2 weeks agoCincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that both outfielder
Nick Martini (thumb) and reliever
Ian Gibaut (calf, forearm) have minor-league rehab assignments scheduled. Martini is hoping to start his rehab assignment on Sept. 17 with Triple-A Louisville as he recovers from thumb surgery on his left thumb that he had in early July. With only a few weeks left in the 2024 regular season, though, it wouldn't be a surprise if we didn't see either Martini or Gibaut back for the Reds before the end of September. Gibaut, meanwhile, is scheduled to start his rehab assignment on Sept. 15 with Louisville. The 30-year-old veteran hasn't pitched at all in 2024 after having forearm surgery, and he recently had a setback when he suffered a calf strain. Because of all the time he's missed this year, Gibaut is going to need at least several outings in the minors leagues. Fantasy managers can ignore both.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2 weeks agoCincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that right-hander
Graham Ashcraft (elbow) will throw off the mound on Sept. 17 and also has a live batting practice session scheduled for early October. Ashcraft resumed throwing in late August but is not going to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the 2024 regular season after missing more than two months with a strained right elbow. The 26-year-old will have plenty of time to recover during the offseason, though, and should be fully ready for the start of spring training next February. The hard-throwing right-hander wasn't really impressing anyone this year before his elbow injury, going 5-5 with a 5.24 ERA (4.84 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP and a 57:27 K:BB in 77 1/3 innings over his 15 starts. For how hard Ashcraft throws, it remains disappointing that he has a 16.6% strikeout rate in his three major-league seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2
weeks
agoSeattle
Mariners
outfielder
Randy
Arozarena
and
shortstop
J.P.
Crawford
are
both
taking
the
day
off
on
Thursday
in
the
series
finale
against
the
division-rival
Oakland
Athletics
at
the
Oakland
Coliseum.
Victor
Robles
will
read more...
2 weeks agoCincinnati Reds corner infielder
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (wrist), who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery back in the middle of July to fix ligaments in his fractured right wrist, has resumed baseball activities, according to manager David Bell. Encarnacion-Strand will have all offseason to rehab his injured wrist and should have plenty of time to get back to 100 percent before the start of spring training next February. It was a disappointing season for anyone that drafted the 24-year-old power-hitting right-hander in 2024, and not just because of his serious injury. The former fourth-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2021 out of Oklahoma State hit just .190 (22-for-116) with two home runs, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored in 29 games before getting hurt. Barring a setback with his wrist, CES should be a starter for Cincy in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2 weeks agoCincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that infielder
Matt McLain (rib, shoulder) is pain-free now and will resume baseball activities to see how he progresses. McLain has been out all season, first because of surgery on his left shoulder and most recently a stress reaction in his rib cage. The Reds and McLain are still holding out hope that he can return in the final couple of weeks of the 2024 season, which would be nice, but the point of him being fantasy relevant in 2024 has come and gone. It's been a frustrating year for the 25-year-old middle infielder and any fantasy managers that invested in him back in the spring after he had an impressive .290/.357/.507 slash line with 16 home runs, 50 RBI and 14 steals in 89 games in his rookie campaign in 2023. If McLain can get back to full health in the offseason, he should be a big part of Cincy's plans in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2 weeks agoCincinnati Reds right-hander
Hunter Greene (elbow) is slated to throw bullpen sessions on Thursday and Sunday, according to manager David Bell. It's the first time that Greene has thrown off a mound since landing on the injured list in the middle of August due to right-elbow inflammation, so it's a big step in his recovery. The 25-year-old will eventually need to progress to facing live hitters and will probably need a minor-league rehab assignment, too, so fantasy managers probably can't expect him back in the big leagues for another couple weeks. There are only a few weeks left in the 2024 regular season as well, so there's no guarantee that Greene is going to make much of a difference in fantasy down the stretch. The former second overall pick in 2017 has had a successful 2024 season overall, though, going 9-4 with a 2.83 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 162 strikeouts over 143 1/3 innings in his 24 starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
2
weeks
agoThe
Minnesota
Twins
placed
outfielder
Max
Kepler
(knee)
on
the
10-day
injured
list
on
Thursday
with
left-patellar
tendinitis
and
recalled
rookie
outfielder
DaShawn
Keirsey
Jr.
from
the
minors
in
a
corresponding
move.
Pitcher
Kody
Funderbunk
(oblique)
was
read more...
2 weeks agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton (hip) felt some more right-hip soreness before he was ejected from a minor-league rehab game with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday and will not rejoin the team for their series in Kansas City against the division-rival Royals this weekend. Buxton is set to be re-evaluated. The oft-injured outfielder was expected to come off the 10-day injured to rejoin the team on Friday, but that won't be happening now, and it's unclear when Buxton might be able to rejoin the big-league roster. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf since the middle of August, and depending on what the Twins find, there's a chance that Buxton could have to be shut down for the rest of the 2024 season. Until Buxton is able to return from his hip ailment, expect the Twins to continue to use a combination of
Willi Castro and
Austin Martin in center field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Bobby Nightengale
2 weeks agoThe Houston Astros reinstated outfielder
Jake Meyers from the paternity list on Thursday and also recalled reliever
Nick Hernandez from Triple-A Sugar Land. In corresponding moves, the team optioned catcher
Cesar Salazar and right-hander
Forrest Whitley to Sugar Land. Meyers is back with the team after missing the last three games to be with his family as he welcomed a child into the world. He isn't back in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale in Cincinnati against the Reds, though, with
Chas McCormick starting in center field and batting eighth against Reds rookie right-hander
Rhett Lowder. Meyers should return to at least a platoon role in center field in Houston now that he's back. The 28-year-old has a .226/.290/.373 slash line on the year with a below-average .664 OPS, 12 homers, 55 RBI and nine stolen bases in 407 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
2 weeks agoHouston Astros manager Joe Espada said the hope is that outfielder
Kyle Tucker (shin) can be activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday before the series opener at Minute Maid Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Astros are gauging how Tucker recovers from his pregame work that he's been doing the last few days. Tucker fractured his shin when he fouled a ball off of it in early June and has been sidelined ever since. It's been frustrating for fantasy managers, since it wasn't revealed until recently that the 27-year-old had actually been dealing with a fracture and not just a shin contusion. In any event, Tucker's return is imminent, and fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups immediately. In just 214 at-bats before his injury, Tucker was slashing .266/.395/.584 with a .979 OPS, 19 homers, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He's a difference-maker when he's healthy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
2 weeks agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder/designated hitter
Joc Pederson is out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park with a left-hander on the mound. With Pederson starting on the bench versus a southpaw, like usual, first baseman
Josh Bell will serve as the DH and will bat third against Giants lefty
Blake Snell. Bell has only faced Snell three times in his career, but his one hit against him was a solo home run. Pederson has only faced left-handers 38 times all year, so by this point in the season, fantasy managers should be used to sitting him when the D-backs are facing a left-hander. He's gone 7-for-29 (.241) against southpaws with only one of his 21 home runs on the season. The veteran lefty slugger has been cold of late, batting .200 (4-for-20) with a homer, two RBI and eight strikeouts in his last eight games since Aug. 25.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Zac Gallen tossed six innings of no-hit ball in Wednesday's 6-4 victory over the Giants but was pulled after 100 pitches despite the no-hitter in progress. The 29-year-old walked four batters in the contest which pushed his pitch count higher, but he also struck out eight batters before handing the game over to the bullpen. The former All-Star notched his 11th quality start and picked up his 11th win of the season, now 11-6 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 14.8% K-BB%. The righty will square off with the Rangers at home in his next start on Tuesday of next week.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby picked up his 11th win of the season in Wednesday's 16-3 victory over the Athletics, tossing six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, walking none and striking out nine en route to his 17th quality start of the year. It was a nice way to start September after a dreadful month of August in which he posted a 6.84 ERA with a 1.72 WHIP and a 7.92 K/9 in five starts. Still, the 26-year-old is having a fine season overall, posting a 3.61 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 20.5% K-BB% thanks to a minuscule 3.0% walk rate. The former first-round draft pick will take on the Padres in his next start at home next Tuesday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoNew York Mets designated hitter
Jesse Winker put the Mets on the board early on Wednesday, blasting a first-inning grand slam in a game the Mets would go on to win 8-3 over the Red Sox. It was Winker's only hit in the contest, going 1-for-3 and getting on base via walk once as well. The 31-year-old has been fairly productive since coming over from the Nationals, slashing .306/.341/.471 in 91 plate appearances. For the year, he owns a .268-14-58-63-14 line with a .349 wOBA and 126 wRC+. With a strong OBP of .368 on the year thanks to a 12.3% BB%, if Winker can continue to get on base, it should be more fruitful for fantasy in the Mets offense that is putting up 4.79 runs/game (seventh-best) compared to the Nationals' offense that is putting up 4.20 runs/game (bottom-third).
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore tossed six innings of one-hit ball in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Marlins, allowing just one run and one walk while striking out nine batters, but did not factor into the decision. It marked the third consecutive quality start for the 25-year-old after collecting just five quality starts over his first 25 games. The southpaw lowered his ERA on the season to 4.32, although his FIP (3.56) and xFIP (3.90) suggest he's been better than that. The former third-overall draft pick also has a 1.50 WHIP and 15.4% K-BB% for the year. His next start will come at home against Atlanta next Tuesday. He's faced the Braves three times this year, dominating them for a 1.65 ERA over three starts, allowing three earned runs on 19 hits and one walk while striking out 21 in 16 1/3 innings pitched.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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