2 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani continued his extraordinary 2024 campaign on Friday, going 4-for-5 with his 54th home run of the season and stealing his 57th bag in an 11-4 win over the Rockies. The 30-year-old also doubled, drove in four runs, and scored twice. The Japanese star is scorching-hot at the plate right now, currently riding a 10-game hit streak during which time he's gone 26-for-44 (.591) with six doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 15 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. There aren't many superlatives left to describe Ohtani's season, as he's amassed a .309-54-130-133-57 line with a .432 wOBA and 182 wRC+, making him the top-scoring fantasy asset this year.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoMiami Marlins shortstop
Xavier Edwards' speed was on full display in Friday's 15-5 win over the Blue Jays, setting a Marlins franchise record with three triples in a single game. The 25-year-old finished the day 4-for-6 from the plate, with four RBI and two runs scored. It was Edwards' fourth straight multi-hit game, putting an exclamation point on the end of his breakout campaign, with the switch-hitter putting up some impressive numbers in just 68 games played. The 38th-overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft tallied a .327-1-26-37-31 line with a .357 wOBA and 127 wRC+ over 294 plate appearances -- that's a 63-steal pace with 600 plate appearances. He'll be an intriguing fantasy asset in drafts next season with that type of speed and batting average.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs -- one from each side of the plate for the switch-hitter -- in Friday's 4-2 win over the Yankees. The 29-year-old collected three RBI in the contest, walked once, and scored twice as well. The home runs ended a long 21-game homerless stretch and gave him 24 on the year. With two games to go, the 2x All-Star will finish with strikingly similar results for the fourth consecutive season, logging a .276-24-88-72-10 line with a .344 wOBA and 118 wRC+, making him one of the game's more reliable multi-category producers.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3
days
agoNew
York
Mets
catcher
Francisco
Alvarez
(back)
left
Friday
night's
game
early
against
the
Milwaukee
Brewers
at
American
Family
Field
due
to
back
spasms,
according
to
the
team.
Alvarez
looked
to
be
in
considerable
pain
after
sliding
into
third
base
in
the
read more...
3
days
agoAtlanta
Braves
right-hander
Reynaldo
Lopez
(shoulder)
will
come
off
the
injured
list
to
start
for
the
team
on
Saturday
at
Truist
Park
against
the
Kansas
City
Royals.
Lopez
has
been
a
first-time
All-Star
in
his
return
to
a
starting
role
in
his
read more...
3 days agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Riley Greene had a solid two-hit game and recorded an RBI on Friday in the Tigers' 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Greene hit an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to help the Tigers advance to the postseason for the first time since 2014. Greene increased his OPS to .836 on the season and now has 74 RBI. The lefty will be an important piece of Detroit's lineup as they are 73-60 when Greene is in the starting lineup. Greene battled hamstring issues earlier in the 2024 season as helped the Tigers' impressive playoff push take off almost as soon as he returned to the lineup in mid-August. As the Tigers wait to see who they will face it may be wise for Detroit to rest Greene on either Saturday or Sunday to preserve his health for the wild card series.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Max Fried was dominant on Friday night, coming just one out short of a complete-game shutout in the Braves' 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. Fried gave up just three hits en route to recording his 11th win of the season. With the Braves fighting hard for a wild-card spot, Fried's performance gives them a ton of flexibility in the bullpen over the weekend. The lefty and his 3.25 ERA were a massive help to an ailing roster, providing consistency for the Braves throughout all of 2024. Fantasy managers are thrilled with his performance this season, and Fried will be a very important piece to the Braves if they make it into October.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3
days
agoMilwaukee
Brewers
outfielder
Sal
Frelick
(undisclosed)
left
the
Brewers
game
against
the
New
York
Mets
early
after
crashing
into
the
wall
attempting
to
catch
a
foul
ball
in
the
top
of
the
second
inning.
He
was
replaced
by
Garrett
Mitchellread more...
3
days
agoTexas
Rangers
pitchers
Jack
Leiter
and
Kumar
Rocker
were
both
optioned
to
Triple-A
Round
Rock
on
Friday.
As
part
of
the
move
pitchers
Marc
Church
and
Daniel
Robertread more...
3 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Victor Scott II was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday. As part of the move, first baseman
Luken Baker was reinstated from the paternity list. Scott was very unimpressive in his 2024 season, hitting for just a 40 OPS+ in 145 AB. The 23-year-old did start to perform better once called up in August but ultimately performed below league average at the plate. Though his 2024 debut at the major league level did not go the way he wanted, he should still compete for a roster spot in 2025 given his sprint speed and outfield range may warrant playing time if the Cardinals' outfield goes through injury issues as it did in 2024. Baker has performed well in limited appearances in 2024, hitting for a .737 OPS in 46 PA. Should Baker make any starts to finish the season, he may make an interesting DFS option.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
3 days agoDetroit Tigers starting pitcher
Sawyer Gipson-Long (elbow) is set to begin a throwing program next week, according to the Tigers' medical report. Gipson-Long underwent Tommy John surgery in April after injuring his arm during a rehab start. The 26-year-old was rehabbing from a groin strain when his arm issue arose, certainly a big setback for a pitcher who would have competed for a starting job in the Tigers' rotation in 2024. Gipson-Long was impressive in his four-game stint in 2023, posting a 2.70 ERA in four starts. With his throwing program starting up in October, he'll have plenty of time to properly rehab and be ready to impress in 2025. Those in dynasty leagues should keep an eye on the right-hander, as his 31.7% strikeout rate can provide a lot of value from a fantasy perspective.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Jason Beck
3 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Max Kepler (knee) has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list on Friday. That means Kepler is officially done for the 2024 season. The left-handed slugger has been sidelined since the beginning of September due to a lingering knee issue. The Twins were hopeful he could contribute down the stretch of the season, but that's not going to happen. He'll finish the season with a .253 batting average with eight home runs and 42 RBI across 105 games. The 31-year-old is set to enter free agency this winter and could be forced to take a prove-it deal after a down year in 2024.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Sports Illustrated
3 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Thursday, according to manager Brian Snitker. He added that Lopez felt great and is ready to pitch whenever he's needed. The right-hander has been sidelined since leaving his start against the Washington Nationals a few weeks ago. The team hasn't made any announcements, but it sounds like Lopez could be available for Saturday or Sunday. There is no word on any pitch limits, so hopefully Lopez is a full-go as the Braves look to grab one of the final Wild Card spots.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Grant McAuley
3 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti is available to pitch out of the bullpen this weekend, according to manager Joe Espada. The right-hander is scheduled to start on Sunday, but it sounds like the team would rather use him out of the bullpen. The assumption is that Arrighetti is going to be used as a reliever in the postseason, so they might be trying to gear him up for that. The rookie right-hander hasn't pitched out of the bullpen yet as he holds a 4.61 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 167/62 K/BB ratio across 28 starts in Houston.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome
3 days agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (ankle) was held out of the starting lineup during Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Suzuki injured his ankle on Tuesday and has been sidelined since then. However, his ankle reportedly is doing better on Friday and he could be available on Saturday. The Cubs have already been eliminated from postseason contention, so there is no incentive to play Suzuki at anything less than 100 percent healthy.
Kevin Alcantara figures to see a handful of starts over the next few days in right field. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Cubs limit Suzuki to designated hitter duties until the end of the season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Maddie Lee
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