Cobb. Carpenter hit just .107 (3-for-28) in a small sample size against lefties in 2024 with just one of his 18 home runs in 32 plate appearances. Malloy will be a DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot with his .203 average (41-for-202) on the year and eight home runs and 21 RBI in 71 games in his rookie season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Fernando Tatis Jr. bashed two homers en route to a 10-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. Tatis finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, three runs scored, and three RBI. Not a bad day at the office. He was also hit by a pitch by
Jack Flaherty after homering and doubling off him, which caused some fireworks. The Dodgers can't seem to get Tatis out, as he has gone 5-for-8 in the first two games of this series and is now sitting at a ridiculous 9-for-14 in the playoffs as a whole. He is making an early bid for playoff MVP, although there is obviously a long way to go yet.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder
Nick Castellanos came up huge in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday, hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to send the Phillies to a 7-6 win. Castellanos also homered in the sixth to tie the game at three and ended the day finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. It was a fantastic performance for the 32-year-old, who is looking to turn around his postseason fortune after slashing .199/.252/.382 in 136 postseason at-bats before this game. It was certainly a terrific start, and Castellanos will look to keep his momentum in Game 3 on Tuesday.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets third baseman
Mark Vientos smacked two big-time two-run homers on Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS. Vientos' first dinger opened the scoring and his second tied the game up in the ninth. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn't capitalize on Vientos' masterful performance, but he is showing that he can come up in clutch moments. The 24-year-old is getting his first taste of postseason baseball and is passing with flying colors, as he is hitting .400 with a 1.179 OPS. If the Mets make a deep run, Vientos could be a huge reason why.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Nestor Cortes (elbow) was able to play catch on Sunday. It was Cortes' first time throwing since landing on the IL on September 22 due to a left elbow flexor strain. The Yankees are going to wait and see how Cortes' elbow responds on Monday, and then plan the next steps in his recovery. If all goes well, Cortes could return in the ALCS should the Yankees make it there. Whether he is used as a starter or reliever is another question, as he might not have the time to build up to a starter's workload.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Gary Phillips
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) left Game 2 of the NLDS in the sixth inning after experiencing pain in his ankle. Freeman has been recovering from a sprained ankle since the final week of the regular season, and he managed to play through Game 1, but the pain was too significant in Game 2. The game was still very much in hand when Freeman left, which signifies that this wasn't a precautionary move and that Freeman was simply in too much pain to continue playing. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that they won't know Freeman's status for Game 3 until closer to the game.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Walker Buehler will make his first start of the postseason on Tuesday when he faces
Michael King in Game 3 of the NLDS. Buehler will be in tough against a Padres lineup that just put up 10 runs against
Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers bullpen. Buehler has had a tough year, pitching to a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP while earning just one win in 16 starts. He did pitch better in September, but he will need to find another level if he hopes to shut down the Padres offense.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio
4 weeks agoSan Diego Padres shortstop
Xander Bogaerts (hamstring) left Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning due to hamstring cramping. Bogaerts felt the discomfort earlier in the game, but was able to play through it and actually homered in the eighth before leaving. It is most likely a precautionary measure, as the Padres were up 7-1 when Bogaerts was removed. He said he thinks he will be fine, so expect to see him back in the lineup for Game 3 barring a setback.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: AJ Cassavell
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