21 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Tommy Pham (illness) was removed from Friday's game early at PNC Park versus the visiting New York Yankees due to an illness. Pham is being treated and is considered day-to-day. Pham was replaced in left field by
Alexander Canario after going hitless in his only plate appearance with a groundout in the second inning. We'd be surprised if the 37-year-old is in the starting lineup for Saturday's second game of the series. In addition to the illness, it's been a rough start to the 2025 season for Pham, who came into Friday's contest hitting .087 (2-for-23) in the early going with a double, three stolen bases, three walks and eight strikeouts in 27 plate appearances over seven games played. Hopefully Pham will be feeling good enough for the start of a new series on Monday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: PGH Baseball Now - Danny Demilio
21 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies left-hander
Ranger Suarez (back) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. It's a big step for Suarez, as it will be his first time facing live hitters since he was shut down with lower-back stiffness in spring training camp in the middle of March. If the 29-year-old southpaw is able to avoid a setback with his back this weekend, the Phillies will likely clear him to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Suarez will likely need several rehab starts, which means he could rejoin Philadelphia's big-league starting rotation and make his season debut by the end of April. He missed around a month in 2024 with the same injury and wasn't the same pitcher the rest of the way after posting a 1.75 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in his first 15 starts. Suarez is a ground-ball pitcher that lacks a ton of fantasy upside with a below-average career strikeout rate.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
21
hours
agoAtlanta
Braves
right-hander
Reynaldo
Lopez
(shoulder)
is
scheduled
to
have
arthroscopic
surgery
on
his
right
shoulder
next
Tuesday,
according
to
manager
Brian
Snitker.
The
Braves
will
have
a
better
idea
on
the
extent
of
damage
in
Lopez's
shoulder
after
the
surgery.
The
31-year-old
read more...
22 hours agoDetroit Tigers right-handers
Sawyer Gipson-Long (hip, elbow) and
Ty Madden (shoulder) are both scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Saturday. Gipson-Long is recovering from a left-hip labral repair and right-UCL reconstruction, while Madden is rehabbing from a right-shoulder strain. Meanwhile, right-hander
Jose Urquidy (elbow) is playing catch out to 105 feet three times a week as he recovers from right-UCL reconstruction. Gipson-Long is on the 60-day injured list after having Tommy John surgery last April and hip surgery last July. Barring a setback, the 27-year-old won't be an option for the Tigers until around the All-Star break in mid-July. Madden, 25, suffered a right rotator-cuff strain in spring training and won't be able to return until at least the end of May while on the 60-day IL.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLive - Evan Woodbery
22 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Wenceel Perez (back) received the second of two scheduled cortisone injections on Friday, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Perez was forced to the injured list to begin the 2025 season due to lumbar-spine inflammation, and there's currently no timetable for his return. With no clear picture on when he might be able to make his season debut, the 25-year-old most likely won't come off the IL until May. When he is healthy, expect him to be an option for a platoon role in center field with
Parker Meadows (arm) also out for the foreseeable future. The switch-hitting Dominican can be left to the waiver wire in mixed leagues for now. Last year was his first year in the big leagues, and he hit .242/.300/.383 with a .683 OPS, nine home runs, 37 RBI and nine steals in 112 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLive - Evan Woodbery
22 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Kerry Carpenter showed his power in Friday's 7-4 win over the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park by going 2-for-5 with two solo home runs and a strikeout. The home runs were Carpenter's first of the 2025 season, and he's now hitting .261 with an .815 OPS in the early going for fantasy managers. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder played in only 87 games in 2024 due to injuries, but when he was available, he was a consistent producer with a .284/.345/.587 slash line, career-high .932 OPS, 18 home runs, 57 RBI and 37 runs scored in 296 plate appearances. Carpenter's lack of success against left-handed pitching is a problem, though, and it affects his overall fantasy upside for those that have him rostered in mixed leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22
hours
agoThe
Dallas
Morning
News'
Evan
Grant
reports
that
Texas
Rangers
third
baseman
Josh
Jung
(neck)
is
taking
ground
balls
and
has
been
doing
some
hitting
as
he
rehabs
from
neck
spasms
that
landed
him
on
the
10-day
injured
list.
Jung
is
eligible
to
read more...
22 hours agoTexas Rangers catcher
Kyle Higashioka will get the start behind the dish on Friday over
Jonah Heim in the series opener against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Higashioka will catch right-hander
Tyler Mahle and will bat eighth against Rays right-hander
Zack Littell. So far through eight games in 2025, Higashioka and Heim have had four starts apiece, splitting the catching work right down the middle. After a career year in San Diego in 2024, Higashioka has two hits in his first nine at-bats with the Rangers, including one RBI. Heim has looked better so far in a small sample size, batting .308 with two home runs and two RBI in 13 plate appearances. Higashioka will have limited DFS upside in the eight-hole on Friday, but he does have a solo home run in two career at-bats against Littell.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
22 hours agoMiami Marlins outfielder
Derek Hill (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Atlanta Braves on the road at Truist Park. With Hill missing his third straight start due to back tightness, the Fish will start
Griffin Conine,
Dane Myers and
Kyle Stowers across the outfield from left to right, respectively. If the 29-year-old Hill will likely be forced to the 10-day injured list if he's unable to return to the lineup by the end of the weekend series in Atlanta. The former first-rounder by the Detroit Tigers in 2014 went 5-for-18 with two doubles, an RBI and a stolen base in five games before injuring his back. Stowers is the only Marlins outfielder in the starting lineup on Friday that has faced Braves right-hander
Spencer Schwellenbach before, and he has one hit in just three career at-bats against him.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
23 hours agoAtlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley has been dropped down to fifth in the batting order for Friday's series opener at Truist Park against the division-rival Miami Marlins and right-hander
Max Meyer. Riley has hit either second or third for the first seven games of the season, but the Braves are going to change things up as they search for their first win of 2025. The 28-year-old right-handed slugger isn't the only one slumping to begin the year in Atlanta's lineup, but he has gone 3-for-27 with a home run, one RBI, two runs scored, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 29 plate appearances. Second baseman
Ozzie Albies will hit second in the lineup. The drop in the order will make Riley less attractive for DFS purposes, although he has hit .400 with a solo home run in a small sample size of five career at-bats against Meyer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Max Muncy will retreat to the bench for Friday's series opener in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies with left-hander
Jesus Luzardo toeing the rubber. Veteran infielder
Miguel Rojas will get the nod at the hot corner and will hit eighth against Luzardo, who he has one hit against in just two career at-bats. Muncy has been cold to begin the 2025 season offensively, although he did have a two-run double in Wednesday's walk-off win over the Atlanta Braves. Overall, the 34-year-old veteran has gone just 3-for-25 with a run scored and two RBI in his first seven games, so perhaps a day of rest will do him some good on the road. Rojas, 36, isn't really known for his exploits with the bat, so fantasy managers should look elsewhere at third base in DFS. He has one hit in his first 16 at-bats this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoKansas City Royals outfielder
Hunter Renfroe is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium.
MJ Melendez is starting in right field and batting eighth, while
Cavan Biggio is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth versus Orioles right-hander
Dean Kremer. Melendez and Biggio have a combined 10 career at-bats against Kremer without a single hit. The 33-year-old Renfroe could find himself on the bench more frequently in 2025 if his bat is cold, regardless of whether he still has some power in his lumber. He's off to a rough 2-for-18 start with a double, three RBI, three walks and six strikeouts in 21 plate appearances over five contests. Outside of some modest power at this stage of his career with infrequent playing time, Renfroe is really only valuable in AL-only formats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoAtlanta Braves shortstop
Orlando Arcia is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Miami Marlins at Truist Park.
Nick Allen will instead make the start at the 6 and bat eighth against Marlins right-hander
Max Meyer. Arcia started for the Braves in four of the first five games of the season but will now start on the bench on Friday for his third straight contest. The 30-year-old Venezuelan veteran has struggled at the plate, going 2-for-13 with no walks and five strikeouts in four games played, so the Braves will give Allen another chance. Allen has four hits (one double) in his first 11 plate appearances with an RBI and two stolen bases, but he's more of a defense-first player and should be considered a long shot for much production in DFS on Friday. Allen has never faced Meyer in his MLB career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoAtlanta Braves right-hander
Spencer Strider (elbow) is making another minor-league rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Gwinnett, according to 929 The Game's Grant McAuley. Catcher
Sean Murphy (rib) is expected to do the catching for Strider as he continues his own rehab assignment. Strider threw 60 pitches over three innings in his first rehab start for the Stripers and may only need to make one more rehab start after Friday's outing as long as he doesn't have a setback with his surgically-repaired right elbow. The 26-year-old had an internal-brace procedure almost exactly a year ago and is getting closer and closer to making his 2025 debut with the Braves. While Strider might be eased in initially in terms of his pitch count by the Braves, he needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats and could be a difference maker for fantasy rotations sooner than later.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: 929 The Game - Grant McAuley
24 hours agoWashington Nationals infielder
Paul DeJong is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. With DeJong starting on the bench,
Jose Tena is starting at third base and will hit eighth against D-backs right-hander
Brandon Pfaadt. DeJong has gotten off to a slow start in 2025 in his first year in the nation's capital, as he's gone just 4-for-18 with two doubles, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 20 plate appearances over six games played. Tena will get a chance after going 1-for-2 with a strikeout in just two games played in the early going. He has never faced Pfaadt in his career and isn't a recommended lineup option for DFS gamers on Friday. The 31-year-old DeJong should see most of the playing time at the hot corner for the Nats early this season, and he still has some notable pop, but he won't contribute in the average department with a lot of strikeouts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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