10 mins agoThe Philadelphia Phillies claimed right-hander
Brett de Geus off waivers from the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. de Geus spent the 2024 season with three different teams -- the Seattle Mariners, Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays -- and will now head to his fourth different team since January. The 27-year-old will merely be organizational relief depth for the Phillies for the time being and isn't on the fantasy radar at all. He was originally a 33rd-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 out of Cabrillo College. de Geus made his major-league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2021 and also pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks that year. In parts of two big-league seasons with five different teams, he has a 7.48 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 61 1/3 relief frames.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
18 mins agoMilwaukee Brewers right-handed reliever
Nick Mears (illness) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, the team announced. Mears only appeared in three spring training games due to an illness that landed him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2025 regular season. He's eligible to come off the IL on April 8, but it's unclear if he'll start the year at Nashville or with the Brewers in their bullpen. The 28-year-old hard-throwing righty has intriguing swing-and-miss stuff but has been inconsistent in his brief time in the big leagues with three different teams because of his inability to locate effectively in the strike zone. Mears has the stuff to work in a high-leverage relief role for the Brew Crew, but fantasy managers can avoid him for now with his 5.20 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 107 1/3 career innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Brewers
25 mins agoDespite landing on the injured list on Monday, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Aaron Civale (hamstring) was able to play catch on Tuesday after his MRI exam revealed only a mild strain of his hamstring. While nothing is set in stone just yet, this news means that Civale should have a chance to return from the IL when he's eligible on Tuesday, April 15. If at all possible, the Brewers would love to have him back in their injury-depleted starting rotation, too. Civale made it only three innings in his first start of 2025 in the Bronx against the New York Yankees on March 30, allowing five earned runs on four hits (three homers allowed) while walking one and striking out two. If the 29-year-old hurler continues to improve quickly, he could even forego a minor-league rehab assignment. Injury aside, Civale has limited fantasy upside due to lack of strikeout stuff.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Wisconsin - Sophia Minnaert
34 mins agoBoston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter
Masataka Yoshida (back, shoulder), who started the season on the injured list as he recovers from a right-shoulder labral repair last October, is doing baseball activities again after being shut down for a few days with minor back tightness. Yoshida took 50 swings in Boston on Sunday, according to manager Alex Cora. The left-handed-hitting Japanese outfielder continues to build up to a throwing program, but he might be a man without a position on the major-league roster when he makes his 2025 debut now that
Rafael Devers is serving as the team's primary DH. "Feeling better," Cora said Saturday. "Nothing throwing-wise." When Yoshida is eventually cleared to play in games, he's expected to join Triple-A Worcester on a minor-league rehab assignment. Barring a setback, Yoshida could be activated from the IL before the end of April.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
38 mins agoBoston Red Sox right-handed reliever
Liam Hendriks (elbow) played catch at Globe Life Field on Sunday before the team's series finale against the Texas Rangers after he was originally told not to throw for three days after getting an injection to improve a compressed nerve in his right elbow. Hendriks is expecting to resume a normal throwing program in hopes of being activated from the injured list relatively soon, although it sounds the like the Red Sox won't be activating him when he's eligible to return on April 8. The team is going to exercise caution with the veteran reliever since he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since June of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old Australian has 116 career saves in 13 big-league seasons and should be a late-inning option for Boston when he's healthy, but he also had a 9.95 ERA and 2.21 WHIP in 6 1/3 innings this spring before injuring his elbow.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
43 mins agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Kutter Crawford (knee), who is recovering from right patellar tendinopathy, is significantly behind
Brayan Bello (shoulder) and
Lucas Giolito (hamstring) in his recovery. Crawford is working out in Florida but hasn't faced hitters yet and could be in line for a lengthy absence to begin the season. The 29-year-old also dealt with knee issues in 2024 and could be feeling the effects of career-high workload last year in which he threw 183 2/3 innings over 33 starts in his fourth year in the big leagues. Because he's without a timetable to return and hasn't even started throwing to hitters, it's safe to assume we won't see Crawford back in Boston's starting rotation until at least sometime in May. With Crawford, Bello and Giolito on the IL to begin the year,
Richard Fitts and
Sean Newcomb started the year in the back end of the rotation in Beantown.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
53 mins agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Lucas Giolito (hamstring) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start on Wednesday for the Triple-A Worcester WooSox, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith. In what will be his first rehab start since suffering a hamstring strain in spring training, Giolito is expected to throw three innings. The 30-year-old veteran will need at least two more rehab starts before that before the Red Sox consider activating him from the 15-day injured list, so in a best-case scenario, Giolito might be looking at making his debut with Boston at the end of April. When both Giolito and
Brayan Bello (shoulder) are able to return to the starting rotation,
Richard Fitts and
Sean Newcomb will likely be bumped to the minors or the bullpen. Giolito had two straight down seasons in 2022 and 2023 before having elbow surgery last year and missing all of the 2024 campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
1 hour agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Brayan Bello (shoulder) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start for the Triple-A Worcester WooSox on Tuesday, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith. Bello suffered a right-shoulder strain right at the start of spring training in mid-February and was unable to pitch at all in the Grapefruit League as a result. The 25-year-old is expected to make at least two rehab appearances for Worcester, and barring any setbacks, he could be ready to come off the 15-day injured list when he's first eligible on Friday, April 11. When the BoSox do clear Bello to make his 2025 debut and return to the starting rotation, left-hander
Sean Newcomb will likely be the odd-man out of Boston's rotation. Bello has so far been inconsistent and has struggled with keeping the ball in the yard and with his command.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
1 hour agoCincinnati Reds right-handed reliever
Alexis Diaz (hamstring) threw live batting practice on Tuesday, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. Diaz displayed terrible control in spring training and then injured his hamstring, which landed him on the 15-day injured to begin the 2025 regular season. The 28-year-old is already throwing to live hitters and is eligible to come off the IL on April 8, but it's unclear if he'll be ready by then or if the Reds are even comfortable throwing him back into their big-league bullpen by then. After recording the team's first save chance early on, right-hander
Emilio Pagan is manager Terry Francona's clear preferred choice for the ninth inning with Diaz sidelined, but
Tony Santillan is also a very trusted weapon in high-leverage situations. It's quite possible that Diaz is eased into lower-leverage situations out of the 'pen in Cincy when he does make his season debut.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
1 hour agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Max Scherzer (thumb) received a cortisone shot in his right thumb to reduce swelling and pain and is now day-to-day, with his next steps to be determined on how he feels in the coming days. Scherzer, who has dealt with injuries the last few seasons, is on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2025 season and has no timeline for a return at this time. In a best-case scenario, the 40-year-old veteran will begin to feel better and be cleared to resume throwing, but even then, there's a good chance he'll be forced to miss the first month of the season as he ramps his arm back up. While Scherzer was initially looking like a value pick for the back end of fantasy rotations going into his first season with the Blue Jays, we've gotten to the point where we're now wondering how much he'll even be able to pitch in 2025. For now, keep him stashed in an IL spot until we know more.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Ben Nicholson-Smith
1 hour agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) is out of the starting lineup again on Tuesday against the visiting Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium and likely won't play again until Friday, at the earliest, according to 570 LA Sports' David Vassegh. Freeman slipped and fell on his right ankle in the shower on Sunday morning, but thankfully X-rays showed that he didn't damage his surgically-repaired right ankle.
Enrique Hernandez will get another start at first base on Tuesday and will hit sixth against Braves left-hander
Chris Sale, who won the National League Cy Young award last season. Fantasy managers will be without the 35-year-old Freeman for another few days, but he should be back in L.A.'s lineup at some point this weekend for a showdown in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Through three games played, Freeman has gone 3-for-12 with two homers, a double and four RBI for the Blue.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: 570 LA Sports - David Vassegh
1 hour agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher/first baseman
Willson Contreras is out of the lineup on Tuesday for the first time this year against the visiting Los Angeles Angels at Busch Stadium. Catcher
Ivan Herrera will also start on the bench, with
Pedro Pages doing the catching for left-hander
Matthew Liberatore and batting seventh against Angels right-hander
Kyle Hendricks. It's a good time for Contreras to get off his feet for the first time this year, as the 32-year-old Venezuelan backstop is hitless with eight strikeouts in 19 plate appearances over his first four games in 2024.
Alec Burleson is starting at first for the Cards and is batting second on Tuesday. Burleson will be the more popular DFS play for this matchup against the soft-tossing Hendricks, as Burleson has hit .429 with a 1.071 OPS in a small sample size of seven career at-bats against Hendricks.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoMinnesota Twins second baseman
Edouard Julien (illness) is making his first start of the 2025 season on Tuesday on the road in Chicago against the division-rival White Sox at Rate Field. Julien will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth against right-hander
Shane Smith, who will be making his major-league debut. Although this will be Julien's first start of the year due to an illness he's been dealing with, the 25-year-old had three at-bats off the bench on Monday and has gone hitless with two strikeouts. Most of the Canadian's playing time should come at second base again for the Twins this year, but at best, he'll be in more of a platoon situation, limiting his fantasy appeal to deeper formats. In his second year with the Twins in 2024, Julien slashed just .199/.292/.323 with eight home runs, 21 RBI and six steals in 94 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Dylan Crews will head to the bench for Tuesday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Alex Call is starting in right field in his place and will hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander
Jose Berrios. The Nationals are giving Crews an early mental break after the former second overall pick in 2023 out of LSU has started his first full year in the big leagues by going 0-for-15 at the plate with a steal, run scored, one walk and 10 strikeouts in his first four games. While it's still early, fantasy managers hoping Crews would contribute nicely across most categories this year have to be at least a little bit concerned. Call will be making his season debut on Tuesday after hitting .343 (34-for-99) with three homers, 14 RBI and five steals in just 30 games for Washington a season ago. Call has never faced Berrios in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is getting the day off in the Bronx on Tuesday against the hosting New York Yankees.
Jake McCarthy is starting in left field and is batting seventh, while
Alek Thomas will start in center and hit eighth against Yankees right-hander
Will Warren, who will be making just the sixth start of his young career. Gurriel will get his first breather early in the season after going 4-for-19 with a home runs, double, three RBI, three runs scored and a strikeout in his first four games. McCarthy, a former first-rounder, is still searching for his first hit of 2025 after going 0-for-8 with two RBI and two strikeouts in his first three games. Thomas has played in only two games so far this year but has looked good at the plate, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in nine plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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