2 weeks agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Blake Snell picked up his fifth win of the season on Sunday in dominant fashion, shutting out the Kansas City Royals for six innings in a 2-0 victory. Snell allowed just two hits and a walk while racking up nine strikeouts. Other than a few blemishes where he didn't have his control, Snell has been on a tear since returning from injury in July. His ERA when he came back was 9.51, and it now sits at a stellar 3.12. When he is on his game, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. His only problem is finding that consistency for a full season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoBoston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas smashed a trio of homers in Game 1 of the team's doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Casas finished the game 3-for-4 with seven RBI, accounting for all but one of the team's runs. The 24-year-old could use a strong finish to the season as he has struggled since returning from injury in mid-August, hitting .230 with just four homers in 104 at-bats heading into Sunday's games. He has shown big upside and is still only 24, so there is a good chance that next year will be his coming-out party. He will likely be a popular breakout pick in fantasy drafts.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Mets starter
Luis Severino has been bumped up in the rotation and is set to start Tuesday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves. With this move,
Jose Quintana will be skipped and lose his two-start status for next week. Severino, on the other hand, could end up starting the final game of the season next Sunday if the Mets need to win to get into the postseason. Fantasy managers should be wary, though, because if the Mets clinch before Sunday they will likely not use Severino.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
2 weeks agoNew York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor (back) is not 100% sure he will play again in the regular season but feels optimistic he will. Lindor has missed the last seven games with a back injury and seemed to be on pace to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, but that may not be the case. The Mets will surely want their MVP candidate back in the lineup for a pivotal three-game series with their division rivals, but if Lindor doesn't get the go-ahead from team doctors then the decision won't be the Mets to make. Fantasy managers will have to be active in checking updates to make sure they know if Lindor is in the lineup or not come Tuesday, and should have a backup plan in case he can't go.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
2 weeks agoBoston Red Sox closer
Kenley Jansen (shoulder) is expected to land on the IL, ending his season. Jansen has been battling a shoulder injury for a while now and has battled control and velocity issues because of it. Manager Alex Cora said that Jansen has had some trouble bouncing back from outings, including Sunday in his inning of work against the Minnesota Twins. The righty is set to become a free agent at the end of this year, but his age combined with his recent injury history could scare teams away from him. The Red Sox will likely close by committee for the final week of the season, with
Chris Martin and
Justin Slaten the favorites to get saves.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Jen McCaffrey
2 weeks agoThe Cincinnati Reds have fired manager David Bell after nearly six seasons with the club. The Reds have only made the postseason once under Bell, and that came in the shortened 2020 season, where they proceeded to lose in the Wild Card round. Unfortunately, the club seems to have stagnated after a promising 2023 season, and their manager will be paying the price. It is likely that the Reds will wait until the offseason to name a new manager, but for now expect bench coach Freddie Benavides to take over for the last week of the season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: C. Trent Rosecrans
2 weeks agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz continued his stellar second half of the season on Sunday. The right-hander allowed one run on four hits over six innings of work during the victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Baz notched six strikeouts while only walking one batter during this outing. He holds a 2.71 ERA since the All-Star break and looks to end the regular season on a strong note against the Boston Red Sox next week.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 weeks agoHouston Astros third baseman
Alex Bregman was locked in at the plate during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-handed slugger went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI in what ended up being a 9-8 loss. Bregman has picked it up with the bat during the second half. He has a .811 OPS and now 13 homers since the All-Star break. Fantasy managers can continue to ride his hot bat during the fantasy playoffs.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto put together an incredibly strong day at the plate during Sunday's game against the Houston Astros. Neto took over the game by himself as he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI during the 9-8 victory. The Angels don't have a lot of things going right for them this season, but Neto is one of the bright spots. The 23-year-old has 23 long balls and 30 stolen bases to his name across 152 games this season. It looks like the Angels have found their franchise shortstop in Neto.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 weeks agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Yu Darvish was impressive on the mound during Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran right-hander pitched well his last two times out and had the good times rolling again on Sunday. Darvish pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs and striking out nine batters along the way. He basically made two mistakes which were two solo home runs by
Korey Lee and
Miguel Vargas. Darvish has been limited to 15 starts this season due to injuries, but looks to finish the regular season strong against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his final matchup.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 weeks agoArizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Ketel Marte has put together an unbelievable season at the plate. He's on fire with the bat right now as he pushed his home run streak to three games with another solid performance on Sunday. Marte went deep for the 35th time as he extends his career-high total. It was his only hit of the day, but Marte also scored two runs and stole a base during Sunday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Marte deserves some MVP votes for his incredible season, but is a longshot to win the award.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
2 weeks agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (groin) was forced to exit early during Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This is frustrating considering Moreno just returned last week after missing a month of action. This seems to be the same issue that Moreno was dealing with before but the team will have him undergo further testing. For now, fantasy managers should consider Moreno as day-to-day.
Jose Herrera figures to see more time behind the plate if Moreno is forced to miss a few games.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jody Jackson
2 weeks agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (hamstring) expressed that he wants to pitch against next summer, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Landry further reported that Scherzer expressed that a full healthy offseason will prepare him for a successful 2025. Scherzer has had a rough 2024 season, as he been able to log only 43 1/3 innings while being hindered by shoulder, back, and hamstring injuries. Through this small sample size, the 40-year-old posted a 3.95 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. The right-hander will be a free agent this summer and is open to returning to Texas. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to how Scherzer is pitching during the offseason, as he could be worth a late flier in deeper formats next spring.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kennedi Landry
2 weeks agoSeattle Mariners infielder
Justin Turner (knee) is in Sunday's starting lineup and will cover first base. He will bat in the five-hole. The veteran was lifted from Saturday's game after hitting a foul ball off his knee. The injury does not seem serious as the 39-year-old will rejoin the starting nine. Since September 12, Turner has been carrying an excellent .334/.395/.625 line with three doubles, two home runs, and a 4:10 BB:K ratio. Turner has shown an excellent eye at the plate with a strong 11.0% walk rate and a 17.8% K rate which are both significant above the average marks. Turner is worth a look as a value play in DFS this afternoon given his hot stretch. He will face Houston southpaw
Andrew Heaney who carries a 3.89 ERA into Sunday's game.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
Emerson Hancock was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma earlier on Sunday, according to Shannon Drayer. In a corresponding move, the Mariners promoted
Gabe Speier from Triple-A. Hancock posted a 4.50 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP across his previous two starts at the big-league level in September. This move suggests that
Luis Castillo (hamstring) could be on his way back from the injured list, as the Mariners now only have four pitchers in their rotation. While Hancock has struggled in the big leagues this summer, he has posted a modest 3.26 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 61:36 BB:K across 88 1/3 frames in the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Shannon Drayer
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