5 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jose Siri bat-dropped and admired two solo home runs and pitched in a walk Friday night in a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals. The pair of home runs puts Siri at 11 on the season to go along with 29 RBI. In his last four games, Siri has raised his batting average from .206 to .219. Still, due to his lack of consistency in the batting average department and his low OBP skills, he's provided no stolen bases despite being capable of stealing many bases with his athleticism. He remains a deep league injury replacement at best unless his hot streak continues over a longer period.
--Joey Inglese - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Jesse Winker (knee) said following Friday's game against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays that there's nothing wrong structurally with his knee, and he hopes he can play on Saturday. Winker injured his knee after his foot got caught in the outfield turf in the first inning and had to exit the contest early, walking off the field with a limp, but he appears to have dodged a significant injury. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day before he's re-evaluated ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Rays. It's been a resurgent season for the 30-year-old lefty-hitting slugger, who's slashing .260/.377/.412 with nine home runs, 36 RBI, 37 runs scored, and a career-high 12 stolen bases through 250 at-bats as Washington's primary left fielder. If the rebuilding Nats opt to put Winker, a potential trade chip at July's deadline, on the injured list, a clearer pathway to playing time would emerge for incoming top prospect
James Wood.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mark Zuckerman - MASNSports.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher
Kenta Maeda (hip) took a liner off his hip area and left Friday's start against the hosting Los Angeles Angels with one out in the sixth inning. Maeda was at 87 pitches before being removed for right-hander
Will Vest, giving up two runs with four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in Friday's outing against the Angels in Anaheim. It's not clear at the moment exactly what the issue is for Maeda, but his next start tentatively lines up for Thursday on the road against his former Minnesota Twins team. The 36-year-old veteran right-hander is best suited for streaming purposes in fantasy at this stage of his career, carrying a weak 5.76 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 45:19 K:BB over 59 1/3 frames for the Tigers this year. Maeda should be deemed day-to-day until he's further evaluated and more information becomes available, but he could just be dealing with a bruise.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Chris McCosky - The Detroit News
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez struck out nine batters in a complete-game shutout at home against the division-rival Miami Marlins on Friday night, picking up his sixth win of the year. Sanchez was brilliant on Friday, striking out Marlins first baseman
Josh Bell to complete his three-hit shutout in the ninth inning and secure the Phillies' 2-0 win against the Marlins. Over his last 10 starts, the 27-year-old Dominican left-hander is 5-0 with an amazing 1.83 ERA and 50:11 K:BB in 64 innings out of Philly's rotation during this stretch. Fantasy managers should feel confident about deploying Sanchez in his next projected appearance at Wrigley Field on Thursday against the struggling Chicago Cubs.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe San Francisco Giants placed second baseman
Thairo Estrada (wrist, thumb) on the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's series opener versus the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Estrada has been bothered by left wrist and thumb discomfort recently, signaling for the Giants to suddenly send him to the IL before Friday's contest against the Dodgers. The 28-year-old Venezuelan infielder has been a pretty big disappointment from a fantasy perspective in 2024, batting .231 (68-for-295) with a .640 OPS, nine home runs, and just one stolen base in 77 games prior to the injuries, so he's not necessarily a must-stash player in shallow settings. The lefty-hitting
Brett Wisely figures to take over as San Fran's primary second baseman for now but doesn't sport very much appeal at the moment, and the timing of Estrada's setbacks could make it difficult for him to return before the mid-July All-Star break.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Giants on X
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer (hand) was removed early during Friday's game against the New York Yankees. Springer was pulled from the contest after getting hit by a pitch on the wrist. He underwent imaging on his hand that came back negative. That is good news but doesn't officially mean Springer will be completely fine. For now, fantasy managers should consider Springer as day-to-day. There should be another update on his status this weekend. In the meantime,
Davis Schneider who took over for Springer could see more playing time over the next few days.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
5 days agoNew York Mets relief pitcher
Drew Smith (elbow) is expected to require Tommy John surgery. This is a tough break considering how well Smith has been pitching for the Mets this season. He recently went down with an elbow sprain but it sounds like the issue is more severe. The expectation is Smith wouldn't pitch again until mid-way into 2025, assuming he has surgery. The right-hander posted a 3.06 ERA through 17 2/3 innings for the Mets this season. In a corresponding move,
Ty Adcock was recalled when Smith was placed on the injured list earlier this week.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Rieber
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Steven Matz (back) has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list on Friday. This news comes just two days away from Matz being eligible to come off the injured list. He recently had a setback with a strained back, so it looks like the southpaw is going to need a little more time. The 33-year-old probably won't be back in the rotation until late July at the earliest. Matz wasn't pitching well before the injury, so fantasy managers should be able to find a better option. It's worth noting that right-hander
Gordon Graceffo has been recalled. He could be an option to fill in for Matz, but fantasy managers can use a wait-and-see approach here.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
5 days agoTexas Rangers third baseman
Josh Jung (wrist) is having a tough time getting back to full health. The young slugger wants to get back in the lineup, but he's uncertain when that'll be because his wrist isn't 100 percent yet. The Rangers are hopeful that Jung can begin swinging the bat this weekend. When healthy, Jung will be eased back into action and will receive plenty of rest days. Jung hasn't played since fracturing his wrist on April 1, which resulted in surgery. At this point, fantasy managers shouldn't expect to get a ton from Jung this season. The Rangers aren't going to push their young slugger out there until he's fully ready to play.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Dallas News
5 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Michael Harris II (hamstring) is reportedly making progress in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The 23-year-old has been taking swings with the bat and throwing but has yet to be cleared for running. Harris has been out since the middle of June and it's tough to put a timetable on him right now. There should be a clearer picture once Harris starts running again. Until then,
Ramon Laureano (back) is likely to continue seeing increased playing time in the outfield.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Mark Bowman
5 days agoAtlanta Braves relief pitcher
A.J. Minter (hip) is scheduled to throw on the mound for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. The left-hander is working his way back from left hip inflammation. If everything goes well, Minter should be able to rejoin the Braves bullpen after Sunday's outing. This doesn't mean much in terms of fantasy baseball. Minter is expected to be a high-leverage set-up option, which means he probably won't have value unless in leagues where holds matter.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: David O'Brien
5 days agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Randy Vasquez (forearm) was forced to exit early during Friday's start against the Boston Red Sox. Vasquez was pitching well before getting hit in the forearm by a line drive. It seemed like Vasquez was fine, but the Padres pulled him from the contest as a precaution. The expectation is that Vasquez will undergo X-rays to determine the severity of the issue. He allowed one run on five hits through four innings before exiting on Friday. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on his status.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Alex Speier
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitching prospect
Mick Abel has continued to struggle at Triple-A in June. In 13 innings of work, Abel has walked 10 batters and held a 9.69 ERA and 2.08 WHIP. Overall this season, the former 15th overall pick has posted a poor 7.08 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, and a 40:49 BB:K ratio in 54 ⅔ innings. Last summer, the 22-year-old got a brief taste of Triple-A and struggled as well as he allowed two earned runs in just four innings. Before moving to Triple-A, the right-hander showcased elite command with eye-catching strikeout numbers. Abel looked poised to make his major league debut this season but may have to wait until next summer as he has yet to show any consistency at the top level of the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoChicago Cubs shortstop prospect
Jefferson Rojas has continued to perform well at High-A South Bend through June and could be nearing a potential promotion to Double-A. This month, he holds a .247/.313/.342 slash line with one long ball, eight stolen bases, and a 5:12 BB:K ratio. Last month, Rojas posted a slightly lower .221/.271/.23 line with zero home runs and five swiped bags. The 19-year-old posted similar production at Single-A last summer, which is a promising sign that the young infielder has yet to face any setbacks in his young career. Rojas could become a name to keep a close eye on if he reaches Double-A during the second half of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitching prospect
Caden Dana allowed three earned runs for the first time in June on Tuesday, June 25. Before this start, Dana was riding an excellent 2.05 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 7:32 BB:K ratio through the first 26 ⅓ innings he logged in June. Overall, Dana has looked quite comfortable since beginning the season in Double-A. Through 80 ⅓ innings, the 100th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline holds a 2.58 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 25:85 BB:K ratio. The 20-year-old has taken a significant step forward this season and is on pace to have the best season of his minor league career. He should be expected to make his major league debut next summer and is developing into one of the best pitching prospects you can stash on your dynasty roster.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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