9 hours agoOttawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk (upper body) will be good to go for the start of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Travis Green confirmed on Monday. The Senators captain has missed seven games since sustaining an upper-body injury from a hit by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves on March 30. On Monday, Tkachuk practiced with the team for the first time since getting hurt. He wore a non-contact jersey and took line rushes alongside Tim Stutzle and Fabian Zetterlund. Ottawa has already ruled Tkachuk out for Tuesday's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. It also would not be surprising if Tkachuk sat out Thursday's regular-season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
9 hours agoThe Tampa Bay Rays have promoted right-handed pitcher
Eric Orze from Triple-A Durham on Monday. In a corresponding move, the Rays optioned right-handed pitcher
Joe Boyle to Triple-A. Orze has been effective in the Durham bullpen and has been rewarded with a promotion. Through six innings of work, Orze allowed just one run and struck out nine batters without allowing a free pass. Last summer, Orze received a brief taste of the majors and allowed four runs across one 2/3 innings of work. Boyle was given a spot-start on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves and looked sharp as he tossed five innings of two-run ball (zero earned runs). He struck out seven batters. Fantasy managers should expect Orze to be deployed primarily in a middle-relief role out of the bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Bass
10 hours agoLos Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (ankle) will play in Monday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers. The veteran blue-liner has taken some time off due to an ankle injury, missing three games. Even while managing his ankle issue, Doughty has remained a workhorse in 2024-25, averaging 24:18 of ice time. He has notched 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 28 games while blocking 43 shots. Kyle Burroughs is projected to be a healthy scratch on Monday, while Brandt Clarke will move down from the first defensive pairing to the third.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
10 hours agoMinnesota Twins right-handed pitcher
Zebby Matthews is not expected to join the major league rotation this week. According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, the Twins are expected to continue to deploy a five-man rotation for the time being, even with
Pablo Lopez (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression with Triple-A St. Paul, as he should be in the mix for an early return to the big leagues in the coming weeks. Last summer, Matthews received a brief taste of the majors as he logged 37 2/3 innings to the tune of a 6.79 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP. However, the Western Carolina product has begun taking the next steps forward at Triple-A this season, as he has held a 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and a 1:13 BB:K across 10 innings. He remains a high upside stash in all standard formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Gleeman
10 hours agoDallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (illness) will remain out on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. He exited the lineup for Saturday's matchup against the Utah Hockey Club due to an illness and is taking additional time to recover on Monday. Marchment has been hot over the final stretch of the regular season, setting high standards for the playoffs. He has amassed 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his last 15 appearances. For the season, Marchment has totaled 21 goals and 46 points in 61 games. Marchment's absence has allowed Evgenii Dadonov to grab a second-line spot.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
10 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers infield prospect
Jesus Made (ankle) has returned to action following his minor ankle injury. The shortstop suffered this injury during the first week of April but was able to return to the starting lineup at Low-A Carolina over the weekend. After going 0-for-8 during his first two games of the regular season, Made has begun to turn the corner, going 4-for-16 with two doubles and one home run. He tallied three RBI, scored four runs, swiped a bag, and held a 3:5 BB:K. The 17-year-old joined the Milwaukee organization last summer and spent time in the Dominican Summer League. Across 51 contests, Made posted a .331/.458/.554 slash line with nine doubles and six home runs. Made is currently ranked as the No. 53 prospect in the sport on MLB.com and could continue to rise as he progresses through the lower levels of the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
10 hours agoDallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (rest) will not be in the lineup on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. He will sit out a second consecutive game for rest purposes. Dallas is set to begin the playoffs without Miro Heiskanen (knee) and will need Lindell and Thomas Harley (rest) to be as fresh as possible, so the two are getting some time off near the end of the regular season. Lindell leads the team with 170 blocks and has contributed five goals and 21 assists in 79 games. In the absence of Lindell and Harley, Alexander Petrovic and Brendan Smith have joined the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
10 hours agoTexas Rangers pitching prospect
Jack Leiter (finger) could make a rehab appearance with Triple-A Round Rock on either Wednesday or Thursday. Leiter threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Sunday and appears to be nearing his return to game action. The former second overall pick was placed on the 15-day injured list following his start on April 2 due to a blister. Leiter was able to win a spot in the starting rotation out of spring training and performed quite well during his first two starts, posting a stellar 0.90 ERA with a 0.70 WHIP across 10 innings of work. He struck out 10 batters and served up just one free pass with six hits. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status during his rehab outing, as he could be cleared to return to the big leagues next week. He should be started in all formats when he returns, given his strong start to the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoDallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (rest) will remain out of the lineup on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. He will be rested for a second consecutive game. Harley has taken on a significant workload in the Stars defense due to Miro Heiskanen's (knee) unavailability and is now receiving much-needed time off before the postseason. Heiskanen has been ruled out for the first game of the playoffs, so Harley must also be ready to eat up major minutes when postseason action starts. The 23-year-old has posted a career-high 50 points (16 goals, 34) in 77 games this season while registering 169 shots and 109 blocks. Esa Lindell (rest) will also remain out on Monday, giving Brendan Smith and Alexander Petrovic a chance to play, with Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin operating as the top defensive duo.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
10 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect
Quinn Mathews (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list on Monday afternoon. The team did not provide a reason why the budding southpaw hit the injured list. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status. Last summer, Mathews enjoyed an impressive campaign in the minor leagues as he began the season with Low-A and was able to finish the campaign with Triple-A. Across 126 1/3 innings in Low-A through Double-A, Mathews held a stellar 2.27 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP. During his first look at Triple-A, he allowed 12 runs across 16 innings. During the start of the 2025 campaign, Mathews showed similar struggles at Triple-A, posting a 6.10 ERA with a 2.57 WHIP across 10 1/3 innings. This injury will likely keep Mathews in the minor leagues through most of the first half of the campaign.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
10 hours agoMontreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov will make his NHL debut in Monday's matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 19-year-old is coming off an outstanding KHL campaign, during which he broke Kirill Kaprizov's U-20 scoring record with 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 appearances. He looks to have a bright future but seems ready to contribute immediately for a Montreal team with a mediocre scoring record this season. In his debut, Demidov is set to skate on a line with Joel Armia and Alex Newhook and should get opportunities on the power play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eric Engels
10 hours agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) will return from a 12-game absence on Monday against the New York Rangers. He will have a chance to establish some rhythm before the postseason after missing a month because of an upper-body injury. The Russian blue-liner has made 68 appearances this season, registering 13 points (four goals, nine assists), 70 blocks, and 110 hits. Niko Mikkola will be scratched on Monday to make room for Kulikov, who is expected to accompany Gustav Forsling on the first defensive pairing.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
10 hours agoFlorida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (rest) will be back in action on Monday against the New York Rangers. He was rested for Saturday's clash against the Buffalo Sabres, but Reinhart worked on the top line during Monday's morning skate. The 29-year-old teamed up with Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov (rest), who will also return for Monday's contest. Reinhart has been Florida's top goal-scorer for a second consecutive year, notching 37 goals in 78 outings. He also leads the team in overall scoring with 79 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
10 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich is taking a seat for Monday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers at American Family Field with left-hander
Tarik Skubal on the mound. Yelich will get a day of rest after starting each of the team's last 10 games.
Isaac Collins will serve as the team's designated hitter on Monday night and will bat second against Skubal. Coming off offseason back surgery, Yelich does have three home runs in his first 16 games, but he's also hitting only .143 (8-for-56) in the early going with a double, 10 RBI, eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. Fantasy managers shouldn't start panicking yet, but he's been a disappointment after a very strong start in 2024. Collins is in a prime spot in the batting order but will be avoided by most DFS gamers against Skubal. The switch-hitter has gone 5-for-21 with no homers, two runs and two stolen bases so far this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Sam Bennett (upper body) will end a four-game absence on Monday against the New York Rangers. He is set to return from an upper-body injury, despite recent reports suggesting that Florida may not insert him back into the lineup until the playoffs start. Bennett will link up with Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist on the second line. The 28-year-old will also fill a spot on the first power-play unit. Bennett sits second on the team with 25 goals and has notched a career-high 50 points in 74 contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
11 hours agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer (wrist) is dealing with inflammation in his left wrist and is not in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. The good news is that X-rays that Springer took in Baltimore came back negative, and he's considered day-to-day. He also underwent an MRI exam, which came back negative, and manager John Schneider said Springer would take batting practice and see how he feels. The 35-year-old left Sunday's win over the Orioles after injuring his wrist during an at-bat. Springer has dodged a serious injury, but he won't play on Monday, and fantasy managers will need to check back to see if he's active on Tuesday.
Alan Roden is drawing the start in left field on Monday and is hitting sixth against Braves right-hander
Grant Holmes. He has never faced Holmes in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Hazel Mae
11 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (rest) is expected to rejoin the lineup for Monday's contest against the New York Rangers. The Panthers captain was rested for the previous game against the Buffalo Sabres. Florida will also bring Sam Reinhart (rest) back into the lineup on Monday, while Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Mackie Samoskevich are scheduled to rest. Barkov has finished scoreless only twice in his past nine outings and needs just one more point to celebrate a fourth consecutive 70-point campaign. He has tallied 20 goals and 49 assists across 66 appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
11 hours agoAtlanta Braves outfielder/designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna (leg) is out of the team's starting lineup on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center due to a minor leg injury. However, manager Brian Snitker isn't too concerned.
Bryan De La Cruz will serve as the designated hitter and will bat fifth against Blue Jays left-hander
Easton Lucas for the series opener. It's good news that Ozuna's injury doesn't sound very serious, but fantasy managers will need to pull him from their lineups on Monday and check back to see if he's available to play in Game 2 of the series in Canada on Tuesday. The 28-year-old De La Cruz should be avoided in DFS lineups for Monday's slate because of his slow start in 2025. The Dominican outfielder has gone just 8-for-39 (.205) with no home runs, a stolen base and 16 strikeouts in his 42 plate appearances over 13 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
11 hours agoNew Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter has been issued a two-game suspension, prematurely ending his regular season. He received the suspension for an illegal check to the head against New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) during Sunday's 1-0 loss. This marks Cotter's first suspension through 217 career NHL appearances. The 25-year-old is one of the league's most physical players, delivering 245 hits in 79 games this season. He has also had a productive campaign offensively, scoring a career-high 16 goals and totaling 22 points. Cotter will be eligible to return to the lineup for Game 1 of New Jersey's first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 hours agoKansas City Royals outfielder
Hunter Renfroe is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. With Renfroe starting this one on the bench,
Cavan Biggio will start in right field and hit seventh against Yankees veteran right-hander
Carlos Carrasco. Renfroe started off the year as a lineup regular in right field for the Royals, but his playing time has been slipping after a slow start with the lumber. The 33-year-old veteran has gone just 5-for-39 (.128) with no home runs, a double, three RBI, four walks and 12 strikeouts in 12 games played. Renfroe hit just .229 last year but clubbed 15 home runs. The power is waning, though, and the strikeouts are piling up. Biggio hasn't been much better, hitting .217 (5-for-23) with no homers and two RBI in 11 games played. While Carrasco is a good matchup, fantasy managers setting DFS lineups can probably do better than Biggio.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoEdmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Round 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last week, Ekholm returned to the lineup from a seven-game absence but lasted less than two minutes in a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, aggravating an undisclosed ailment he has been dealing with for some time. The Swedish rearguard finished the regular season with 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 65 games, averaging 22:12 of ice time. Edmonton is also without Jake Walman (undisclosed) and has lost Troy Stecher (undisclosed) ahead of Monday's tilt against the Los Angeles Kings, leaving the blue line thin.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 hours agoKansas City Royals second baseman
Jonathan India (quadriceps) is back in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Yankees and veteran right-hander
Carlos Carrasco in the Bronx, serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff. Right-quad tightness kept India out of the series finale on Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians, but he's back in there a day later. The Royals have been using the 28-year-old in both left field and at second base early on this year, but he'll serve as the DH for this one. India has only five career at-bats against Carrasco, hitting a solo home run against him. In his first 15 games with the Royals this year, India has gone 11-for-53 (.208) with no homers, three doubles, three RBI, five runs scored, nine walks and eight strikeouts. He hasn't torn the cover off the ball early on, but India will be an attractive DFS play against Carrasco.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11
hours
agoPhiladelphia
Phillies
manager
Rob
Thomson
said
he
wants
to
give
struggling
outfielder
Brandon
Marsh
a
mental
and
physical
break.
Marsh
isn't
in
the
starting
lineup
on
Monday
against
the
visiting
San
Francisco
Giants
at
Citizens
Bank
Park,
and
there's
a
good
chance
he'll
read more...
11 hours agoEdmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (illness) will rejoin the lineup for Monday's tilt against the Los Angeles Kings. The versatile veteran has missed three games due to an illness. Nugent-Hopkins will return to action at a time when Connor McDavid (rest) will join Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) on the sidelines, meaning he is expected to operate as Edmonton's top centerman. Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson are projected to be Nugent-Hopkins' partners on the first line. The 32-year-old needs one more point to reach 50 points for the year, having tallied 20 goals and 29 assists in 76 appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jack Michaels
11 hours agoEdmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (rest) will not be in the lineup on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers captain recently returned from a lower-body injury, posting nine assists in three games. However, he will be rested on Monday, as the Oilers are already looking ahead to the postseason. McDavid has been limited to 66 appearances in 2024-25, but he still has a chance to record his fifth consecutive 100-point campaign, needing to add just one more point to his tally. It remains to be seen whether Edmonton will give him the opportunity to get there in the regular-season finale on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jack Michaels
11 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies second baseman
Bryson Stott is at second base and is batting leadoff for Monday's series opener against the visiting San Francisco Giants and right-hander Landon Roupp at Citizens Bank Park. Stott has fared well against right-handed pitchers this year and will make his third straight start in the leadoff spot against a righty as a result. Overall, he's hitting a modest .250 (12-for-48) on the year with a homer, three doubles, six RBI, one stolen base, five runs scored, five walks and 14 strikeouts in 13 games played for the Phillies. Before his recent move to the top of the batting order, Stott had been in the eight-hole most days, so if this new lineup arrangement sticks, it will be a notable boost to his fantasy value. None of the Phillies hitters on Monday have faced Roupp in their careers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11
hours
agoWashington
Nationals
rookie
right-hander
Brad
Lord
will
get
another
start
on
Monday
at
PNC
Park
and
will
be
opposed
by
right-hander
Paul
Skenes.
As
a
result,
right-hander
Jake
Irvin
is
being
bumped
to
read more...
11 hours agoCharlotte Hornets forward
Brandon Miller was asked during his final press conference whether or not he'd be returning soon. The second-year wing stated that he's not sure when exactly he'll fully return, but they're currently working on his range of motion. Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer stated that it sounds like Miller is still a few months away. He only appeared in 27 games this season due to a torn ligament in his right wrist, and finished with a stat line of 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.9 threes per game. Miller is one of the Hornets' core pieces alongside
LaMelo Ball and
Mark Williams, but their issue has been staying on the court so far.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Rod Boone
11 hours agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard
Kyle Lowry just finished out the remaining year on his contract and will be a free agent this summer. When asked about his plans next season, the Villanova product said he'd like to play one more year. Whether that's in Philly or not remains to be seen. He appeared in 35 games this season and averaged 3.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 rebounds across 18.8 minutes per game. He played more of a veteran mentor type of role on the bench for
Tyrese Maxey and
Jared McCain. If he accepts the veteran minimum, head coach Nick Nurse may welcome that type of help from a player-coach, but his value doesn't go much higher than that.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Derek Bodner
12 hours agoPhiladelphia 76ers forward
Guerschon Yabusele made a huge impression during the 2024 Olympics, which turned into a contract offer from Daryl Morey and the Sixers' front office. In his first season back in the NBA since 2018-19, Yabusele delivered with averages of 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 threes per game. He played a solid complementary game to
Joel Embiid when he was able to play, and filled a backup role that the team sorely missed. In a press conference, Daryl Morey said that they loved what Yabusele brought to the team and they would like to retain him this offseason.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Adam Aaronson
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