MLB News

Francisco Lindor • SS • Mets

Francisco Lindor To Go Through Baseball Activities On Saturday, Targeting Tuesday Return

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) will go through a full series of baseball activities on Saturday and is targeting a potential return on Tuesday when the Mets travel to Atlanta. This is an excellent sign for the MVP candidate, who has been sidelined throughout the week due to back pain. As a result, prospect Luisangel Acuna has filled in at shortstop and has held his own by hitting two home runs with a .375 AVG this past week. Lindor has enjoyed a stellar summer as he sits with a strong .271/.342/.494 slash line, 31 home runs, and 27 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Mets starting nine on Tuesday, as Lindor could return in the first game of a three-game set with significant playoff implications.

0 hour ago

Isaac Paredes • 3B • Cubs

Isaac Paredes Scratched From Saturday's Lineup

Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes (wrist) was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a left wrist contusion, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The 25-year-old was scheduled to return to the Cubs lineup after sitting out on Friday afternoon but will need at least another day to rest. As a result, Luis Vazquez will cover the hot corner and bat in the nine-hole. Since joining the Northside at the trade deadline, Paredes has held an underwhelming .212/.317/.301 line with just three home runs and five doubles across a 45-game stint. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Paredes' status before Sunday's game. If the former Tampa Bay Ray remains sidelined, Vazquez and Patrick Wisdom should see an uptick in opportunities. Vazquez will face Washington southpaw MacKenzie Gore this afternoon and should be faded in all DFS formats.

2 hours ago

Kenley Jansen • RP • Red Sox

Kenley Jansen Tosses Clean Inning In Return

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (shoulder) logged a clean frame on Friday evening in his return to the bump. The 36-year-old was battling a minor shoulder injury and has only pitched twice this week. However, seeing him return to his typical ninth-inning role on Friday is a promising sign that he is past this injury. Fantasy managers should expect the former Dodger to be called upon as a high-leverage option out of the Red Sox during the final week of the season. Through 53 2/3 innings this summer, the right-hander has held a 3.35 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 20:61 BB:K ratio. He has tallied 27 saves. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable relying on the veteran to see save opportunities during the final week of the 2024 season.

2 hours ago

CJ Abrams • SS • Nationals

CJ Abrams Demoted To Triple-A Due To Off-Field Actions

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was demoted to Triple-A Rochester earlier on Saturday due to off-field actions. Jim Bowden of CBS Sports reported that Abrams was seen at Bally Casino past 8 am before a 1 pm game, according to multiple eyewitnesses. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring this situation over the season's final week and during the offseason, as the team did not approve of his behavior. Since the start of September, the infielder has held a .271/.308/.458 line with two home runs and four stolen bases. Overall, in his second full season in the big leagues, the 23-year-old has emerged as both a power and speed threat as he hit 20 long balls and swiped 31 bags while holding a .246 AVG. The former first-round pick will likely be one of the first shortstops taken in drafts next season due to his ability to contribute to all five standard categories.

2 hours ago

Jacob Young • CF • Nationals

Jacob Young Still Out On Saturday

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) remains sidelined on Saturday as the Nationals continue a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old was held out of the starting nine on Friday afternoon due to a shoulder injury. Fantasy managers should consider the young outfielder day-to-day for the time being. Young has showcased his speed throughout his sophomore campaign this summer, stealing 32 bags. As a result, top prospect Dylan Crews will shift over to center field on Saturday and bat in the leadoff spot. Crews has held a mere .225/.244/.250 line across his past ten games but has a great opportunity against Chicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks to get back on track as Hendricks carries a high 6.25 ERA.

2 hours ago

Luis García Jr. • 2B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. Returns To Lineup On Saturday

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is back in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Nationals continue a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. The infielder has been sidelined for the past two games due to a wrist injury. He will return on Saturday but will serve as the designated hitter and bat in the three-hole. Fantasy managers should expect the 24-year-old to return to the infield very soon. Before the minor injury, Garcia was in the midst of a slump through September, holding a .175/.233/.300 line with just three extra-base hits. Throughout the summer, Garcia has posted a strong .280 AVG with 16 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should feel confident starting him this afternoon as he will face Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks who carries a hefty 6.25 ERA.

3 hours ago

Francisco Lindor • SS • Mets

Francisco Lindor Remains Out On Saturday

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) remains out of the starting nine on Saturday as the Mets continue a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The start infielder has now been sidelined for six consecutive starts due to a back injury. The Mets will likely be cautious with their MVP candidate ahead of the playoffs. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Lindor's status as he could return to the lineup sometime next week. As a result, prospect Luisangel Acuna will get his fifth straight start at shortstop and bat in the nine-hole. The 22-year-old has been heating up at the plate, carrying a .375 AVG with two home runs and five RBI across his past four games. He is worth a look in DFS this afternoon as he will face Philadelphia southpaw Ranger Suarez, who has surrendered seven earned runs across his past two starts.

3 hours ago

Andrew McCutchen • DH • Pirates

Andrew McCutchen Taking A Day Off

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will get a day of rest on Saturday at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. With McCutchen on the bench to start, Oneil Cruz will serve as the DH and bat third, while Billy Cook draws into the lineup in center field and will hit in the nine-hole against Reds rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder. Believe it or not, but McCutchen has returned to the 20-homer mark this year for the first time since 2021 at 37 years old. The former MVP is hitting .238 (102-for-429) through 115 games, though, and doesn't provide much else for fantasy managers these days. Cruz is a must-start in fantasy and just reached the 20-20 mark for the first time in his career by homering on Friday night. Cook will be playing in only his 10th MLB game on Saturday. He's gone 5-for-27 with a homer, double, five RBI and 12 K's through nine games.

3 hours ago

Rowdy Tellez • 1B • Pirates |

Joey Bart • C • Pirates

Rowdy Tellez, Joey Bart Out On Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez, catcher Joey Bart and infielder Jared Triolo are all on the bench for the start of Saturday's contest against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Connor Joe is manning first base and batting seventh, Yasmani Grandal is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at third and hitting leadoff against Reds rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder. It will be the fifth time in the last 10 games that Tellez has found himself on the bench, as he has only two hits in his last 25 at-bats over nine games. Kiner-Falefa draws the most DFS intrigue on Saturday against a rookie hurler. Since coming over from the Blue Jays in a deadline trade this summer, IKF has hit .249 (45-for-181) for Pittsburgh with a homer, nine doubles, two triples, 10 RBI and seven stolen bases.

3 hours ago

José Caballero • SS • Rays

Jose Caballero Retreats To Bench Versus Blue Jays

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jose Caballero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca are both out of the starting lineup on Saturday at Tropicana Field against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Taylor Walls will make the start at the 6 for Tampa and will hit ninth, while Jose Siri starts in center field and bats seventh against Blue Jays rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez. Caballero does lead the league with 44 stolen bases (and also 14 times caught stealing), but he has only nine home runs and 44 RBI on the year in 133 games in his first year in Tampa and has struggled at the plate of late. The 28-year-old Panama native has gone 11-for-49 (.225) in 18 games in September with no homers, two doubles, three RBI, seven steals and 17 strikeouts in 53 plate appearances. Walls and Siri have four combined at-bats against Rodriguez this year and have gone hitless.

3 hours ago

Coby Mayo • 3B • Orioles

Orioles Sending Coby Mayo Back To The Minors

The Baltimore Orioles will option rookie infielder Coby Mayo to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday, according to a source, which likely means that veteran infielder Ramon Urias (ankle) is coming off the 10-day injured list. Jordan Westburg (hand), who is recovering from a fractured hand, is likely not far behind Urias. With both Urias and Westburg out of late, the O's had been using a combination of Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner. Mayo, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-24 with 12 strikeouts in 10 games since being brought up from Norfolk at the beginning of September. The 22-year-old still has a bright future in the big leagues, but he clearly isn't ready for big-league pitching and could use some more seasoning on the farm. Expect the O's to use a combination of Urias and Westburg at third the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

3 hours ago

Francisco Lindor • SS • Mets

Francisco Lindor Receives Injection For His Back

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) received a facet shot for his lingering back issue on Thursday and showed signs of progressing on Friday. A facet shot is an injection of a mixture of anesthetic and steroids into the facet joints of the spine to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. "It was always trending in the right direction but it didn't feel like I could get back sooner rather than later. And with the injection, they said there was a possibility that that could happen," Lindor said. He played catch, ran and took batting practice on Friday and said he was "feeling good." However, Lindor couldn't put a percentage of improvement on the results yet, and it remains to be seen if he'll play this weekend against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Lindor missed his fifth straight game and continues to be replaced by infield prospect Luisangel Acuna, who has looked good since his call-up from the minors.

3 hours ago

Spencer Steer • LF • Reds

Spencer Steer Sitting On Saturday

Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer is not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's contest at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. With Steer taking the day off, the left-handed-hitting Will Benson will get the start in left field for the Reds and will bat ninth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. Steer has really struggled in the month of September, batting .191 (12-for-63) with a homer, four doubles, two triples and 14 strikeouts in 18 games, so the Reds have elected to give him a day to clear his head. The 26-year-old right-handed slugger has hit just .230 (127-for-552) in 152 games this year, but he has recorded a 20-20 campaign for the first time in his career in just his third season with the Reds after falling five steals short in 2023. Benson has never faced Jones in his career and is a low-upside DFS sleeper who is hitting .189 (63-for-333) on the year.

4 hours ago

CJ Abrams • SS • Nationals

Nationals Sending CJ Abrams To The Minors

The Washington Nationals are optioning shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues on Saturday, according to sources. Abrams had a breakout first half and was named to the National League All-Star squad, but he has struggled in the second half. Since the All-Star break, the former first-rounder has hit just .203 (38-for-187) with five home runs, eight RBI, 17 RBI, 10 walks, 48 strikeouts and 16 stolen bases in 49 games played to drop his season line to .246/.314/.433. The 23-year-old has still produced his first 20-20 season in his second full season in D.C. with 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 138 games after hitting 18 dingers and stealing a career-high 47 bags in 2023. It's an odd move, to say the least, especially with the minor-league seasons concluding on Sunday. Abrams did have four hits on Thursday and has hit .271 (13-for-48) with two homers, three doubles, three RBI and four steals in September.

4 hours ago

José Ramírez • 3B • Guardians

Jose Ramirez Hits Home Run No. 36, Steals 40th Base

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base in Friday's 5-1 win over the Cardinals. It was the 40th steal of the season for the 32-year-old, but with just seven games to go, it looks like he'll fall just shy of a 40/40 season. That's not to say it hasn't been a great year for the 6x All-Star, it has, as he's amassed a .274-36-109-108-40 line, making him one of the most coveted multi-category-producing fantasy assets in 2024.

5 hours ago

Jonathan Aranda • 1B • Rays

Jonathan Aranda Wins It For The Rays

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda didn't hit your prototypical walk-off home run, but his solo shot in the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner in a tight 1-0 win over the Blue Jays on Friday. Aranda has now hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games he's started, going 12-for-40 (.300) over that stretch with three doubles, three home runs, four RBI, and seven runs scored. During his time in the minors, the 26-year-old has proven he's got some pop in his bat, including a 25-homer season at Triple-A in 2023, but for fantasy managers navigating the fantasy playoffs, there are probably better upside options out there on the waiver wire.

6 hours ago

Alec Bohm • 3B • Phillies

Alec Bohm Homers In Four-Hit Game

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm went 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored in Friday's 12-2 win over the Mets. The 28-year-old missed a couple weeks with a hand injury and was 2-for-15 in the four games prior to Friday after being activated but certainly looked fully healed in the four-hit effort. Before going down with the injury, Bohm was having a great season, even leading the majors in doubles at the time and still only trails the new leader (Jarren Duran, 45) by just one despite missing time. The 2024 All-Star has a .290-15-94-62-5 line for the season with a .347 wOBA and 123 wRC+ and will look to help carry the Phils to a division crown as the season draws to a close.

6 hours ago

Julio Rodríguez • CF • Mariners

Julio Rodriguez Blasts Two Homers, Collects Five RBI

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez stayed hot in Friday's 8-2 win over the Rangers, belting a pair of home runs in a 3-for-5 day at the plate while collecting five RBI and scoring twice. Both home runs came off of Rangers reliever Jack Leiter and it was the 23-year-old's fourth multi-hit effort in his last seven games. The glaring part of Rodriguez's game that's been missing this season has been his power, but he's knocked five home runs so far this month, the most in any single month this season. The former A.L. Rookie of the Year should still hit the 20-homer plateau before the season is out despite the slow start, putting him on track for a 20/20 campaign, now authoring a .268-18-59-68-22 line with a .317 wOBA and 113 wRC+.

7 hours ago

Tyler Stephenson • C • Reds

Tyler Stephenson Homers, Drives In Five Runs

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson greeted Mitch Keller with a solo home run in the first inning of Friday's 8-3 win over the Pirates, then collected two more hits off of the righty before Keller departed in the bottom of the fourth, ultimately being charged with eight earned runs in the outing. The other two hits were a single and a double, as Stephenson finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored in the contest. It was the 28-year-old's third multi-hit game in his last four, and overall he's been a Top-10 option at catcher for fantasy. The former first-round draft pick owns a .265-19-64-67-1 line on the season with a .347 wOBA and 117 wRC+.

7 hours ago

Oneil Cruz • SS • Pirates

Oneil Cruz Joins 20/20 Club With Home Run

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Reds. The home run was his 20th of the year, giving the 25-year-old his first 20/20 season of his young career. Despite the achievement, Cruz is slashing just .196/.281/.357 in September after a hot August in which he slashed .389/.449/.537. Overall on the season, the Dominican has been productive even with a high strikeout rate (30.9%), putting together a .267-20-75-70-22 line over 138 games with a .336 wOBA and 113 wRC+, making him a solid multi-category contributor for fantasy.

7 hours ago

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