5 days agoMinnesota Twins pitching prospect
Zebby Matthews has been spectacular since his promotion to Double-A Wichita in early May. Through 40 2/3 innings, he's posted a 1.55 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, and 48:3 K/BB ratio. There are many great qualities to his game, but none stand out more than his pinpoint control. In 63 1/3 innings this season, Matthews has allowed just three walks, all while notching 76 total strikeouts. The Twins' No. 19 prospect (per MLB.com), Matthews is expected to make his MLB debut sometime next year.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoThe Chicago White Sox plan to start dwindling left-hander
Garrett Crochet's workload as we near the second half of the season. "We're going to start dwindling his workload down a little bit, and we'll manage that correctly," manager Pedro Grifol said. "But it's not something we're going to put out and say, 'Here's what we're doing,' because nothing in this game is black and white." The 25-year-old southpaw has been the team's best pitcher in 2024 and one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he's already up to 94 1/3 innings, 40 more than his career-high set in 2021. Crochet made his first big-league start on Opening Day after having Tommy John surgery in April of 2022. He leads the American League with 130 K's and is also 5-2 with a 1.53 ERA in his last 11 starts. Fantasy managers must continue to run him out there, but just be aware that his pitch counts are going to start dwindling as the season progresses.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Associated Press
5 days agoSeattle Mariners shortstop prospect
Felnin Celesten has been raking in Rookie Ball. Through 31 games, he's slashing .339/.421/.562 with 10 doubles, four triples, three home runs, and five stolen bases. In June alone, he's 20-for-52 (.385 AVG) with a 1.092 OPS. Just 18 years old, Celesten has a long way to go before making his MLB debut. He's the Mariners' No. 5 prospect (per MLB.com), expected to reach the majors sometime in 2028 (as of now). Regardless, he's worth monitoring as he progresses through Seattle's farm system.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers catcher
Gary Sanchez (calf) is dealing with a low-grade left-calf strain and will go on the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Brewers are calling up
Eric Haase from the minors to serve as the backup to
William Contreras. Sanchez's injury isn't all that serious, so there's a chance that he'll be able to come off the injured list when he's eligible on July 4. The 31-year-old right-handed-hitting backstop resurfaced with the San Diego Padres in 2023, when he hit 19 home runs, but he's playing second fiddle to Contreras in Milwaukee this year and is currently batting .218 (32-for-147) in 51 games. However, he's still hit seven home runs and has maintained utility in two-catcher fantasy leagues because of his pop at a shallow position. For now, Haase will back up Contreras for the Brew Crew.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
5 days agoThe Texas Rangers optioned infielder
Ezequiel Duran to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday and selected the contract of outfielder
Derek Hill from Round Rock in a corresponding move. The team also activated infield prospect
Justin Foscue (oblique) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Round Rock. Duran will probably resurface with the Rangers in the big leagues at some point in 2024, but for now he'll head to the minors to work on his craft. The 25-year-old Dominican infielder had a solid first full season in the big leagues in 2023 with the Rangers, slashing .276/.324/.443 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases in 122 games, but he's taken a step back this year and is currently slashing .256/.294/.324 with only two home runs and 13 RBI in 187 plate appearances over 58 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers PR
5 days agoTexas Rangers third baseman
Josh Jung (wrist) is back with the team on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Jung met with a surgeon in Phoenix on Tuesday and got good reports on the structural status of his bone. He's just dealing with soreness and doesn't have any damage, and he expects to start swinging a bat again in the next couple of days. The 26-year-old was dealing with some inflammation in his surgically repaired right wrist, which pushed back his activation from the 60-day injured list just a bit. Jung isn't going to be back in the big leagues by this weekend, but his return could come next week. If for some reason he's sitting on your league's waiver wire, pick him up immediately. Jung, a former eighth overall pick, was a first-time All-Star in 2023 when he hit 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 122 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
5 days agoNew York Yankees catcher/first base prospect
Agustin Ramirez was promoted from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 19. In 58 Double-A games, he slashed .290/.372/.570 with 14 doubles, 16 home runs, 49 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. However, he's had a slow start to his Triple-A tenure. Through 22 plate appearances, he's managed just one hit. But this is a small sample size, and Ramirez's track record and potential suggest that he could turn things around. At just 22 years old, he's the Yankees' No. 20 prospect (per MLB.com) and expected to make his MLB debut in 2026.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Max Scherzer (thumb) has been cleared to make his next start on Friday in Baltimore against the Orioles after reporting some thumb soreness following his 2024 debut on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Scherzer impressed after coming off the 60-day injured list against KC, tossing five scoreless innings while giving up just one hit, walking none and striking out four. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer had offseason back surgery and then suffered a setback with his thumb during his rehab, which is why he didn't make his season debut until this past Sunday. He appears to have avoided a serious issue with his thumb, although fantasy managers shouldn't expect an encore performance on Friday against the strong lineup of the O's.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
5 days agoTexas Rangers shortstop
Corey Seager is getting a breather on Wednesday in Milwaukee and will not start against the Brewers in the series finale. In his absence,
Josh Smith will play shortstop and bat third in the order against left-hander
Dallas Keuchel, who will be making his first start for the Brewers after being acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. Seager gets the day off after starting each of the team's last 11 games while going just 7-for-42 (.167) in that span with a stolen base. Despite the recent skid, the two-time World Series MVP is a must-start every day that he's in the lineup for Texas. Smith is batting a cool .300 (70-for-233) on the year and has been even better against lefties with a .350 average (21-for-60) with two of his seven homers on the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers PR
5 days agoAfter being acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, veteran left-hander
Dallas Keuchel will make the start on Wednesday in the series finale against the visiting Texas Rangers. Keuchel has plenty of big-league experience and even won the American League Cy Young in 2015 with the Houston Astros, but he's bounced around the league since his final season in Houston in 2018 and has pitched in only 24 major-league games (20 starts) with four different teams since the start of 2022. He hasn't been good in that span, either, posting a 7.96 ERA and 1.91 WHIP with 70 strikeouts and 49 walks in 98 1/3 innings. However, Keuchel had a 3.93 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 71 innings for Triple-A Tacoma over 13 starts this year before the trade. If Keuchel pitches well against Texas on Wednesday, he could stick around in Milwaukee's rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Kennedi Landry
5 days agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
Jake Fraley (leg) has been scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates with a right lower-leg contusion. Fraley fouled a ball off his leg a few days ago and is still being bothered by it, so he'll take a seat in the series finale. Consider him day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's back in the lineup for Thursday's series opener in St. Louis against the division-rival Cardinals. With Fraley out on Wednesday,
Levi Jordan will draw into the lineup in left field and will bat ninth for the Reds against Pirates right-hander
Luis L. Ortiz. Fraley can't seem to stay healthy this year but has been valuable to fantasy managers in deeper leagues against right-handed pitching with his .277 average (51-for-184) with 11 stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cincinnati Reds
5 days agoNew York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole was obliterated by the New York Mets in his start on Tuesday and said he intentionally dialed back his velocity because he threw 28 pitches in the first inning and was struggling with his command. Cole said he's healthy, which should ease the concerns of Yankees fans and fantasy managers after the forgettable outing in which he allowed six runs on seven hits (four home runs) while walking four and striking out none in four innings of work. It was just the 33-year-old's second start in 2024 after missing most of the first half due to a right-elbow injury, so Cole is understandably not yet in midseason form despite looking excellent on his minor-league rehab assignment. Last year's American League Cy Young winner will hope to bounce back in his next outing against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfield prospect
Roman Anthony has excelled with Double-A Portland, especially in June. Through 15 games, he's 16-for-57 (.281 AVG) with four doubles, five home runs, 11 RBI, and a 5:12 BB/SO ratio. Before June, he'd lacked power, slashing .243/.365/.392. However, he's up to .254/.366/.463 slash line on the season. It's also worth noting that Anthony has performed better against lefties than righties. A left-handed hitter, he's currently 13-for-40 (.325 AVG) with a .910 OPS against lefties. Against righties, he's 39-for-165 (.236 AVG) with a .809 OPS, which is still rather impressive. Just 20 years old, Anthony is expected to make his MLB debut next year.
--Wade Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baseball Reference
5 days agoMinnesota Twins right-handed pitching prospect
David Festa will be called up from the minors to make his major-league debut on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old has one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors, which will immediately make him attractive to fantasy managers now that he's set to make his big-league debut. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will temporarily take
Chris Paddack's (forearm) spot in the starting rotation. Festa, a former 13th-round pick in 2021, has become the team's top pitching prospect after going 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA with 87 K's and 24 walks in 59 2/3 innings for Triple-A St. Paul this year. The 6-foot-6, 185-pounder features three above-average pitches with a fastball, slider and changeup that can all generate swings and misses.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
5 days agoCincinnati Reds third baseman
Jeimer Candelario (knee) is out of Wednesday's lineup against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates due to knee tendonitis, and manager David Bell said it's progressively not getting better. Candelario is still able to play, but Bell said the team is "going to take a closer look at it this morning to make sure that he can keep going." The Reds have an off day on Thursday and they could utilize Candelario as the designated hitter this weekend to keep him in the lineup as he manages his knee issue. With Candelario out on Wednesday,
Santiago Espinal is starting at third and batting seventh against Pirates right-hander
Luis L. Ortiz. If Candelario's knee doesn't improve and he lands on the injured list, infield prospect
Noelvi Marte will be another option to take over at the hot corner after being called up.
UPDATE: Bell said that Candelario is day-to-day with hamstring tendonitis.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
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