1
week
agoTexas
Rangers
third
baseman
Josh
Jung
is
not
in
the
team's
starting
lineup
for
Thursday's
contest
at
Globe
Life
Field
against
the
visiting
Toronto
Blue
Jays.
Ezequiel
Duran
will
fill
in
at
the
hot
corner
and
bat
seventh
read more...
1 week agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
Will Benson (finger) is out of the lineup again on Thursday versus the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park. Benson injured his left middle finger on Sept. 12 and hasn't played since, but apparently he's feeling better after coming off the bench in the team's last two games. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger will continue to be an outfield bench bat to close out the season. He does have 14 round-trippers on the year and 14 stolen bases in 328 at-bats, but he's hitting just .192 (63-for-328). Benson has played in just seven games in the month of September and has only one hit, an RBI, three walks and five strikeouts in his 13 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, he's hit .200 (14-for-70) with four homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, nine walks and 30 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cincinnati Reds
1 week agoMinnesota Twins rookie infielder
Brooks Lee is back on the bench on Thursday for the contest against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
Willi Castro is starting at the 6 and is batting ninth against Guardians rookie left-hander
Joey Cantillo. Lee has now been on the bench for the last two games, and with
Carlos Correa back from his foot injury, the majority of Lee's playing time will most likely come at second base down the stretch and in the postseason if the Twins lock up a wild-card spot in the American League. The 23-year-old switch-hitter will battle for playing time at the keystone with
Edouard Julien and
Kyle Farmer as a utility infielder. Lee should definitely be rostered in all dynasty/keeper formats at this point. In his first 152 major-league at-bats in 2024, he's hit .217/.258/.316 with three homers, 25 RBI and three stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
1 week agoBoston Red Sox shortstop
Trevor Story went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Rays. It was the third multi-hit game in the last five for the 31-year-old, although he was hitless in the other two games, and is hitting .286 (10-for-35) with two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, and four stolen bases since coming off of the IL on September 7. The veteran gave fantasy managers high hopes coming into the season healthy and having a strong spring, but it has been a lost season after missing most of the season with a dislocated shoulder. Hopefully he'll finish on a high note and take that momentum into 2025.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Marlins. The 35-year-old now has a mini five-game hit streak going during which he's gone 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, six runs scored, a 3:3 BB:K, and a stolen base. It's another strong season overall for the veteran, posting a .283-22-88-81-8 line with a .369 wOBA and 140 wRC+. He'll try to change his luck against Thursday's starter for the Marlins, however, who he is 0-for-6 off of lifetime with a walk and two strikeouts.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Dylan Cease took a one-hitter into the ninth inning of Wednesday's 4-0 victory over the Astros, allowing one more hit before being pulled in favor of a lefty-lefty matchup with reliever
Tanner Scott against
Yordan Alvarez. Cease's final line was no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out five over eight-and-two-thirds innings pitched on the way to earning his 14th win of the season. The 28-year-old now has 16 quality starts in 32 games started this season, posting a strong 3.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 220 strikeouts in 184 1/3 IP (10.7 K/9). He'll take on the Dodgers in his next start with potential division race implications next Wednesday in L.A.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSan Diego Padres third baseman
Manny Machado hit a pair of solo home runs in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Astros, giving him 29 on the season. One more home run would give him 30 for the third straight season and would be the eighth time in his career. The multi-hit performance marked the third consecutive game with at least two hits and the eighth time in his last 11 games, going 17-for-45 (.378) with six home runs, 18 RBI, and seven runs scored over that stretch. The veteran is a big reason the Padres own the top Wild Card spot and are just 3.5 games behind the Dodgers for the division lead, amassing a .279-29-104-74-9 line with a .346 wOBA and 126 wRC+ on the season.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew York Mets shortstop
Luisangel Acuna went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 10-0 win over the Nationals. It was the second home run of the 22-year-old's career, homering in back-to-back games now for the big league club. He's shown well so far in limited action, going 7-for-15 (.467) with three extra-base hits, four RBI, and five runs scored. We have yet to see his speed put on display though after stealing 40 bases in 131 games at Triple-A this season before his call-up. He should get at least one more start while
Francisco Lindor deals with his back problem, but it remains to be seen if he'll stick with the team once Lindor returns. Acuna's speed could be an asset off the bench in tight games down the stretch as the Mets push for a playoff berth.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoToronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette was scratched from Wednesday's lineup after taking a ground ball off his middle finger in pregame warmups. The 26-year-old will have x-rays with the results expected Thursday. For now, he's considered day-to-day. The 2x All-Star had just returned from the IL, playing in just one game before this new injury. Bichette was having an uncharacteristically poor season as it was, slashing just .225/.277/.322 with four home runs in 81 games, compared to a career .290/.332/.466 slashline while averaging 24 home runs from 2021-23. Look for an update on his status sometime Thursday prior to the Jays' afternoon matchup with the Rangers.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Hazel Mae
1 week agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher
Bailey Ober was excellent over seven innings on Wednesday, allowing two earned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out a career-high 12 batters in a 5-4 loss to the Guardians, although Ober did not factor into the decision. The two runs the righty allowed both came on solo shots from the Guardians'
Josh Naylor. It was a nice bounceback game for the 29-year-old after getting roughed up for five runs his last time out. The outing was the 18th quality start in 30 games started this season, and he'll draw a favorable matchup at home his next time out versus the Marlins next Tuesday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoCleveland Guardians first baseman
Josh Naylor blasted a pair of solo home runs off of Twins starter
Bailey Ober during a 2-for-4 day at the plate in Wednesday's 5-4 win over Minnesota. The left-handed hitter recorded two RBI and scored three times in the contest, bringing his season line to .245-31-105-81-6. This season marks the first time the 27-year-old has surpassed the 30-homer and 100 RBI threshold in his career. The former first-round draft pick will look to keep rolling Thursday against the Twins'
Simeon Woods Richardson who he is 2-for-4 off of in his career.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Spencer Schwellenbach held the Reds to just one run over six innings in Wednesday's 7-1 victory. The 24-year-old allowed five hits and two walks while striking out five batters on the way to earning his seventh win of the season. The outing marked the 10th straight start in which the righty allowed three runs or less, and he lowered his season-long ERA to 3.61 with a 1.10 WHIP. The youngster will take on the Mets at home in his next start on Tuesday of next week.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoAtlanta Braves designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Reds, collecting his 38th home run of the season, smacking two doubles, driving in two, and scoring twice as well. The home run ended a remarkable 26-game homerless drought for the 33-year-old. Even still, the veteran slugger has put together a strong season for the Braves, posting a .306-38-100-92-0 line. The final month of the season has been the most productive for the 3x All-Star throughout his career, slashing .294/.364/.522 during that time, so he may be heating back up again at just the right time for fantasy managers navigating the fantasy playoffs.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoArizona Diamondbacks designated hitter
Randal Grichuk (lower body) returned to the lineup Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in the 9-4 win over the Rockies, recording an RBI and two runs scored in the contest. It was the third time the 33-year-old has homered in his last four games, going 7-for-12 (.583) with six extra-base hits, eight RBI, and five runs over that stretch. Both of his hits came off of left-handed starter
Austin Gomber. Grichuk has excelled against LHP this season, slashing .314/.377/.526 against them (156 AB) versus .250/.284/.524 against RHP (84 AB). For the season, the veteran owns a respectable .292-11-42-37-0 line overall in just 98 games.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Corbin Carroll belted a pair of home runs in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Rockies, walking once, driving in three runs, and scoring three times in the contest as well. The two round-trippers got him over the 20-homer threshold, giving him his second consecutive 20/20 season in his young career. The 24-year-old hit .212 with five home runs and 18 steals in 93 games prior to the All-Star break, but since then he's flipped a switch, hitting .274 with 16 home runs and 11 steals in 52 games. The reigning N.L. Rookie of the Year has turned it on at the right time for fantasy managers and now owns a .235-21-70-115-29 line on the season with a .329 wOBA and 110 wRC+.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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