1 week agoMinnesota Twins infielder
Jose Miranda heads to the bench ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. This is a much-needed day off for Miranda who has started in each of the last 10 games. The 26-year-old is in the middle of a breakout campaign. Through 115 games, Miranda is hitting .295 with nine home runs and 49 RBI in 2024. He has moved around from first base, third base, and the designated hitter spot this season.
Carlos Santana moves first base while
Trevor Larnach serves as the designated hitter and bats cleanup versus right-hander
Jack Kochanowicz on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should expect Miranda to be back in the lineup after this game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
1 week agoTampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever
Edwin Uceta is being suspended for three games and fined for intentionally hitting Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Nick Castellanos in the eighth inning of the game on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Uceta has the right to appeal MLB's ruling, which would allow him to continue pitching until the appeal is heard. Manager Kevin Cash was also suspended for the contest in Philly on Wednesday. If the 26-year-old Uceta accepts the ban, he'll miss the next three games and won't be eligible to pitch again for the Rays until Saturday in Cleveland against the Guardians. In his first year with the Rays in 2024, Uceta has gone 2-0 with a tidy 1.49 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, his first two career saves, a career-high 51 strikeouts and only six walks in 36 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
1 week agoBoston Red Sox left-hander
James Paxton (calf) told WEEI's Rob Bradford on Wednesday that he plans to retire this offseason. Paxton has decided to call it quits after finishing the 2024 season on the 60-day injured list with Boston due to a partial tear in his right calf. The 35-year-old Canadian southpaw has had trouble staying healthy in recent years and won't attempt a comeback. He began the year pitching in the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation and even won nine games, but he was eventually cut after posting a 4.43 ERA (4.99 FIP) with a 1.45 WHIP and a career-low 16.4% strikeout rate in 18 starts. Paxton made only three starts in Boston before injuring his calf. Paxton entered the big leagues in 2013 with the Seattle Mariners and spent six seasons with them before bouncing around with the Yankees, M's, Red Sox and Dodgers in 11 total seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: WEEI - Rob Bradford
1 week agoMinnesota Twins infielder/outfielder
Willi Castro (illness) is starting in left field and is batting sixth for Minnesota on Wednesday at Target Field against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and right-hander
Jack Kochanowicz. Castro was feeling so bad that he was taken out of Monday's game early and also had the day off on Tuesday. The 27-year-old utility man will return on Wednesday, though, and has a good enough matchup to consider him as a sleeper in DFS lineups. However, fantasy managers also need to consider the fact that he has only one hit in 21 at-bats (.048) with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight games since the calendar flipped to September. Overall, the Puerto Rican switch-hitter has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 and enters the day with a .246/.329/.389 slash line with a career-high 11 home runs, a career-high 52 RBI and 13 steals in 142 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter
Eloy Jimenez is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday at Fenway Park against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Jimenez finds himself on the bench again in favor of
Anthony Santander, who is serving as the DH and batting third against Red Sox right-hander
Nick Pivetta.
Austin Slater is in right field and is batting seventh for the O's. Jimenez, 27, continues to see infrequent playing time in Baltimore towards the end of the season. He's now played in 29 games in Baltimore since being acquired in late July by the Chicago White Sox, and he's slashed a mediocre .253/.293/.345 with only one home run, five RBI and seven RBI in his 92 plate appearances. Without frequent playing time in Baltimore, it's hard to recommend holding Jimenez in most mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
1 week agoAtlanta Braves right-hander
Reynaldo Lopez's (shoulder) MRI exam came back clean for any structural damage, and he's just dealing with inflammation, according to manager Brian Snitker. The Braves will let Lopez take a few days off before starting a throwing program. His progress in the throwing program will determine when he can return from the 15-day injured list. Atlanta is hoping the 30-year-old can return once his 15-day stint on the IL is up, but even if that comes to pass, there's a good chance that the Braves have him return in a relief role. Lopez was excellent for the Braves in the first half on his way to making his first All-Star team, but he's slowed down in the second half and has gone over 100 innings pitched in 2024 in a return to a full-time starting role for the first time since 2019. Having him healthy for a potential playoff run has to be Atlanta's top priority right now.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
1 week agoArizona Diamondbacks right-hander
Merrill Kelly (undisclosed) was forced to leave his outing early on Wednesday at Chase Field against the Texas Rangers with a trainer in the fifth inning. The injury didn't appear to be arm-related for Kelly, but he has dealt with cramping issues in the past. We'll pass along any updates on Kelly's condition when they become available. Before leaving with a trainer, the 35-year-old veteran allowed three earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out three, so it clearly has not been a great day for him. As long as Kelly's exit wasn't actually arm-related, he could make his next scheduled start. Injuries have limited him to only 10 starts in 2024, and he entered his outing on Wednesday with a 4.08 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. Losing Kelly for an extended period of time could make him unavailable for a potential postseason run.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
1 week agoKansas City Royals infielder
Paul DeJong is out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for a contest against the New York Yankees in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. With DeJong on the bench,
Maikel Garcia will start at third base and bat eighth against Yankees right-hander
Luis Gil. DeJong could find himself riding the pine more often moving forward due to a recent slump offensively. So far in six games in September, he has gone 3-for-19 (.158) with no homers, an RBI, no walks and six strikeouts. The 31-year-old veteran was acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline at the end of July and has been better with KC, though, batting .244 (22-for-90) with six home runs and 15 RBI. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers will want to keep DeJong on their benches until he pulls out of his slump with the Royals in a midst of a run for a wild-card spot in the American League.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
1 week agoOakland Athletics outfielder
Lawrence Butler (illness) is back in right field and is batting leadoff for the A's on Wednesday against the division-rival Houston Astros and right-hander
Hunter Brown at Minute Maid Park. Butler was under the weather on Monday but is feeling better on Tuesday and will return atop Oakland's batting order. The 24-year-old former sixth-round selection in 2018 is having a breakout campaign in just his second year in the majors and in his first full season in the big leagues. He comes into Wednesday's game slashing .270/.324/.523 with an .847 OPS, 21 home runs, 54 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 110 games played. Butler's second half has been more impressive, as he's hit .328/.368/.638 with a 1.006 OPS, 12 homers, 29 RBI and eight stolen bases in 46 games. Get him back into your lineups on Wednesday now that he's feeling better.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoHouston Astros outfielders
Kyle Tucker and
Chas McCormick will head to the bench on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The Astros are being careful to ease Tucker back into action after he returned last Friday from a lengthy stint on the injured list due to a fractured shin that he sustained in early June. With Tucker and McCormick both out,
Ben Gamel is starting in right field and batting seventh, while
Mauricio Dubon draws into left field and is hitting ninth against A's right-hander
Joey Estes. Tucker is one of the best all-around hitters in baseball, but he has struggled at the plate in his three games back, picking up only one hit in 10 at-bats with an RBI, two walks and four strikeouts over the weekend. So far, the 27-year-old has only served as a designated hitter and has yet to start in right field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
1 week agoThe Minnesota Twins activated outfielder
Manuel Margot (groin) from the 10-day injured list and catcher
Christian Vazquez from the paternity list on Wednesday and optioned infielder
Michael Helman and catcher
Jair Camargo to the minors in corresponding moves. Vazquez will do the catching and bat ninth on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels and right-hander
Jack Kochanowicz at Target Field. It's a promising matchup for Vazquez and the Twins, but the 34-year-old Puerto Rican backstop has very little fantasy upside in the nine-hole. He's hitting .228 (60-for-263) on the year with seven homers and 27 RBI. Vazquez will serve as
Ryan Jeffers' backup now that he's back. Margot is recovered from a mild right-groin strain and will return to reserve outfield duties that fantasy managers can ignore in mixed formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park
1 week agoTampa Bay Rays first baseman
Yandy Diaz appears to be getting a normal day of rest on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Jonathan Aranda will take over at first base and will hit sixth against Phillies right-hander
Zack Wheeler. Unless he's dealing with an injury we don't know about yet, Diaz should return on Thursday for the start of a new series against the Cleveland Guardians. He's been hot so far in September, going 11-for-32 (.344) with two home runs, a double, and six RBI in eight games played. Aranda has only received 73 at-bats in the big leagues with Tampa in 2024 and hasn't done much at the plate, slashing .205/.284/.315 with only one homer, five RBI and 13 runs scored. In a tough matchup against Wheeler on the road, Aranda is a low-upside sleeper pick for DFS lineups on Wednesday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoTampa Bay Rays second baseman
Brandon Lowe (finger) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander
Zack Wheeler at Citizens Bank Park. Lowe has been dealing with inflammation in his ligament on both sides of his middle finger and missed the previous five games as a result. The 30-year-old is feeling better now, though, and will return in a tough matchup on the road. Lowe has came in to pinch hit the last couple of days and even saw some time at second base, so he's clearly improving and shouldn't need a trip to the injured list. In 10 career at-bats against Wheeler, Lowe has taken him deep once and driven in two, but he has only two total hits. The left-handed hitter has gone just 4-for-21 (.191) with a homer, RBI and seven strikeouts in September and isn't a recommended DFS play given the matchup against Wheeler.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoBaltimore Orioles rookie infielder
Coby Mayo finds himself on the bench for Wednesday's contest at Fenway Park against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Mayo will start on the pine in favor of
Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner, and he'll hit in the nine-hole against Red Sox right-hander
Nick Pivetta. It continues to be a platoon setup at the hot corner in Baltimore between Mayo and Rivera with both
Jordan Westburg (hand) and
Ramon Urias (ankle) on the injured list. Mayo, the team's top prospect and eighth overall in all of MLB, has not taken advantage of his opportunity with both Westburg and Urias out and has looked overmatched at the plate in his first 32 at-bats with the O's. Mayo has gone 3-for-32 (.094) with no homers, no RBI, no stolen bases and three runs scored in his first 13 games at the major-league level.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 week agoWashington Nationals second baseman
Luis Garcia Jr. and outfielder/designated hitter
Joey Gallo are both out of the lineup on Wednesday at Nationals Park against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and left-hander
Max Fried.
Ildemaro Vargas is starting at second base and batting eighth, while
Andres Chaparro serves as the DH and bats out of the three-hole against Fried. Garcia is in the midst of the best season of his career by far, as he came into Wednesday slashing .284/.322/.443 with career-highs in OPS (.766), home runs (15), RBI (63) and stolen bases (21) in a career-high 126 games played as Washington's starting second baseman. None of his 15 long balls on the year have come against southpaws, though, and he's also hitting just .167 (5-for-30) with eight strikeouts in 10 games over the last 14 days. It's a good day to get Garcia off his feet against a tough lefty.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Washington Nationals
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