1 week agoDetroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that left-hander
Tarik Skubal's right hand checked out fine and he will start the third game in the upcoming series versus the division-rival Kansas City Royals next Wednesday. Skubal, one of the front-runners for the American League Cy Young in 2024, bruised his right (non-throwing) hand in his last outing on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies, but he still managed to throw six innings, allowing an earned run with no walks and six strikeouts in a no-decision. The matchup is a difficult one against the rising Royals next week, but Skubal has been matchup-proof all year and needs to be locked into starting lineups next week. The 27-year-old lefty has been lights-out in a breakout year, going 16-4 with a league-leading 2.50 ERA (2.56 FIP) while also leading the league with 214 strikeouts in 180 innings over 29 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Detroit News - Chris McCosky
1 week agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Gavin Sheets will retreat to the bench on Friday against the Oakland Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field with a left-hander on the mound. With Sheets starting on the pine, rookie
Bryan Ramos will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat leadoff against A's rookie left-hander
Brady Basso. Sheets, who hits from the left side, has hit only .203 (15-for-74) with one of his eight home runs and 23 strikeouts in 82 plate appearances against southpaws this year. Ramos, who hits from the right side, has only had 60 plate appearances in his first 19 major-league games in 2024 and is slashing .211/.233/.298 with a .532 OPS, one homer, two doubles, four RBI and 11 strikeouts. He's in a favorable lineup spot against an inexperienced pitcher, but it's hard to recommend White Sox hitters as viable sleepers for DFS lineups.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoAtlanta Braves infielder/outfielder
Whit Merrifield (foot) is back at second base and is hitting ninth on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Landon Knack at Truist Park. Despite fracturing his left foot on Sept. 6 when he fouled a ball off of it, Merrifield has avoided the injured list and will return to Atlanta's lineup after missing the last five games. The 35-year-old veteran should see most of the starts at second base moving forward, barring a setback with his foot, as long as
Ozzie Albies (wrist) remains on the IL. Even though Merrifield's playing time is on the rise with the Braves late in the year, he doesn't really move the fantasy needle outside of NL-only leagues. The three-time All-Star is hitting .243/.359/.342 with a homer, four doubles, two triples, three RBI and five steals in 34 games since joining the Braves midseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoWashington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams (shoulder) has been scratched from the lineup on Friday against the division-rival Miami Marlins at Nationals Park due to a sore left shoulder after a diving play on Thursday night. With Abrams out, everyone in the batting order moves up a slot, with rookie outfielder
Dylan Crews starting in right field and batting leadoff against Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera.
Nasim Nunez slots in at the 6 in D.C. and will hit in the nine-hole. Fantasy managers should consider Abrams to be day-to-day for now and check back on Saturday to see if he is available to play against the Fish. The rookie Nunez has handled himself well in his first 37 big-league games in 2024 by hitting .345 (10-for-29), but he has yet to clear the fences and will have limited DFS appeal at the bottom of Washington's batting order.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
1 week agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
Daulton Varsho will start on the bench for Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rogers Centre. With Varsho out, rookie
Joey Loperfido is in center field and is batting ninth, and
Nathan Lukes is starting in left field and will hit out of the two-hole versus Cardinals right-hander
Erick Fedde. Neither Loperfido nor Lukes have ever faced Fedde before. Varsho is sitting against a right-hander because he has just four hits in his last 27 at-bats (.148) with a homer, double, two RBI, two walks and 11 strikeouts. He has double digits in homers (18) and steals (10) in 136 games in his second year in Toronto but is also hitting just .214 (98-for-459) with a .293 on-base percentage. Lukes is the better DFS sleeper because of his lineup position, and he's hit an impressive .357 (10-for-28) in eight games for the Blue Jays this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoNew York Mets designated hitter
J.D. Martinez and outfielder
Starling Marte will both start on the bench on Friday for the contest against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander
Aaron Nola at Citizens Bank Park. Outfielder
Jesse Winker will serve as the DH for the Mets and hit fifth, while
Tyrone Taylor makes the start in right field and hits seventh against Nola. It's a tough matchup for the entire Mets batting order. Winker is hitting just .182 with a home run and two RBI in 22 career at-bats versus Nola, while Taylor has hit .375 with an RBI, albeit in just eight at-bats in his career against Nola. Martinez could use a day off, as the 37-year-old has struggled so far in September, going 3-for-21 (.143) with four RBI. Marte has also struggled since coming off the injured list back on Aug. 18, going 12-for-56 (.214) with three doubles and four RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoAs expected, Philadelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto (knee) is catching and batting fifth for the Phillies on Friday against the division-rival New York Mets and left-hander
Jose Quintana at Citizens Bank Park. Realmuto fouled a ball off his left knee and hasn't played for the Phillies since Sept. 6. The 33-year-old veteran backstop is obviously feeling better now, though, and will be ready for a crucial divisional series this weekend in Philly. Realmuto missed time earlier this summer after having minor knee surgery as well, and it appears to have sapped him of a lot of power. The three-time All-Star has only 12 long balls on the year and has driven in 40 while slashing .266/.322/.425 in 86 total games. Still, Realmuto needs to be returned to all fantasy lineups. In 14 career at-bats against Quintana, he's hitting .286 with a .912 OPS, a homer and an RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber (elbow) is serving as the DH and is batting in his customary leadoff spot on Friday against the division-rival New York Mets and left-hander
Jose Quintana at Citizens Bank Park. Schwarber injured his elbow during Tuesday's game while diving back into first base and was subsequently scratched from Wednesday's lineup as a result. But after a scheduled day off on Thursday, the 31-year-old is ready to roll for a crucial series this weekend against the Mets. Not only is Schwarber a must-start in all fantasy leagues when he's in the Phillies' lineup, but he has a career .333 average and an .889 OPS with a homer and four RBI in 18 at-bats against Quintana. The two-time All-Star swings and misses a lot, but he's also leading the league with 98 walks and has hit 35 homers and driven in 95 in 134 games in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoMilwaukee Brewers left-hander
DL Hall is listed as the team's probable start for Sunday's game at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sunday's outing will be Hall's seven start of the year and his first since Aug. 30, when he was excellent by tossing seven shutout innings with a walk and five strikeouts to beat the Cincinnati Reds. Since being called up when rosters expanded earlier this month, Hall has appeared out of the bullpen twice for the Brew Crew, throwing 5 2/3 scoreless frames with three walks and seven punchouts against the Cardinals and Giants. Hall has a 4.01 ERA and 1.54 WHIP on the year with 34 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings over his eight appearances in the big leagues this year. Against a Diamondbacks in the thick of the playoff hunt, Hall will be a shaky fantasy streaming option, albeit with upside as well.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoKansas City Royals right-hander
Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) has had his minor-league rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Omaha, and he'll start for the Storm Chasers on Friday. Lorenzen made his first rehab start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday and allowed three runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work. Whether the 32-year-old veteran returns to KC's starting rotation after his rehab start on Friday will likely depend on how he fares and how many pitches he's able to throw. Lorenzen has been sidelined since late August due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He has a weak 17.7% strikeout in his time with the Royals and Texas Rangers this year, but he posted a 1.85 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his five starts (24 1/3 innings) since the Royals acquired him at the trade deadline. At best, Lorenzen might have a couple starts as a fantasy streamer to close out the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
1 week agoCleveland Guardians right-hander
Ben Lively (thigh) is listed as the team's probably starter for Sunday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field. Lively won't have to miss a start after taking a comebacker off his right thigh his last time out against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in the second inning. The 32-year-old exited with only a bruise and ended up being a disappointing fantasy streamer in an excellent matchup. He'll be looking to bounce back on Sunday after allowing 10 earned runs on 17 hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out only eight in 10 1/3 innings over his last three starts. Fantasy managers will certainly be hoping for more depth out of Lively, as he hasn't gone over 4 1/3 innings since Aug. 24 against the Texas Rangers. In his lone start against Tampa in 2024, Lively took a loss, giving up two earned runs on two walks and seven K's in 5 1/3 frames.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoCincinnati Reds left-hander
Nick Lodolo (finger), who was placed on the injured list on Aug. 27 with a left middle finger sprain, plans to meet the tam in Minnesota on Friday after feeling a big improvement in his finger on Sept. 11. If Lodolo can bend his finger "all the way," then he is going to start throwing, according to manager David Bell. Lodolo has had an injury-plagued season in 2024, heading to the IL four different times with four different injuries. The strikeout upside 26-year-old southpaw remains intriguing, but he's developed a reputation for being injury-prone now. It's good news that Lodolo could start throwing again soon, but he's not going to return again in 2024 to help fantasy managers. The former seventh overall pick in 2019 out of TCU was inconsistent in his 21 starts this year, posting a 4.76 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, although he did strike out 122 in 115 1/3 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoCincinnati Reds right-hander
Hunter Greene (elbow), who was put on the injured list on Aug. 17 as a precaution due to right-elbow soreness, said he felt good after throwing live batting practice on Sept. 11 in St. Louis. Greene threw around 25 pitches in that session and plans on having a longer session on Saturday in Minnesota. After that, the next step would be to pitch in a major-league game in Cincinnati during the team's Sept. 17-22 homestand. "My focus has been making sure that my mindset continues to be me versus you," Greene said. "I think that's really important when you're going through this process, is keeping that competitive mind and being able to kind of close that gap of, you know, kind of that feeling of being out for a month and not gracing a big league mound." The first-time All-Star should be lined up for a few starts before the end of the regular season in what has been a breakout season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder
Tyler Fitzgerald (back) said that his lower back started locking up on him before Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers and got worse as the game went on. Fitzgerald will undergo imaging on Friday but isn't overly concerned and said he feels something like this every year. The 26-year-old was removed in the third inning on Thursday and should be considered day-to-day for now, although fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be right back in action on Friday for a series opener against the division-rival San Diego Padres. After playing in just 10 games for a cup of coffee in San Fran in 2023, Fitzgerald has burst onto the scene in the big leagues this year, slashing .296/.350/.530 with an .880 OPS, 14 home runs, 31 RBI and 17 stolen bases in just 84 games to make him relevant in all fantasy formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Shayna Rubin
1 week agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Tanner Houck (arm) will officially make the start on Friday against the division-rival New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Houck will return from a bout with dead arm to face a potent Yankees lineup. Houck has had two rough starts and a solid one in his last three turns in the rotation, and he comes into this big matchup with eight days off since his last start on Sept. 4, when he allowed four earned runs with a walk and seven strikeouts in five innings against the New York Mets. The 28-year-old has been solid for fantasy managers this year with a 3.24 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 169 2/3 innings over 28 starts, but he carries a little extra risk on Friday after a bout with dead arm. In his two starts against the Yankees in 2024, Houck has allowed seven runs (four earned) while walking eight and striking out only three in 9 1/3 innings
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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