MLB News
Griffin Conine Out Against Twins
Miami Marlins rookie outfielder Griffin Conine is on the bench to start Thursday's contest against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Marlins are playing youngsters down the stretch in a lost season, but Conine has seen sporadic playing time in the outfield. The 27-year-old has had 67 at-bats over his first 26 big-league games and has gone 16-for-67 (.239) with two home runs, three doubles, a triple, six RBI, six walks and 24 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances. Derek Hill is starting in center field and batting seventh, and Jesus Sanchez is in right field and batting cleanup for the Fish against Twins right-hander David Festa. In his last five games, Conine has begun to heat up, going 4-for-13 with a homer, double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored.
1 hour ago
Ryan Mountcastle Not Playing On Thursday
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale at Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees. With Mountcastle starting on the bench, the left-handed-hitting Ryan O'Hearn will play first base and bat sixth against Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole. Mountcastle just returned from the injured list on Tuesday due to a wrist injury and has gone 2-for-7 with an RBI and two strikeouts in his first two games back. The Orioles are easing him in ahead of the postseason and will give him a day off against one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. O'Hearn won't be too popular in DFS against Cole. In his 17 career at-bats against him, O'Hearn has hit .118 with a .471 OPS, one home run and two RBI. O'Hearn has been hot of late, going 8-for-21 (.381) with three doubles and two RBI since Sept. 17.
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Reggie Crawford Undergoes Surgery
The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that left-handed prospect Reggie Crawford (shoulder) had surgery on Thursday to fix the labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The estimated recovery time for Crawford is 10-12 months, so he is not going to be able to pitch in 2025. The Giants' first-round pick in 2022 will enter spring training in 2026 having thrown a total of 37 1/3 professional innings. Crawford, 23, was previously recovering from Tommy John surgery, so this will be the second major surgery the youngster has had early in his career. MLB Pipeline lists Crawford as the team's No. 9 prospect The Giants moved Crawford to a relief role in 2024 at Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento and had a 2.95 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 30 strikeouts in 18 1/3 frames over 14 outings (one start).
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Chris Sale's Next Start To Be Determined
MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes that Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale will make his next start whenever the Braves are facing elimination. Left-hander Max Fried will start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals because he's more of a creature of habit who doesn't like too many extra days of rest. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder), who remains on the injured list, will be a wild card who could be used at any point between Saturday and the team's doubleheader against the division-rival New York Mets on Monday. Atlanta's final two games against the Mets were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday due to inclement weather. The 35-year-old Sale, who is a front-runner for the National League Cy Young award, could very well be held back until one of Monday's games. He's been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball in 2024 with a league-best 2.38 ERA and 225 K's in 29 starts.
2 hours ago
Zach Neto Injures His Shoulder
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) left Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field after injuring his right shoulder on a slide into second base. Neto stayed down on the ground for a while and appeared to be in a significant amount of pain as trainers came out to look at him. He eventually walked off the field under his own power, but with just three games remaining in the 2024 regular season this weekend, Neto may not be able to make it back for the three-game series versus the division-rival Texas Rangers in Anaheim. Before leaving, he went 1-for-2 and was eventually replaced by Jack Lopez at the 6, with Michael Stefanic entering the game at second. If this is the end of the road for Neto in 2024, it has been a strong year in his first full season in the big leagues, as he hit 23 homers, drove in 77 and stole 30 bags in 155 games played.
2 hours ago
Jonah Heim Sitting Versus A's
Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Oakland Athletics in the final game at the Oakland Coliseum. Carson Kelly will do the catching for rookie right-hander Kumar Rocker and will bat eighth against A's right-hander J.T. Ginn. The 29-year-old's day off comes after he homered in each of the first two games of the series. Heim made his first All-Star team in 2023 before eventually helping lead the Rangers to their first World Series title. He hasn't been nearly as good in 2024, though, batting .219 (98-for-448) with 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 480 plate appearances. Since joining the Rangers in the middle of the season via trade, Kelly has slashed .233/.296/.311 with a .607 OPS, one homer and seven RBI in 28 games for the Rangers as the No. 2 backstop behind Heim.
2 hours ago
Dodgers Hope Miguel Rojas Can Return On Sunday
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the hope is that shortstop Miguel Rojas (groin) will be able to play in the regular-season finale this Sunday at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies. Rojas is undergoing an MRI exam and receiving a cortisone injection on Thursday after tweaking his groin in Wednesday night's win over the division-rival San Diego Padres. He said he's been dealing with a groin injury in his leg the last few weeks. "We figure that with the playoff schedule, you never play more than three days in a row," Rojas said. "Hopefully my ability to stay on top of it, plus the injection helps." The Dodgers are playing it safe with their primary shortstop ahead of the postseason in October. With the defensive whiz out for the next couple of games, expect Tommy Edman to move to the 6 with Andy Pages perhaps making some appearances in center field for the Blue.
2 hours ago
Yankees Place Mark Leiter Jr. On Paternity List
The New York Yankees placed right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. on the paternity list on Thursday and recalled right-hander Scott Effross from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move before their contest at Yankee Stadium against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. Leiter will most likely be away from the Yankees for the next three games, meaning he'll likely be back for the regular-series finale on Sunday at home in the Bronx against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old veteran began the year with the Chicago Cubs before joining the Yankees at the trade deadline in late July. In 20 relief appearances out of the Yankees' bullpen since the trade, Leiter has gone 2-1 with a 5.23 ERA (5.34 FIP), a 1.64 WHIP, 30 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 2/3 innings, so he hasn't really been on the fantasy radar in pinstripes.
2 hours ago
Vinnie Pasquantino Takes Batting Practice On Thursday
Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (thumb) took batting practice at Nationals Park on Thursday before the team's series finale against the Washington Nationals. It's another step in Pasquantino's recovery after suffering a right-thumb injury that will keep him out through the end of the regular season this Sunday. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger needed surgery to fix a fractured right thumb, but it's good to see that he's already swinging a bat over three weeks removed from going under the knife. The Royals must first clinch a wild-card spot in the American League before the Royals will begin discussing whether Pasquantino has a shot to join them if they make a deep playoff run in October. Catcher Salvador Perez has seen more time at first base for KC since Pasquantino's injury, with Freddy Fermin filling in behind the dish.
2 hours ago
Alec Burleson, Michael Siani Sitting On Thursday
St. Louis Cardinals outfielders Alec Burleson and Michael Siani are both out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Kyle Freeland. Ivan Herrera is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup, while Victor Scott II is in center field and in the nine-hole against Freeland. Burleson will head to the bench again for the second straight day with a lefty on the mound. The 25-year-old hasn't started against a southpaw since Aug. 6 and came into the day hitting .196 (26-for-133) against them with only three of his 21 homers on the season. Herrera will be a popular DFS sleeper on Thursday at Coors Field against a lefty. The 24-year-old Panamanian catcher is batting .297 on the year with one of his four long balls coming against a southpaw. Siani takes a seat after starting in each of the first two games in Colorado.
2 hours ago
Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan Absent Against Rockies
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan will both retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Jose Fermin is handling the hot corner and batting eighth, while rookie Thomas Saggese starts at second base and is hitting sixth against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. Neither Fermin nor Saggese have ever faced Freeland in their careers. Donovan will get the day off after starting in each of the team's last 12 games. Fermin has done little at the plate in 63 at-bats this year, going 9-for-63 (.143) with no homers, three RBI and two stolen bases. Saggese, meanwhile, was recently called up for the first time and has gone 8-for-38 (.211) with a homer, two doubles and four RBI in his first 14 major-league games for the Red Birds.
5 hours ago
Brendan Rodgers Still Out On Thursday
Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) remains sidelined for Thursday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. Rodgers will be missing his third straight game this week due to tightness in his left hamstring. The 28-year-old should be considered day-to-day heading into the final series of the regular season, which begins on Friday at Coors Field against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. With Rodgers out again, rookie Aaron Schunk is making the start at second base and will hit in the nine-hole against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. Schunk has never faced Gibson in his career and is a DFS option to avoid at the bottom of the Rockies' batting order. The 27-year-old is in his first year in the majors in 2024 and has hit .244 (20-for-82) with two homers, three doubles, six RBI and 26 strikeouts in 86 trips to the plate.
5 hours ago
Brenton Doyle Getting A Breather
After returning to the lineup on Tuesday after missing the weekend series against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers due to a knee issue, Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle will get a day to rest for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Sam Hilliard is getting the starting nod in center field and is batting sixth for the Rockies against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. The 26-year-old Doyle has been the most relevant fantasy player in the thin air of Colorado this year with a .262/.318/.450 slash line, .768 OPS, 23 home runs, 72 RBI, 29 stolen bases and 82 runs scored in 538 total at-bats. He should be back in there on Friday for the series opener versus the Dodgers at Coors Field. Hilliard has never faced Gibson in his career and enters the contest with nine long balls, 26 RBI and five stolen bases in his 130 at-bats in 2024.
5 hours ago
Gavin Sheets, Andrew Benintendi Resting Against Southpaw
Chicago White Sox outfielders Gavin Sheets and Andrew Benintendi, infielder Nicky Lopez and catcher Korey Lee are all sitting for Thursday's series finale at Guaranteed Rate Field versus the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Tyler Anderson. Miguel Vargas is the designated hitter and is batting leadoff, Zach DeLoach is in left field and is hitting sixth, Lenyn Sosa is at the keystone and batting cleanup, and Chuckie Robinson is doing the catching and hitting out of the seven-hole against Anderson. Sheets will start on the bench for the second day in a row with another lefty on the hill. He's hit just .207 (17-for-82) with two of his 10 homers this year against lefties. Benintendi has similarly struggled against southpaws, going 24-for-113 (.212) with four of his 19 homers against them on the year. Vargas is hitting leadoff but has batted just .160 on the year with five homers in 194 at-bats.
5 hours ago
Nolan Schanuel, Jordyn Adams Out On Thursday
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (leg) and outfielder Jordyn Adams (knee) are both out of the lineup on Thursday for the series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Schanuel fouled a ball of his right lower leg in Wednesday's loss to the White Sox and will miss at least one day of action as a result. The 22-year-old is considered day-to-day for now and will be hoping to play at some point in the final weekend series of the year against the division-rival Texas Rangers. Adams, meanwhile, has been out for a whole week with soreness in his right knee. At this point with just three games remaining, we may not see the 24-year-old again in 2024. Brandon Drury is at first base and batting cleanup, while Gustavo Camero is in right field and is batting seventh for the Halos on Thursday against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen.
5 hours ago
Tarik Skubal "Unlikely" To Pitch On Sunday
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on Thursday that it's "unlikely" that left-hander Tarik Skubal would pitch in the season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival Chicago White Sox if the Tigers have already clinched a postseason berth but are still playing for seeding. Skubal is the front-runner for the Cy Young award in the American League this year, but the Tigers would rather save him for the first game of the wild-card series next week if they punch their ticket to the playoffs before Skubal's next turn in the rotation on Sunday. The 27-year-old southpaw has been an absolute beast on the mound this year for Detroit, leading the league in wins (18), win percentage (.818), ERA (2.39), strikeouts (228), ERA+ (170) and FIP (2.49) in 192 innings over 31 starts. Whichever team lines up to face the red-hot Tigers is going to find it difficult to produce offense against Skubal in Game 1 if the Tigers make the playoffs.
5 hours ago
Kerry Carpenter Sitting Against A Lefty
Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter will start on the bench for Thursday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park with a left-hander on the mound. Matt Vierling is in left field and will bat cleanup, while Andy Ibanez draws into the lineup at third base and will hit leadoff against Rays left-hander Tyler Alexander. In just 84 games in his third big-league season, Carpenter has 17 home runs and is only four homers shy of setting a new career-high. However, he's really struggled against southpaws in 2024 in a small sample size, going 3-for-28 (.107) with one of his 17 home runs and 10 strikeouts in 32 plate appearances. Ibanez is in a nice lineup spot for DFS but still brings minimal upside with only five home runs and two steals in 216 at-bats this year. Vierling has hit .269 against lefties but with only three of his 16 long balls.
5 hours ago
Yandy Diaz, Jose Caballero Out On Thursday
Tampa Bay Rays infielders Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca are all out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Diaz is on the bench for the third time in the last four days, but it doesn't appear he's dealing with any sort of injury. The 33-year-old hasn't been as good as he was last year when he won the American League batting title with a .330 average, but he's still been one of Tampa's best hitters with a .282/.342/.417 slash line with 14 homers and 65 RBI in 143 games played. Jonathan Aranda is playing first and batting cleanup, with Taylor Walls at short and batting ninth, and Jose Siri in center and in the seven-hole against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Aranda recently homered in three straight games and has become a regular down the stretch, hitting .262 (16-for-61) with five homers and nine RBI in 20 games in September.
5 hours ago
Cedric Mullins Collects Three Hits, Scores Three Times On Wednesday
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in Wednesday's 9-7 win over the Yankees, preventing New York from being crowned division champs for a little while longer. Mullins had a dismal first half, slashing .214/.256/.373 with 16 steals and a wRC+ of 77 through the season's first 85 games, but has slashed .258/.370/.460 with 16 steals and a 142 wRC+ in the 54 games since. The 29-year-old owns a .230-18-54-66-32 line on the season and fantasy managers hoping for a championship will hope he stays hot for a couple more games.
6 hours ago
Jose Ramirez Hits 38th Home Run, Collects Three RBI
Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez fell a single shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4 night at the plate, collecting a double, a triple, and a home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Reds. The home run was his 38th of the season, while the switch-hitter collected three RBI and scored twice in the contest as well. The 6x All-Star has been one of the top fantasy performers this season due to his strong output in every offensive category, accumulating a .279-38-115-113-40 line. The 32-year-old shows no signs of showing down and will surely be responsible for sending many fantasy managers home with a championship this year.
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